Longitudinal association of physical activity and sedentary behavior during leisure time with health-related quality of life in community-dwelling older adults

Abstract

BackgroundEvidence on the relation between leisure-time physical activity (LTPA) and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in older adults is based primarily on clinical trials of physical exercise programs in institutionalized persons and on cross-sectional studies of community-dwelling persons. Moreover, there is no evidence on whether leisure-time sedentary behavior (LTSB) is associated with HRQoL independently of LTPA. This study examined the longitudinal association between LTPA, LTSB, and HRQoL in older community-dwelling adults in Spain.MethodsProspective cohort study of 1,097 persons aged 62 and over. In 2003 LTPA in MET-hr/week was measured with a validated questionnaire, and LTSB was estimated by the number of sitting hours per week. In 2009 HRQoL was measured with the SF-36 questionnaire. Analyses were done with linear regression and adjusted for the main confounders.ResultsCompared with those who did no LTPA, subjects in the upper quartile of LTPA had better scores on the SF-36 scales of physical functioning (β 5.65; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.32-9.98; p linear trend < 0.001), physical role (β 7.38; 95% CI 0.16-14.93; p linear trend < 0.001), bodily pain (β 6.92; 95% CI 1.86-11.98; p linear trend < 0.01), vitality (β 5.09; 95% CI 0.76-9.41; p linear trend < 0.004) social functioning (β 7.83; 95% CI 2.89-12.75; p linear trend < 0.001), emotional role (β 8.59; 95% CI 1.97-15.21; p linear trend < 0.02) and mental health (β 4.20; 95% CI 0.26-8.13; p linear trend < 0.06). As suggested by previous work in this field, these associations were clinically relevant because the β regression coefficients were higher than 3 points. Finally, the number of sitting hours showed a gradual and inverse relation with the scores on most of the SF-36 scales, which was also clinically relevant.ConclusionsGreater LTPA and less LTSB were independently associated with better long-term HRQoL in older adults.

Sociodemographic profile, family aspects, perception of health, functional capacity and depression in institutionalized elderly persons from the north coastal region of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil

“…Similar data have been found in other studies 5,25,28 . It is important to identify the self-rated health of the population as the perception of negative health is described in literature as a predictor of mortality, functional disability and the mental health of the elderly 30 .…”

Changes in life-space mobility and quality of life among community-dwelling older people: a 2-year follow-up study

“…First, diminished possibilities for participation in outdoor activities and the resulting insufficient social interaction may lead to social isolation and loneliness, which, in turn, may lead to poor QOL [12,31,32]. Second, a reduction in time spent outdoors, and in consequence a lower level of physical activity and more sedentary behaviour, may have adverse effects on health and thus a negative influence on QOL [33].…”

Self-affirmation alters the brain’s response to health messages and subsequent behavior change

“…In particular, sedentary behavior increases risk, independent of other types of activity, and exchanging sedentary for even light activity has physiological and psychological benefits (17)(18)(19)(20)(21)(22)(23). However, sedentary lifestyle is still prevalent despite worldwide efforts to increase activity; according to the World Health Organization, "60% to 85% of people in the worldfrom both developed and developing countries-lead sedentary lifestyles" (24).…”