title: Smoking status and its relationship with exercise capacity, physical activity in daily life and quality of life in physically independent, elderly individuals.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the relationship between smoking status and exercise capacity, physical activity in daily life and health-related quality of life in physically independent, elderly (≥60 years) individuals.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional, observational study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Community-dwelling, elderly individuals.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred and fifty-four elderly individuals were categorised into four groups according to their smoking status: never smokers (n=57), passive smokers (n=30), ex-smokers (n=45) and current smokers (n=22).
  
  
  METHODS
  Exercise capacity [6-minute walk test (6MWT)], physical activity in daily life (step counting) and health-related quality of life [36-Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36) questionnaire] were assessed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Current and ex-smokers had lower mean exercise capacity compared with never smokers: 90 [standard deviation (SD) 10] % predicted, 91 (SD 12) % predicted and 100 (SD 13) % predicted distance on 6MWT, respectively [mean differences -9.8%, 95% confidence intervals (CI) -17.8 to -1.8 and -9.1%, 95% CI -15.4 to -2.7, respectively; P<0.05 for both]. The level of physical activity did not differ between the groups, but was found to correlate negatively with the level of nicotine dependence in current smokers (r=-0.47, P=0.03). The median score for the mental health dimension of SF-36 was worse in passive {72 [interquartile range (IQR) 56 to 96] points} and current [76 (IQR 55 to 80) points] smokers compared with ex-smokers [88 (IQR 70 to 100) points] (median differences -16 points, 95% CI -22.2 to -3.0 and -12 points, 95% CI -22.8 to -2.4, respectively; P<0.05 for both).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Among elderly individuals, current smokers had lower exercise capacity than never smokers. Although the level of physical activity did not differ between the groups, an association was found with smoking. Tobacco exposure was associated with worse scores for the mental health dimension of SF-36 in physically independent, elderly individuals.
authors.affiliation: Centro de Pesquisa em Ciências da Saúde, Universidade Norte do Paraná, Londrina, PR, Brazil; Programa de Mestrado e Doutorado em Ciências da Reabilitação, Universidade Estadual de Londrina, Universidade Norte do Paraná, Londrina, PR, Brazil; Laboratório de Pesquisa em Fisioterapia Pulmonar, Departamento de Fisioterapia, Universidade Estadual de Londrina, Londrina, PR, Brazil.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Mesquita
authors.affiliation: Centro de Pesquisa em Ciências da Saúde, Universidade Norte do Paraná, Londrina, PR, Brazil.
authors.forename: C G
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Gonçalves
authors.affiliation: Centro de Pesquisa em Ciências da Saúde, Universidade Norte do Paraná, Londrina, PR, Brazil.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Hayashi
authors.affiliation: Centro de Pesquisa em Ciências da Saúde, Universidade Norte do Paraná, Londrina, PR, Brazil.
authors.forename: V de S P
authors.initials: Vde S
authors.lastname: Costa
authors.affiliation: Centro de Pesquisa em Ciências da Saúde, Universidade Norte do Paraná, Londrina, PR, Brazil.
authors.forename: D de C
authors.initials: Dde C
authors.lastname: Teixeira
authors.affiliation: Centro de Pesquisa em Ciências da Saúde, Universidade Norte do Paraná, Londrina, PR, Brazil.
authors.forename: E R F S
authors.initials: ER
authors.lastname: de Freitas
authors.affiliation: Centro de Pesquisa em Ciências da Saúde, Universidade Norte do Paraná, Londrina, PR, Brazil.
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Felcar
authors.affiliation: Programa de Mestrado e Doutorado em Ciências da Reabilitação, Universidade Estadual de Londrina, Universidade Norte do Paraná, Londrina, PR, Brazil; Laboratório de Pesquisa em Fisioterapia Pulmonar, Departamento de Fisioterapia, Universidade Estadual de Londrina, Londrina, PR, Brazil.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Pitta
authors.affiliation: Centro de Pesquisa em Ciências da Saúde, Universidade Norte do Paraná, Londrina, PR, Brazil.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Molari
authors.affiliation: Centro de Pesquisa em Ciências da Saúde, Universidade Norte do Paraná, Londrina, PR, Brazil; Programa de Mestrado e Doutorado em Ciências da Reabilitação, Universidade Estadual de Londrina, Universidade Norte do Paraná, Londrina, PR, Brazil; Laboratório de Pesquisa em Fisioterapia Pulmonar, Departamento de Fisioterapia, Universidade Estadual de Londrina, Londrina, PR, Brazil. Electronic address: vanessaprobst@uol.com.br.
authors.forename: V S
authors.initials: VS
authors.lastname: Probst
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000368:Aged; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001938:Brazil; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005080:Exercise Test / Q000379:methods*; D017079:Exercise Tolerance / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D015577:Geriatric Assessment / Q000379:methods; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D057187:Independent Living; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000502:physiology*; D010807:Physical Endurance / Q000502:physiology; D011788:Quality of Life; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000453:epidemiology; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric
keywords: Aged; Exercise tolerance; Physical activity; Quality of life; Smoking