title: Physical activity and physical functioning in Swedish and Iranian 75-year-olds - a comparison.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The pattern of population aging is highly complex and contextually based. Cross-national comparisons are helpful to explore related factors. Two cross-sectional studies designed to compare physical activity level, physical functioning and certain health related factors in 75-year-old women and men in Sweden and Iran.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cohorts of 637 Swedish and 851 Iranian 75-year-olds were investigated with the same methods regarding physical activity level, physical functioning and health related factors.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were differences in physical activity level (p<0.001), self-reported physical functioning (p<0.001) objective physical functioning (p<0.001), health status (p<0.001) and most socio-demographic aspects between the two countries. Here the Swedish cohort had the advantage. There was no difference between the countries regarding prevalence of vertigo or falls. The only variables where the Iranian cohort had advantage over the Swedes were grip strength and smoking habits. There were larger gender differences in walking habits, self-selected walking speed, timed chair stand, and one-leg stance in Iran, and in grip strength in Sweden, all to the disadvantage of women.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Iranian 75-years-olds had a lower physical activity level, a worse lower extremity physical function but a better grip strength, a worse physical health status, but smoked less than their Swedish counterparts. Despite this, there were no differences regarding vertigo or falls. In most aspects, the magnitude of gender differences was about the same and in disadvantage of women, although there were larger differences in Iran in some lower extremity functions.
authors.affiliation: Division of Physiotherapy, Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden. zmosallanezhad@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Zahra
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Mosallanezhad
authors.forename: Helena
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hörder
authors.forename: Mahyar
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Salavati
authors.forename: Lena
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Nilsson-Wikmar
authors.forename: Kerstin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Frändin
mesh_terms: D000058:Accidental Falls / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000368:Aged; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005080:Exercise Test; D005260:Female; D018737:Hand Strength; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D007492:Iran / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D009043:Motor Activity; D015995:Prevalence; D057566:Self Report; D013548:Sweden / Q000453:epidemiology; D014717:Vertigo / Q000453:epidemiology; D016138:Walking / Q000706:statistics & numerical data