The Associations between Objectively Measured Physical Activity and Physical Function in Community-Dwelling Older Japanese Men and Women

Abstract

Objective: The relationships between physical activity (PA) and physical function (PF) among older Japanese adults have been examined before, with some studies reporting that moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) is positively associated with PF. However, it is unclear whether the observed associations differ between men and women. In this study, we investigated the associations of objectively measured MVPA, light physical activity (LPA), and sedentary time (ST) with different PF levels in older Japanese men and women. Subjects and Methods: A total of 810 community-dwelling subjects aged 65–75 years were investigated (52.1% women, 47.9% men). The PF variables included grip strength, one-leg standing, usual and maximum walking speeds, and chair-standing time. PA (MVPA, LPA, and ST) and the number of steps taken daily were assessed for seven consecutive days by a tri-axial accelerometer. We determined the sex-specific quartiles of MVPA, LPA, and ST and analyzed their associations with physical function in separate models for each exposure measure. Results: In the crude analysis, MVPA was significantly associated with all PF variables in the men, and with the usual walking speed, max. walking speed, and chair-standing time in the women. Neither LPA nor ST was significantly associated with any PF variables. After adjusting potential confounding factors, significant associations between MVPA and usual walking speed remained in the men and women. Conclusions: Only greater moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) was significantly associated with higher levels of PF variables in both men and women. Thus, time spent in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) can help older adults maintain or improve their physical function.

The Mediating Role of Physical Activity and Physical Function in the Association between Body Mass Index and Health-Related Quality of Life: A Population-Based Study with Older Adults

“…An interesting finding of the present study was that the variables age and sex showed small, and in some cases, non-significant, levels of correlation with the other variables. These results were not in agreement with previous studies; in general, age and sex are considered to influence the levels of PA [ 58 , 59 ], PF [ 60 , 61 ], and body weight [ 14 , 62 ] and, in turn, affect HRQoL levels [ 39 , 40 ].…”

Association between Depression Severity and Physical Function among Chinese Nursing Home Residents: The Mediating Role of Different Types of Leisure Activities

“…Nevertheless, those findings are inconsistent. For instance, several studies reported that individuals with moderate to high physical activity levels have markedly better physical function than their sedentary counterparts [ 13 , 14 , 15 ]. However, other light leisure activities (e.g., lying in the sun, listening to the radio, and reading newspapers/books) had nonsignificant effects on physical function [ 16 , 17 ].…”

“…Hence, identifying the types of leisure activities and exploring their effects on physical function may provide essential insights for implementing individualized interventions. Based on the results of previous studies [ 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 ], most activities with negligible effects on physical function are sedentary (sitting or lying down) in nature and involve limited energy expenditure. Conversely, activities involving physical movement delay the decline in physical function.…”

Association between Walking Habit and Physical Frailty among Community-Dwelling Older Adults

“…Considering the size of the district, 5000 respondents were randomly selected and mailed the survey invitation and questionnaire. We included the 949 respondents who participated in the measurement sessions from September to December 2017 [ 13 ]. A final total of 846 subjects (399 men and 447 women) who met the criteria for valid data on physical activity (≥4 days and ≥10 h of wear time) of a tri-axis accelerometer (Active style Pro HJA-350IT, Omron Healthcare, Kyoto, Japan) and had no missing data on physical frailty or exercise habit were included in the final analysis of this study ( Figure 1 ).…”