title: "Keeping Moving": factors associated with sedentary behaviour among older people recruited to an exercise promotion trial in general practice.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Sedentary behaviour is detrimental to health, even in those who achieve recommended levels of physical activity. Efforts to increase physical activity in older people so that they reach beneficial levels have been disappointing. Reducing sedentary behaviour may improve health and be less demanding of older people, but it is not clear how to achieve this. We explored the characteristics of sedentary older people enrolled into an exercise promotion trial to gain insights about those who were sedentary but wanted to increase activity.
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants in the ProAct65+ trial (2009-2013) were categorised as sedentary or not using a self-report questionnaire. Demographic data, health status, self-rated function and physical test performance were examined for each group. 1104 participants aged 65 & over were included in the secondary analysis of trial data from older people recruited via general practice. Results were analysed using logistic regression with stepwise backward elimination.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Three hundred eighty seven (35 %) of the study sample were characterised as sedentary. The likelihood of being categorised as sedentary increased with an abnormal BMI (<18.5 or >25 g/m(2)) (Odds Ratio 1.740, CI 1.248-2.425), ever smoking (OR 1.420, CI 1.042-1.934) and with every additional medication prescribed (OR 1.069, CI 1.016-1.124). Participants reporting better self-rated physical health (SF-12) were less likely to be sedentary; (OR 0.961, 0.936-0.987). Participants' sedentary behaviour was not associated with gender, age, income, education, falls, functional fitness, quality of life or number of co-morbidities.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Some sedentary older adults will respond positively to an invitation to join an exercise study. Those who did so in this study had poor self-rated health, abnormal BMI, a history of smoking, and multiple medication use, and are therefore likely to benefit from an exercise intervention.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  ISRCTN reference: ISRCTN43453770.
authors.affiliation: Department of Primary Care & Population Health, University College London, Royal Free Campus, Rowland Hill St., London, NW3 2PF, UK. ruth_heseltine@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Ruth
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Heseltine
authors.affiliation: School of Health & Life Sciences, Glasgow Caledonian University, Cowcaddens Rd, Glasgow, Lanarkshire, G4 0BA, UK. dawn.skelton@gcu.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Dawn A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Skelton
authors.affiliation: Division of Primary Care, University of Nottingham, Floor 13, Tower Building, University Park, Nottingham, NG7 2RD, UK. denise.kendrick@nottingham.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Denise
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kendrick
authors.affiliation: School of Social and Community Medicine, University of Bristol, Canynge Hall, 39 Whatley Road, Bristol, BS8 2PS, UK. richard.morris@bristol.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Richard W
authors.initials: RW
authors.lastname: Morris
authors.affiliation: Department of Primary Care & Population Health, University College London, Royal Free Campus, Rowland Hill St., London, NW3 2PF, UK. m.griffin@ucl.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Griffin
authors.affiliation: Department of Primary Care & Population Health, University College London, Royal Free Campus, Rowland Hill St., London, NW3 2PF, UK. d.haworth@ucl.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Deborah
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Haworth
authors.affiliation: Nottingham University Hospital NHS Trust, Derby Rd, Nottingham, NG7 2UH, UK. tash.masud@nottingham.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Tahir
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Masud
authors.affiliation: Department of Primary Care & Population Health, University College London, Royal Free Campus, Rowland Hill St., London, NW3 2PF, UK. s.iliffe@ucl.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Steve
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Iliffe
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D005194:Family Practice / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D015577:Geriatric Assessment / Q000379:methods; D015438:Health Behavior; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000379:methods; D054624:Health Status Disparities; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000187:drug effects; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D019338:Polypharmacy; D011597:Psychomotor Performance; D057185:Sedentary Behavior; D013223:Statistics as Topic