title: Cross-sectional and prospective relationship between physical activity and chronic diseases in European older adults.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study examined the relationship between physical activity (PA) and chronic diseases in European older adults, using a prospective analysis with data from 2011 and 2013.
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants were 37,524 older adults (16,204 men) who responded to the fourth (in 2011) and fifth (in 2013) wave of SHARE project, from 13 European countries. Participants' answers to interview questions about the presence of chronic conditions and PA. The cross-sectional and prospective association between PA and the number of chronic diseases was assessed using general linear models.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among men and women, moderate or vigorous physical activity (MVPA) in 2011 was associated with fewer reported chronic diseases in 2011 and 2013. In prospective analysis, MVPA in 2011 was inversely associated with the number of chronic diseases in 2013 in the unadjusted model. In the adjusted model MVPA more than once a week remained as a significant predictor of fewer chronic diseases.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  PA should be prescribed to older adults in order to prevent and reduce the number of chronic diseases, and, when possible, vigorous intensity PA should be recommended.
authors.affiliation: Centro Interdisciplinar de Estudo da Performance Humana, Faculdade de Motricidade Humana, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal.|Centro de Investigação em Saúde Pública, Escola Nacional de Saúde Pública, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal.
authors.forename: Adilson
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Marques
authors.affiliation: Faculdade de Motricidade Humana, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal.
authors.forename: Miguel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Peralta
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Pedagogia, Faculdade de Motricidade Humana e UIDEF, Instituto de Educação, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal. jfigueiramartins@gmail.com.
authors.forename: João
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Martins
authors.affiliation: Faculdade de Motricidade Humana, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal.|William James Center for Research, Instituto Superior de Psicologia Aplicada, Lisbon, Portugal.
authors.forename: Margarida Gaspar
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: de Matos
authors.affiliation: George Warren Brown School of Social Work, Washington University, St. Louis, USA.
authors.forename: Ross C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Brownson
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D002908:Chronic Disease / Q000517:prevention & control*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005060:Europe; D015444:Exercise / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012737:Sex Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: Exercise; Older people vigorous physical activity; Public health; SHARE