Visualizing Physical Activity Patterns among Community-Dwelling Older Adults: A Pilot Study

Physical Activity Patterns and Cognitive Health among Older Adults in the United States

We assessed the association between physical activity (PA) patterns and cognitive health. Using the 2011-2014 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey data among older adults (≥60 years), we defined scoring below the 25th percentile in the average z-scores from 3 cognitive tests as having low cognitive performance. We used latent class analysis to categorize PA patterns and examined their association with cognitive performance using logistic regressions while adjusting for relevant covariates. We identified three PA groups: inactive (50.2%), moderate intensity leisure (34.5%), and high intensity multiple activities (15.3%). Compared to the inactive group, the moderate intensity leisure and high intensity multiple activities groups were less likely to have low cognitive performance (adjusted proportion ratio .85; 95% CI: .75, .94; and .76; 95% CI: .57, .96). The results highlight the need for improving cognitive health of a large proportion of physically inactive older adults by promoting multiple types of PA.

The Influence of Sitting, Standing, and Stepping Bouts on Cardiometabolic Health Markers in Older Adults

Aside from total time spent in physical activity behaviors, how time is accumulated is important for health. This study examined associations between sitting, standing, and stepping bouts, with cardiometabolic health markers in older adults. Participants from the Mitchelstown Cohort Rescreen Study (N = 221) provided cross-sectional data on activity behaviors (assessed via an activPAL3 Micro) and cardiometabolic health. Bouts of ≥10-, ≥30-, and ≥60-min sitting, standing, and stepping were calculated. Linear regression models were fitted to examine the associations between bouts and cardiometabolic health markers. Sitting (≥10, ≥30, and ≥60 min) and standing (≥10 and ≥30 min) bouts were detrimentally associated with body composition measures, lipid markers, and fasting glucose. The effect for time spent in ≥60-min sitting and ≥30-min standing bouts was larger than shorter bouts. Fragmenting sitting with bouts of stepping may be targeted to benefit cardiometabolic health. Further insights for the role of standing need to be elicited.