Changes in prolonged sedentary behaviour across the transition to retirement

Changes in Accelerometer-Measured Physical Activity and Sedentary Time Across Retirement Transition as a Predictor of Self-Rated Health

BACKGROUND

Retirement transition has been shown to associate with changes in physical activity (PA) and self-rated health (SRH), but their interrelationship is less studied. The aim was to investigate changes in accelerometer-measured total PA, moderate to vigorous PA (MVPA), and sedentary time across retirement transition as a predictor of SRH.

METHODS

Data from the Swedish Retirement Study and the Finnish Retirement and Aging study were harmonized and pooled. Data from 3 waves (about 12 mo apart) were included: 1 preretirement (wave 1) and 2 postretirement follow-ups (wave 2-3). A totally of 245 participants (27% men) were included. Thigh-worn accelerometers were used to collect data for PA variables (wave 1-2), and SRH was obtained from the questionnaire (wave 1-3).

RESULTS

Between wave 1 and 2, total PA decreased with 11 (CI, -22 to -1) minutes per day, MVPA was stable (0 [CI, -3 to 3] min), and sedentary time decreased nonsignificantly with 9 (CI, -20 to 1) minutes. SRH changed between all 3 waves (all P < .001). At preretirement, 10 more minutes of MVPA was associated with greater odds of better SRH when adjusting for accelerometer wear-time, cohort, sex, age, and occupational status (odds ratio: 1.11 [95% CI, 1.02-1.22]). This association was no longer statistically significant when additionally adjusting for marital status, body mass index, and smoking. No significant associations were observed between changes in the PA variables during retirement transition and SRH at postretirement follow-ups.

CONCLUSIONS

This study showed a cross-sectional association between MVPA and greater odds of reporting better SRH before retirement. No longitudinal associations were observed between changes in the PA variables from before to after retirement and later changes in SRH.

Finnish Retirement and Aging Study: a prospective cohort study

PURPOSE

The Finnish Retirement and Aging (FIREA) Study was set up to study changes in health behavioural and cardiometabolic risk factors across retirement transition, and to examine the long-term consequences of work and retirement on health and functioning with advancing age.

PARTICIPANTS

Public sector workers whose estimated statutory retirement date was in 2014-2019 were invited to participate by sending them a questionnaire 18 months prior to their estimated retirement date. In the first phase of the FIREA Study, participants were followed up with annual surveys, accelerometer and clinical measurements during retirement transition into post-retirement years. The FIREA survey cohort includes 6783 participants, of which 908 belong also to the activity substudy and 290 to the clinical substudy.

FINDINGS TO DATE

Collected data include survey measures about health, lifestyle factors, psychosocial distress, work-related factors as well as retirement intentions. Accelerometer and GPS devices are used to measure 24-hour movement behaviours. Clinical examination includes blood and hair sample, measurements of anthropometry, cardiovascular function, physical fitness, physical and cognitive function. Our results suggest that in general retirement transition seems to have beneficial influence on health behaviours as well as on physical and mental health, but there are large individual differences, and certain behaviours such as sedentariness tend to increase especially among those retiring from manual occupations.

FUTURE PLANS

The second phase of the FIREA Study will be conducted during 2023-2025, when participants are 70 years old. The FIREA Study welcomes research collaboration proposals that fall within the general aims of the project.

Effects of a Mind-Body Program for Chronic Pain in Older versus Younger Adults

Purpose

Improving physical function is key to decreasing the burden of chronic pain across the lifespan. Although mind-body interventions show promise in increasing physical function in chronic pain, very little is known about whether older and younger adults derive similar benefit. Indeed, older adults experience higher rates of chronic pain and greater impacts of pain on physical function compared to younger adults. Therefore, additional work is needed to determine the extent of benefit older versus younger adults receive from a mind-body intervention. Here, we examined age differences in the effects of two mind-body and walking programs on pain and multimodal physical function.

Participants and Methods

Participants were 82 individuals with heterogenous chronic musculoskeletal pain (66% female, 57% aged ≥50 years) who participated in a feasibility randomized controlled trial of two mind-body interventions. They completed self-reported (WHODAS 2.0), performance-based (6-minute walk test), and objective (accelerometer-measured step count) measures of physical function, as well as self-report measures of pain intensity, before and after the intervention.

Results

Results indicated that adults aged ≥50 (vs adults aged <50) demonstrated greater improvements in performance-based physical function (6-minute walk test) and reductions in pain during activity. No age differences in the effects of the intervention on self-reported or objectively measured physical function were observed.

Conclusion

Collectively, these findings suggest that older adults can achieve equivalent or greater benefits from mind-body programs for chronic pain, despite facing unique challenges to chronic pain management (eg, multimorbidity, greater sedentary behavior).

