The Effect of a Healthy Lifestyle on Future Physical Functioning in Midlife Women

Abstract

Purpose To examine the prospective association between healthy lifestyle behaviors and objectively measured physical function in midlife women. Methods Participants included 1,769 racially/ethnically diverse women, ages 56-68, from the SWAN (Study of Women's Health Across the Nation) cohort. Physical function was assessed at the 13th follow-up (FU13) visit with the Short Physical Performance Battery (4 meter walk, repeated chair stands, and balance test) and grip strength. A Healthy Lifestyle Score (HLS), which ranged from 0-6, was calculated by averaging as many as three repeated measures of self-reported smoking, physical activity, and diet, all assessed prior to FU13. Multivariable linear and logistic regressions modeled each component of physical performance as a function of HLS and, in separate models, of each lifestyle behavior, adjusted for the other behaviors. Results In multivariable analyses, the time for the 4 M walk was 0.06 secs faster (p=0.001) for every 1 point increase in the HLS. The time for the repeated chair stands was significantly shorter by about 0.20 seconds. Neither grip strength nor balance problems were significantly associated with the HLS (p=.28, p=0.19 respectively). The model examining the individual health behaviors showed that only physical activity was significantly associated with physical performance. Conclusion Regular physical activity in early midlife has the potential to reduce the likelihood of physical functional limitations later in midlife.

The associations of physical activity and physical capability with cardiovascular health among working‐age finnish women

“…In line with our results, the association with greater level of PA and better physical capability in mid‐life is shown previously . In addition, PA was the only factor to associate with physical capability individually, when better health behaviors in early mid‐life were associated with faster walking speed and chair stands among women studied later in 56‐68 years of age . Importantly, slower walking speed and fewer chair stands predicted incident ischemic stroke in women with the same magnitude as known risk factors like hypertension, while grip strength did not .…”

“…Windham et al had a similar finding of a better ideal CVH in mid‐life associating with greater physical functioning after 25 years . Thus, the focus on older people or just to a single health behavior may have influenced earlier results of the relationships between physical capability and CVD risk factors. Interestingly, the physical capability seems to distinguish differences in CVH already in mid‐life.…”

Physical activity trajectories during midlife and subsequent risk of physical functioning decline in late mid-life: The Study of Women's Health Across the Nation (SWAN)

“…By excluding these women, the observed measures of association were likely attenuated; therefore, we are confident that our findings are robust. Further, very little variability in physical performance was observed among SWAN participants at Visit 13 (Sternfeld et al, 2016). While not surprising that ceiling effects were observed in this relatively younger cohort of women, clinically relevant differences were still found.…”

Differences in hope, core self‐evaluations, emotional well‐being, and health risk behaviors in freshman university students

“…These individual scores then were summed to create a composite health risk score. A similar approach to generating a composite score has been documented in previous research on health behaviors …”