title: Ambulatory physical activity profiles of older adults.
abstract: This study examined objectively determined walking profiles of older adults across a wide range of sociocultural backgrounds. All individuals (N = 415; 131 men age 70.5 +/- 9.2 yr and 284 women age 71.5 +/- 9.0 yr) underwent physiological measurements, completed pen-and-paper surveys, and wore a pedometer for 7 consecutive days. The total sample accumulated a mean of 3,987 +/-2,680 steps/day. Age (r = -.485, p < .001) and body-mass index (BMI; r = -.353, p < .001) were negatively associated with steps per day. Multivariate analysis revealed that race/ethnic category (F = 3.15, df = 3), gender (F = 2.46, df = 1), BMI (F = 6.23, df = 2), income (F = 9.86, df = 1), education (F = 43.3, df = 1), and retirement status (F = 52.3, df = 1) were significantly associated with steps per day. Collectively these categories accounted for 56% of the variance in walking activity in this independently living, community-dwelling older adult sample. Sedentary characteristics highlighted within, and step-per-day values specific to, older adults have implications for planning targeted physical activity interventions related to walking activity in this population.
authors.affiliation: Dept of Human Movement Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, WI 53201-0413, USA.
authors.forename: Scott J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Strath
authors.forename: Ann M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Swartz
authors.forename: Susan E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Cashin
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000886:Anthropometry; D015992:Body Mass Index; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D018670:Monitoring, Ambulatory / Q000295:instrumentation; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012923:Social Class; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016138:Walking / Q000502:physiology*