[Screen time, obesity and cardiovascular disease among elderly Brazilians: 2013 and 2019 National Health Surveys]

The scope of this paper was to analyze the association between the time spent watching television (TV) and the presence of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) obesity and obesity associated with cardiovascular diseases (CVD) among elderly Brazilians, according to gender, comparing data from the 2013 and 2019 National Health Surveys (NHS). It involved a cross-sectional study, with data from 23,815 and 43,554 elderly people, respectively, from the 2013 and 2019 NHS. Self-reported TV screen time was categorized into: <3, 3-6, and ≥6 per day. Obesity was assessed by body mass index ≥27 kg/m² and CVD by self-reported medical diagnosis. In 2013, elderly women who watched TV ≥6 hours/day were more likely to have OCD obesity (OR=1.87; 95%CI=1.32;2.64) and obesity associated with CVD (OR=6.30; 95%CI=3.38;11.74). In 2019, elderly women who watched TV between 3-6 hours/day (OR=1.44; 95%CI=1.25;1.65) and ≥6 hours/day (OR=1.55; 95%CI=1.28;1.88) were more likely to have OCD obesity, while the incidence of obesity associated with CVD was higher for ≥6 hours/day (OR=2.13; 95%CI=1.48;3.06). In 2019, men were more likely to have obesity associated with CVD watching TV between 3-6 hours/day (OR=1.76; 95%CI=1.20;2.56) and ≥6 hours/day (OR=2.13; 95%CI=1.27;3.57). The importance of reducing screen time by the elderly is clearly evident.

Modifications of 24-h movement behaviors to prevent obesity in retirement: a natural experiment using compositional data analysis

BACKGROUND

Retirement often leads to a more passive lifestyle and may therefore lead to weight gain. This study aims to investigate longitudinal associations between changes in 24-h movement behaviors and BMI and waist circumference in relation to the transition from work to retirement.

METHODS

The study population included 213 retiring public sector workers (mean age 63.5 years, standard deviation 1.1) from the Finnish Retirement and Aging study. Before and after retirement participants wore an Axivity accelerometer on their thigh and filled in a daily log for at least four days to measure daily time spent sleeping, in sedentary behavior (SED), light physical activity (LPA) and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA). Also, their body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference were measured repeatedly. Compositional linear regression analysis and isotemporal substitution analysis were used to study associations between one-year changes in 24-h movement behaviors and concurrent changes in BMI and waist circumference.

RESULTS

An increase in MVPA in relation to sleep, SED and LPA was associated with a decreasing BMI (β = -0.60, p = 0.04) and waist circumference (β = -2.14, p = 0.05) over one year from before retirement to after retirement. In contrast, increasing sleep in relation to SED, LPA and MVPA was associated with an increasing BMI (β = 1.34, p = 0.02). Reallocating 60 min from MVPA to SED or sleep was estimated to increase BMI by on average 0.8-0.9 kg/m2 and waist circumference by 3.0 cm during one year.

CONCLUSIONS

During the transition from work to retirement, increasing MVPA was associated with a slight decrease in BMI and waist circumference, whereas increasing sleep was associated with an increasing BMI. Common life transitions, like retirement, should be considered when giving recommendations and guidance for physical activity and sleep.

Activity-Induced Pain as a Predictor of Sedentary Behavior Among Midlife Adults

Purpose: Midlife adults have been estimated to spend over half of their waking time engaging in sedentary behavior, and greater sedentary behavior has been associated with a reduced likelihood of successful aging. Moreover, more than one-quarter of midlife adults report chronic pain, and there is reason to believe that pain may contribute to sedentary behavior among this population. The goal of these analyses was to test associations between self-reported increases in pain during activity and subsequent sedentary behavior among a sample of midlife adults with chronic pain. Methods: Participants included 200 midlife adults (age 50-64) who reported chronic pain and completed an online prospective survey. Activity-induced pain was assessed at baseline and total time spent engaging in sedentary behavior was assessed at baseline, 1-week, and 4-week follow-up assessments. Results: Activity-induced pain predicted greater sedentary behavior at 1-week (p < .05) and 4-week (p < .01) follow-up assessments, even after controlling for chronic pain intensity and baseline sedentary behavior. Conclusions: Activity-induced pain may represent an important mechanism underlying sedentary behavior among midlife adults with chronic pain, and programs designed to reduce sedentary behavior among this population may benefit from tailoring to account for the antithetical influence of activity-induced pain. Indeed, the current findings suggest that mitigating the extent to which pain increases during activity may be more important than reducing overall pain intensity when attempting to decrease sedentary behavior among this population. This and future work have the potential to inform the refinement of tailored interventions.

Does work-related and commuting physical activity predict changes in physical activity and sedentary behavior during the transition to retirement? GPS and accelerometer study

We examined how GPS and accelerometer measured work-related and commuting physical activity contribute to changes in physical activity and sedentary behavior during the retirement transition in the Finnish Retirement and Aging study (n = 118). Lower work-related activity was associated with a decrease in sedentary time and an increase in light physical activity during retirement. Conversely, higher work-related activity was associated with an increase in sedentary time and a decrease in light physical activity, except among those active workers who also were active commuters. Thus, both work-related and commuting physical activity predict changes in physical activity and sedentary behavior when retiring.

