A prospective study of physical activity intensity and change in adiposity in middle-aged women.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the extent to which objectively measured intensity of physical activity (PA) predicts change in body fat (BF%) in women.


METHODS
Prospective cohort study of PA intensity and body composition in middle-aged women.


METHODS
The study took place in a metropolitan Mountain West community.


METHODS
Two hundred and twenty-eight women participated in two assessment periods separated by 20 months.


METHODS
Each assessment period consisted of seven consecutive days of monitoring, followed by body composition testing.


METHODS
The general linear model using partial correlations and Mantel-Haenszel chi2 tests were performed.


RESULTS
At baseline and follow-up, women who participated in vigorous PA were leaner than women who participated in moderate or light PA (p < .05). Longitudinal results indicated that a greater proportion of women who decreased PA intensity over the 20 months also increased BF% (66%), compared to participants who increased or maintained PA intensity (47%) (p < .05).


CONCLUSIONS
PA intensity seems to play a role in long-term weight maintenance. Reducing PA intensity increases the risk of BF% gain in women. Efforts to help women maintain PA intensity along with other weight management strategies may prove beneficial in preventing unwanted body fat gain in middle-aged women.
Department of Exercise and Health Sciences, College of Nursing and Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts Boston, 100 Morrissey Boulevard, Boston, MA 02125-3393, USA. bruce.bailey@umb.edu
Bruce W
BW
Bailey
Larry A
LA
Tucker
Travis R
TR
Peterson
James D
JD
LeCheminant
D050154:Adiposity / Q000502:physiology*; D000328:Adult; D015992:Body Mass Index; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D010809:Physical Fitness; D011446:Prospective Studies