Everyday physical activity as a predictor of late-life mortality.
OBJECTIVE
The present study hypothesized that simple, everyday physical activity (EPA) would decline with advancing age; that women would have a more favorable EPA profile than would men; and that EPA would have a survival benefit.


METHODS
Community-dwelling participants (aged 80-98 years, n = 198) wore mechanical actigraphs in order for EPA to be assessed. Individuals were classified as active, inactive, and sedentary based on their level of EPA exhibited over a substantial part of the day. Survival status was available at approximately 2 years.


RESULTS
Mean EPA scores decreased with advancing age and, in contrast to men, women in their early eighties appeared to be protected from declining EPA. This partially supported the hypothesis that women would have a more favorable EPA profile. What is most important is that mean EPA scores predicted mortality. Moreover, when compared with their less sedentary counterparts, sedentary adults were more than three times as likely to be deceased 2 years later.


CONCLUSIONS
Researchers need to conduct new trials to determine whether or how physical activity is associated with mortality.
Chipperfield
Judith G
JG
Department of Psychology, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada. chipper@ms.umanitoba.ca
D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D015577:Geriatric Assessment; D006801:Humans; D008136:Longevity / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D011159:Population Surveillance; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015996:Survival Rate / Q000639:trends; D014481:United States