Physical Activity in Older Adults: An Investigation in a Metropolitan Area of Southern Italy (original) (raw)
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International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
The restriction measures adopted to control the COVID-19 pandemic had significant consequences on individuals’ lifestyles. This study is aimed at assessing the amount and type of habitual physical activity (PA) in older adults during the advanced phase of the pandemic and their possible relationships with sociodemographic aspects. A questionnaire that included sociodemographic characteristics and the Physical Activity Scale for the Elderly (PASE) was administered online to elderly subjects living in the Apulia region, South Italy. A sample of 939 participants (57.1% F; mean age 75.9 ± 6.3) was obtained. In total, 68.8% of female respondents reported a decrease in PA during the pandemic, while 55.1% of men maintained their previous levels (<0.001). The total PASE score did not differ between gender groups (median value 91.7 in males vs. 90.0 in females; p = 0.067). However, differences were registered in leisure activities, particularly regarding walking (23.8 ± 14.8 in males vs. ...
Introduction: Physical activity levels are often monitored to assess health behaviours and their associations with health status, including mortality and morbidity rates in the population. The International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ-L) was developed in the late 1990s to obtain internationally comparable data on health related physical activity and several studies have shown its acceptable validity and reliability for population-based studies. The aim of this study was the comparison of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ-L) against an objective method such as accelerometry. Methods: 220 volunteers (105 men and 115 women), aged 18-65 years, were recruited. All volunteers wore an accelerometer for 7 consecutive days, after that, we required them to complete the IPAQ-L together with a lifestyle questionnaire containing questions on physical exercise, smoking habits, alcohol consumption and other demographic data (age, sex, ect). Moreover, we collected measure of weight (kg) and height (cm) according to the standard procedure; body mass index (kg body weight/m 2 body height) has been calculated. Results: IPAQ-L showed a significant tendency to overestimate time spent in vigorous and moderate activities (p=0.0000) and to underestimate time spent sitting (p=0.0000). Additionally, the differences in minutes per day of moderate and vigorous physical activities between the IPAQ-L and the accelerometer reported in questionnaire increased. Nevertheless, we found a low positive correlation (r =0.30; p<0.05) between total physical activity measured by accelerometer and that obtained by the IPAQ-L. Conclusions: Our results showed low to moderate correlations between IPAQ-L and accelerometer pointing out differences across physical activity categories. This is an aspect that should be taken into account prior to deciding on use of an instrument for the assessment of physical activity; especially in small population groups preference should come down to objective tools such as the accelerometer.
Sensors
Self-report questionnaires are a valuable method of physical activity measurement in public health research; however, accuracy is often lacking. Resolving the differences between self-reported and objectively measured physical activity is an important surveillance challenge currently facing population health experts. The present work aims at providing the relationship between activity energy expenditure estimated from wrist-worn accelerometers and intensity of self-reported physical activity (InCHIANTI structured interview questionnaire) in a sub-cohort of a population-based study on aging in Southern Italy. Linear regression was used to test the association between measured and reported physical activity. We found that activity energy expenditure predicted clinical average levels of PA assessed through InCHIANTI classification.
Retos, 2016
Background: Physical activity is of particular interest due to its potential for improving quality of life and reducing health care costs. The contribution of this paper is to analyse the correlates of physical activity (PA) among individuals aged 50-70 years old. We differentiate between physical activity during leisure time (LTPA) and total physical activity (Total PA) and besides we offer potential policy advice to increase PA. Methods: We use a cross-sectional survey from a sample of Spanish individuals between 50 and 70 years of age. We analyse the correlates of LTPA and Total PA by estimating ordered probit models including socio-demographic characteristics, health and emotional wellbeing and social support. Results: The covariates explain in different ways LTPA and Total PA levels. In particular, the accomplishment of a minimum of LTPA is positively related to partner participation in LTPA (p<0.01), a good life satisfaction (p<0.01), being male (p<0.01) and secondary...
