scholarly journals Concern about Falling and Complexity of Free-Living Physical Activity Patterns in Well-Functioning Older Adults

Gerontology ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 64 (6) ◽  
pp. 603-611 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anisoara Paraschiv-Ionescu ◽  
Christophe J. Büla ◽  
Kristof Major ◽  
Constanze Lenoble-Hoskovec ◽  
Hélène Krief ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Everyday Life ◽  
Activity Patterns ◽  
Physical Activity Behavior ◽  
Community Dwelling ◽  
Negative Consequences ◽  
Free Living ◽  
Physical Activity Patterns ◽  
Activity Behavior

Background: Fall-related psychological concerns are common among older adults, potentially contributing to functional decline as well as to restriction of activities and social participation. To effectively prevent such negative consequences, it is important to understand how even very low concern about falling could affect physical activity behavior in everyday life. We hypothesized that concern about falling is associated with a reduction in diversity, dynamics, and performance of daily activities, and that these features can be comprehensively quantified in terms of complexity of physical activity patterns. Methods: A sample of 40 community-dwelling older adults were assessed for concern about falling using the Falls Efficacy Scale-International (FES-I). Free-living physical activity was assessed using a set of metrics derived from data recorded with a chest-worn tri-axial accelerometer. The devised metrics characterized physical activity behavior in terms of endurance (total locomotion time, longest locomotion period, usual walking cadence), performance (cadence of longest locomotion period, locomotion periods with at least 30 steps and 100 steps/min), and complexity of physical activity patterns. Complexity was quantified according to variations in type, intensity, and duration of activities, and was considered as an adaptive response to environmental exigencies over the course of the day. Results: Based on FES-I score, participants were classified into two groups: not concerned at all/fully confident (n = 25) and concerned/less confident (n = 15). Demographic and health-related variables did not differ significantly between groups. Comparison of physical activity behavior indicated no significant differences for endurance-related metrics. In contrast, performance and complexity metrics were significantly lower in the less confident group compared to the fully confident group. Among all metrics, complexity of physical activity patterns appeared as the most discriminative feature between fully confident and less confident participants (p = 0.001, non-parametric Cliff’s delta effect size = 0.63). Conclusions: These results extend our understanding of the interplay between low concern about falling and physical activity behavior of community-dwelling older persons in their everyday life context. This information could serve to better design and evaluate personalized intervention programs in future prospective studies.

scholarly journals Time-Varying Associations of Physical Activity on Weekdays and Weekend Days in Minority Older Adults

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 191-191
Author(s):  
Derek Hevel ◽  
Laurie Kennedy-Malone ◽  
Kourtney Sappenfield ◽  
Heidi Scheer ◽  
Christine Zecca ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Activity Patterns ◽  
Physical Activity Behavior ◽  
Time Varying ◽  
Physically Active ◽  
Black African ◽  
Physical Activity Patterns ◽  
Low Levels ◽  
The Moment

Abstract Older adults are insufficiently physically active, and therefore, are at an increased health risk. However, less is known about the moment-to-moment physical activity behavior patterns that change across the day. The current study utilized accelerometry to better understand diurnal physical activity patterns. Minority older adults (N=91, age M=70.14, 96% Black/African American) participated in an 8-day study where they wore an ActivPAL accelerometer to measure physical activity. Physical activity was operationalized as stepping in the 60-minute window (±30-min) around a given moment. Time varying-effect modeling was used to determine how physical activity patterns change over the course of weekdays and weekend days. Results are rounded to the 5-min interval. On weekdays, time spent stepping increased from 8:00am (B=7.16, 95%CI: 5.04, 9.27) until peaking at 11:10am (B=8.46, 95%CI: 6.59, 10.33), slowly decreased to the lowest point at 6:10pm (B=6.72, 95%CI: 4.82, 8.62), and then increased slightly in the evening. On weekend days, time spent stepping was lowest at 8:00am (B=4.47, 95%CI: 2.14, 6.80), peaked at 12:20pm (B=5.50, 95%CI: 3.22, 7.78), gradually decreased until 5:50pm (B=5.21, 95%CI: 2.90, 7.52), and then increased slightly in the evening. Minority older adults engage in more stepping time around mid-day, but less stepping in the late afternoon to early evening on both weekdays and weekend days. Self-care activities (e.g., mealtime, bed-time routines) may influence older adults’ physical activity. This work identifies vulnerable times during the day when older adults engage in relatively low levels of physical activity which may be of interest for interventions.

scholarly journals Visualizing Physical Activity Patterns among Community-Dwelling Older Adults: A Pilot Study

