Do major life events influence physical activity among older adults: the Longitudinal Aging Study Amsterdam

Abstract

BackgroundMajor life events are associated with a change in daily routine and could thus also affect habitual levels of physical activity. Major life events remain largely unexplored as determinants of older adults’ participation in physical activity and sports. This study focused on two major life events, widowhood and retirement, and asked whether these major life events were associated with moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and sports participation.MethodsData from the first (1992–93) and second (1995–96) wave of the Longitudinal Aging Study Amsterdam (LASA), a prospective cohort study among Dutch adults aged 55 and older, were used. Change in marital status and employment status between baseline and follow-up was assessed by self-report. Time spent in MVPA (min/d) and sports participation (yes/no) was calculated based on the LASA Physical Activity Questionnaire. The association of retirement and widowhood with MVPA and sports participation was assessed in separate multivariate linear and logistic regression analyses, respectively.ResultsWidowhood - N=136 versus 1324 stable married- was not associated with MVPA (B= 3.5 [95%CI:-57.9;64.9]) or sports participation (OR= 0.8 [95%CI:0.5;1.3]). Retired participants (N= 65) significantly increased their time spent in MVPA (B= 32.5 [95%CI:17.8;47.1]) compared to participants who continued to be employed (N= 121), but not their sports participation. Age was a significant effect modifier (B= 7.5 [90%CI:-1.1;13.8]), indicating a greater increase in MVPA in older retirees.DiscussionOur results suggest that the associations found varied by the two major life events under investigation. MVPA increased after retirement, but no association with widowhood was seen.

Predictors of Physical Activity Change Among Adults Using Observational Designs

“…There were 67 independent datasets used in the results. Three studies met our inclusion criteria but did not contain enough similar studies to create themes [29][30][31]. Overall, five studies met the criteria to be considered of high quality (14)(15), the majority of the studies (n = 57) were of moderate quality (10)(11)(12)(13), and 19 were identified as low quality (\10).…”

Changes in physical activity during transition to retirement: a cohort study

“…To our knowledge, only one previous investigation, the French GAZEL study, has monitored physical activity levels repeatedly around the retirement transition [8], but the results might not necessarily be generalizable to other working populations because the large majority of GAZEL participants retired already at age 55 years with good pensions. A further limitation of the previous studies is imprecision due to the reliance on few repeat measurements, typically only one measurement before and one after retirement [7, 9, 10]. In addition, little is known about factors that may modify the effects of retirement on physical activity.…”

Older women and their participation in exercise and leisure-time physical activity: the double edged sword of work

“…This is a striking omission in the context of policy drives to extend working lives since ill health impacts negatively on hours of work and employment participation. There has been more research looking at the links between retirement and PA, and a positive association has been found in some studies (Koeneman et al 2012) but not all (Berger et al 2005;Slingerland et al 2007). It should be noted, however, that early retirees (55 -58) may leave work because of ill health (Rijs, Cozihnsen, and Deeg 2012) which could account for evidence that suggests leisure-time PA can increase with age (Lahti et al 2011) although the general trend is for PA to decrease with age (Sun, Norman, and While 2013).…”