International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, 2014
Background: Detailed assessment of physical activity (PA) in older adults is required to comprehensively describe habitual PA-levels in this growing population segment. Current evidence of population PA-levels is predominantly based on self-report. Methods: We examined PA and sedentary behaviour in a nationally representative sample of British people aged 60-64, using individually-calibrated combined heart-rate and movement sensing and a validated questionnaire (EPAQ2), and the socio-demographic and behavioural factors that may explain between-individual variation in PA. Results: Between 2006-2010, 2224 participants completed EPAQ2 capturing the past year's activity in four domains (leisure, work, transportation and domestic life) and 1787 participants provided 2-5 days of combined-sensing data. According to objective estimates, median(IQR) physical activity energy expenditure (PAEE) was 33.5 (25.3-42.2) and 35.5 (26.6-47.3) kJ/kg/day for women and men, respectively. Median (IQR) time spent in moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA; >3MET), light-intensity PA (1.5-3 MET) and sedentary (<1.5 MET) was 26.0 (12.3-48.1) min/day, 5.4 (4.2-6.7) h/day and 18.0 (16.6-19.4) h/day, respectively, in women; and 41.0 (18.8-73.0) min/day, 5.2 (4.0-6.5) h/day and 17.9 (16.3-19.4) h/day in men. PAEE and time spent in MVPA were lower and sedentary time was greater in obese individuals, those with poor health, and those with lower educational attainment (women only). Questionnaire-derived PAEE and MVPA tended to have similar patterns of variation across socio-demographic strata. In the whole sample, domestic PA had the greatest relative contribution to total questionnaire-derived PAEE (58%), whereas occupational PA was the main driver among employed participants (54%). Only 2.2% of participants achieved an average of >30 min MVPA per day combined with >60 min strength-training per week. Conclusions: The use of both self-report and objective monitoring to assess PA in early old age provides important information on the domains of PA, PAEE and time spent at different intensity levels. Our findings suggest that PA levels are generally low and observed patterns of variation indicate specific subgroups who might benefit from targeted interventions to increase PA.
[Socio-demographic determinants of physical activity in Italy]
PubMed, 2007
A cross-sectional study was performed to evaluate the determinants of physical activity in Italy, by analysing data from the Italian Institute of Statistics (ISTAT) study regarding the health status and use of health services of the Italian population in the years 1999-2000. Multiple logistic regression analysis of data highlighted a lower propensity of women, smokers, ex-smokers, and individuals with a lower educational level, to engage in physical activity. These data are useful for planning targeted prevention strategies.
The Global Observatory for Physical Activity -GoPA! country cards were launched last Dec 4th in London [1]. GoPA! was created in response to the urgent call to action to prevent the physical inactivity pandemic described in the Lancet physical activity series back in 2012 . These population, researcher and policy maker friendly profiles aim to contribute promoting physical activity worldwide. Each profile put together a set of prevalence, health burden, research, surveillance and policy indicators. Each country has a representative that reviews the content presented in the card. Italy was launched in the first set of cards and it has an interesting profile. Main questions that were answered:
PloS one, 2018
The maintenance of muscle function into late life protects against various negative health outcomes. The present study was undertaken to evaluate the impact of habitual physical activity and exercise types on physical performance across ages in community-living adults. The Longevity check-up 7+ (Lookup 7+) project is an ongoing cross-sectional survey conducted in unconventional settings (e.g., exhibitions, malls, and health promotion campaigns across Italy) that began on June 1st 2015. The project was designed to raise awareness in the general population on major lifestyle behaviors and risk factors for chronic diseases. Candidate participants are eligible for enrolment if they are at least 18 years of age and provide written informed consent. Physical performance is evaluated through the 5-repetition chair stand test. Analyses were conducted in 6,242 community-living adults enrolled between June 1st 2015 and June 30th 2017, after excluding 81 participants for missing values of the ...
Health status and socioeconomic factors as determinants of physical activity level in the elderly
Medical science monitor : international medical journal of experimental and clinical research, 2003
The aim of our study was to assess the health status and Physical Activity Level (PAL) of the elderly population and determine the role of health status and socioeconomic factors in PAL. A total of 84 subjects (65 men and 19 women) participated in this study. These individuals were living independently, and attending rehabilitation centers for the elderly in Thessaloniki, Greece. The mean age of the subjects was 74.4 years (SD 7.9). Data was collected with a special questionnaire regarding health status and PAL, during individual interviews. The mean PAL value was 1.519, SD 0.115. Significant positive correlation was found between PAL and educational level (r=0.286, p<0.05). Regarding the relation of illnesses to PAL, one-way ANOVA indicated that individuals under treatment for heart arrhythmia and myocardial infarction, as well as those who had undergone a by-pass operation, had higher PAL values (1.659+/-0.0649, 1.551+/-0.093 and 1.613+/-0.0978, respectively) compared to those ...
Journal of preventive medicine and hygiene, 2013
Regular physical activity (PA) has associated with various positive health aspects such as a decreased risk of chronic or generic illnesses, furthermore, a sedentary lifestyle has been associated with health problems such as obesity. To examine the relationship between patterns of PA, screen-based media use (SBM) and social health indicators within a specific demographic group and highlight the regional vs. national differences in these relationships. The data is drawn from the Health Behaviour in School-Aged Children (HBSC) database, a national cross-sectional survey in a representative sample (N = 3920) of students aged 11-13-15 years and compared to those of the Tuscan region (N = 3381). Variables considered other than PA and SBM use includes positive health indicators such as physical health status, quality of family and peer relationships, fruit consumption, breakfast consumption as well as negative health indicators, such as health complaints, smoking and alcohol use. Some pos...