Sports ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
pp. 135 ◽  
Author(s):  
Monika Haga ◽  
Katerina Vrotsou ◽  
Ebba Bredland
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Visual Analysis ◽  
Daily Life ◽  
Activity Patterns ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Community Dwelling ◽  
Intensity Level ◽  
Physical Activity Patterns ◽  
Metabolic Equivalents

Regular physical activity relates to physical and mental functioning in older people, and promoting physical activity has the potential to substantially reduce functional decline and improve well-being. Despite this, investigations of the physical activity quotient through participation in functional activities in everyday life have traditionally gained limited focus among older populations compared to leisure-time physical activity and exercise. Considering the accumulated evidence of the health benefits of low-intensity physical activity, exploring and measuring such activities in this population is highly relevant. The aim of this study was to visualize and describe older people’s physical activity patterns in daily life using a time-geographic approach in combination with the estimation of metabolic equivalents (METS). To exemplify the new method, a sample of nine retired men (65–82 years old, mean age 76.4 ± 5.8) with no homecare services from the municipality was recruited. In order to enable a visual analysis of the physical activity patterns in daily life, we developed the VISUAL-PA software, which is a visual analysis tool that includes METS to account for intensity and enables the analysis of distinct types and domains of physical activity. The VISUAL-PA software creates graphic outputs of physical activity patterns that enable the identification, visualization, and analysis of distinct types and intensities of physical activity in addition to sedentary behavior. The use of VISUAL-PA can contribute to a broader understanding of the complexity in physical activity patterns among older adults in terms of dimensions such as activity patterns and habits, domains, and intensity level. To strengthen the public health strategies that promote health and an active lifestyle, additional knowledge about physical activity patterns is necessary. Moreover, the visualization of physical activity can enable reflections on and awareness of activity habits and preferences, and thus facilitate behavior changes in older individuals.

scholarly journals Objective measurements of daily physical activity patterns and sedentary behaviour in older adults: Age, Gene/Environment Susceptibility-Reykjavik Study

2012 ◽  
Vol 42 (2) ◽  
pp. 222-229 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nanna Yr Arnardottir ◽  
Annemarie Koster ◽  
Dane R. Van Domelen ◽  
Robert J. Brychta ◽  
Paolo Caserotti ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Sedentary Behaviour ◽  
Activity Patterns ◽  
Daily Physical Activity ◽  
Physical Activity Patterns ◽  
Objective Measurements ◽  
Gene Environment

scholarly journals The effectiveness of health literacy oriented programs on physical activity behaviour in middle aged and older adults with type 2 diabetes: a systematic review

2016 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Huen Sum Lam ◽  
Angela Yee Man Leung
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Diabetes Mellitus ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Health Literacy ◽  
Type Ii Diabetes ◽  
Physical Activity Behavior ◽  
Type Ii Diabetes Mellitus ◽  
Type Ii ◽  
Middle Aged ◽  
Activity Behavior

Health literacy is the first step to self-management of type II diabetes mellitus, of which physical activity is the least compliant behavior. However, no reviews have summarized the effect and the process of interventions of health literacy oriented programs on physical activity behavior among middle aged and older adults with type II diabetes mellitus. This article is the first to examine the effectiveness of health literacy oriented programs on physical activity behavior among middle aged and older adults with type II diabetes mellitus. This systematic review extracted articles from nine electronic databases between 1990 and 2013. Six interventional studies were extracted and reported in accordance with the guidance of Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses. Findings demonstrated that health literacy oriented programs increased the frequency and duration of physical activity among patients with high health literacy. Although some studies effectively improved the health literacy of physical activity, gap in literature remains open for the indistinct and unreliable measurement of physical activity within self-management programs of type II diabetes mellitus, and the questionable cross-culture generalizability of findings. Further studies with well-knit theorybased intervention with respect to patients’ cultural background, duration of intervention and objective measurements are encouraged to elucidate the relationship between health literacy oriented programs and physical activity behavior.

Understanding Older Adults' Physical Activity Behavior: A Multi-Theoretical Approach

Quest ◽  
2006 ◽  
Vol 58 (3) ◽  
pp. 310-329 ◽  
Author(s):  
Janene M. Grodesky ◽  
Maria Kosma ◽  
Melinda A. Solmon
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Theoretical Approach ◽  
Physical Activity Behavior ◽  
Activity Behavior

The influence of life events on physical activity patterns of Dutch older adults: A life history method

2014 ◽  
Vol 30 (6) ◽  
pp. 627-651 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elise J. Kenter ◽  
Winifred A. Gebhardt ◽  
Irene Lottman ◽  
Mariët van Rossum ◽  
Margreet Bekedam ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Life History ◽  
Life Events ◽  
Activity Patterns ◽  
Physical Activity Patterns
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