Long-Term Leisure-Time Physical Activity and Other Health Habits as Predictors of Objectively Monitored Late-Life Physical Activity – A 40-Year Twin Study

Abstract

IMPORTANCEModerate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) in old age is an important indicator of good health and functional capacity enabling independent living.OBJECTIVETo investigate whether physical activity and other health habits at ages 31-48 years predict objectively measured MVPA decades later.DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTSThis prospective twin cohort study in Finland comprised 616 individuals (197 complete twin pairs, including 91 monozygotic pairs, born 1940-1944), who responded to baseline questionnaires in 1975, 1981, and 1990, and participated in accelerometer monitoring at follow-up (mean age, 73 years).EXPOSURESPrimary exposure was long-term leisure-time physical activity, 1975-1990 (LT-mMET index). Covariates were body mass index (BMI), work-related physical activity, smoking, heavy alcohol use and health status in 1990, and socioeconomic status.MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURESPhysical activity was measured with a waist-worn triaxial accelerometer (at least 10 hours per day for at least 4 days) to obtain daily mean MVPA values.RESULTSHigh baseline LT-mMET index predicted higher amounts of MVPA (increase in R2 of 6.9% after age and sex adjustment, P<.001) at follow-up. After addition of BMI to the regression model, the R2 value of the whole multivariate model was 17.2%, and with further addition of baseline smoking, socioeconomic status, and health status, the R2 increased to 20.3%. In pairwise analyses, differences in MVPA amount were seen only among twin pairs who were discordant at baseline for smoking (n=40 pairs, median follow-up MVPA 25 vs. 35 min, P=.037) or for health status (n=69 pairs, 30 vs. 44 min, P=.014). For smoking, the difference in MVPA also was seen for monozygotic pairs, but for health status, it was seen only for dizygotic pairs. Mediation analysis showed that shared genetic factors explained 82% of the correlation between LT-mMET and MVPA.CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCELow leisure-time physical activity at younger age, overweight, smoking, low socioeconomic status, and health problems predicted low MVPA in old age in individual-based analyses. However, based on the pairwise analyses and quantitative trait modeling, genetic factors and smoking seem to be important determinants of later-life MVPA.

Motives for physical activity in older men and women: A twin study using accelerometer‐measured physical activity

“…Further, only the twin individuals who had responded to at least one of the first two mail surveys (1975 or 1981) were selected for the present study. 19 In total, 1632 twin individuals alive and contactable (ie, 816 complete same-sex twin pairs, out of which 256 were MZ, 490 DZ and 70 with unconfirmed zygosity) were invited to participate in a health and cognition telephone interview, use an accelerometer to monitor their physical activity behavior, and respond to a questionnaire related to physical functioning. The target group was a selected community-dwelling group of older individuals since those less healthy individuals living in nursing homes or long-term institutional care were not contactable.…”

Does long-term recreational gymnastics prevent injurious falls in older women? A prospective 20-year follow-up

“…Although the health benefits of regular physical activity are well established, poor exercise adherence and compliance with physical activity recommendations is very common in the elderly population [33]. On the other hand, long-term physical activity at a younger age predicts physical activity in old age [34]. Also, in intervention trials, adherence and compliance remain fairly good as long as the training is supervised, but after the intervention, the adherence tends to return to the baseline.…”

Does long-term recreational gymnastics prevent injurious falls in older women? A prospective 20-year follow-up

“…Although the health benefits of regular physical activity are well established, poor exercise adherence and compliance with physical activity recommendations is very common in the elderly population [38]. On the other hand, long-term physical activity at a younger age predicts physical activity in old age [39]. Also, in intervention trials, adherence and compliance remain fairly good as long as the training is supervised, but after the intervention, the adherence tends to return to the baseline.…”