Device-measured physical activity and sedentary time in a national sample of Luxembourg residents: the ORISCAV-LUX 2 study

BACKGROUND

Existing information about population physical activity (PA) levels and sedentary time in Luxembourg are based on self-reported data.

METHODS

This observational study included Luxembourg residents aged 18-79y who each provided ≥4 valid days of triaxial accelerometry in 2016-18 (n=1122). Compliance with the current international PA guideline (≥150 min moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA) per week, irrespective of bout length) was quantified and variability in average 24h acceleration (indicative of PA volume), awake-time PA levels, sedentary time and accumulation pattern were analysed by linear regression. Data were weighted to be nationally representative.

RESULTS

Participants spent 51% of daily time sedentary (mean (95% confidence interval (CI)): 12.1 (12.0 to 12.2) h/day), 11% in light PA (2.7 (2.6 to 2.8) h/day), 6% in MVPA (1.5 (1.4 to 1.5) h/day), and remaining time asleep (7.7 (7.6 to 7.7) h/day). Adherence to the PA guideline was high (98.1%). Average 24h acceleration and light PA were higher in women than men, but men achieved higher average accelerations across the most active periods of the day. Women performed less sedentary time and shorter sedentary bouts. Older participants (aged ≥55y) registered a lower average 24h acceleration and engaged in less MVPA, more sedentary time and longer sedentary bouts. Average 24h acceleration was higher in participants of lower educational attainment, who also performed less sedentary time, shorter bouts, and fewer bouts of prolonged sedentariness. Average 24h acceleration and levels of PA were higher in participants with standing and manual occupations than a sedentary work type, but manual workers registered lower average accelerations across the most active periods of the day. Standing and manual workers accumulated less sedentary time and fewer bouts of prolonged sedentariness than sedentary workers. Active commuting to work was associated with higher average 24h acceleration and MVPA, both of which were lower in participants of poorer self-rated health and higher weight status. Obesity was associated with less light PA, more sedentary time and longer sedentary bouts.

CONCLUSIONS

Adherence to recommended PA is high in Luxembourg, but half of daily time is spent sedentary. Specific population subgroups will benefit from targeted efforts to replace sedentary time with PA.

Meanings Attributed to Physical Activity and Changes in Self-Reported and Accelerometer-Measured Physical Activity among Recent Retirees

Retirement poses opportunities and challenges for maintaining and adopting physically active habits, which may have major implications for health and functional ability in later life. Qualitative studies suggest that a broad range of meanings of physical activity should be considered when promoting physical activity among retirees. The current study utilized the Physical Activity Relationship (PAR) approach to examine the importance of meanings attributed to physical activity and their associations with physical activity over time. A total of 230 recently retired participants (65.2 years old, 83% women) responded to a 54-item inventory assessing the importance of meanings attributed to physical activity at baseline. Eight meaning dimensions were identified through exploratory factor analysis. Differences in their importance across gender and occupational background were examined using t-tests and ANOVA. Associations between meaning dimensions and self-reported and accelerometer-measured physical activity over 12 months were examined with general linear models. Dimensions defined as Physical Fitness, Positive Mood, and Belonging were positively associated with changes in self-reported and accelerometer-measured physical activity. Additionally, the importance of several meaning dimensions varied across occupational background. In conclusion, physical activity promotion among retirees should focus on physical fitness, positive mood, and social belonging. Furthermore, meanings attributed to physical activity may vary across occupational backgrounds.

Physical Activity and Sedentary Behaviour with Retirement in Maltese Civil Servants: A Dialectical Mixed-Method Study

(1) Background: Retirement is a life event that can influence physical activity (PA) and sedentary behaviour (SB) and can be used as an opportunity to promote positive lifestyle choices. The aims of this study were to (a) to identify changes in PA and SB resulting from retirement and (b) to explore predictors of any changes in PA and SB following retirement in Maltese civil servants. (2) Methods: a hybrid mixed-method (MM) study, using first quantitative followed by qualitative methods, of civil servants aged ≥60 years, who were followed during their retirement transition for two years. A proportion of the research participants in the MM study retired while the others remained employed. Questionnaires and semi-structured interviews were used to collect data. (3) Results: there were no changes in total PA and sitting behaviour with retirement in Maltese civil servants. People who retired carried out more domestic PA compared to when they were in employment, which resulted in more moderate-intensity PA behaviour. People perceived that their sitting time increased with retirement in the qualitative interviews, but this was not observed in the quantitative data. Past PA behaviour was an important predictor of future PA behaviour, but not for SB. (4) Conclusions: A change in PA occurs with the retirement transition. However, the uptake of exercise is a personal choice that is dependent on previous experience. Increasing SB is perceived as part of the retirement plan but is not necessarily seen in the measured quantitative data.

Changes in the 24-h movement behaviors during the transition to retirement: compositional data analysis

Background

Transition to retirement is shown to affect sleep, sedentary time and physical activity, but no previous studies have examined how retirement changes the distribution of time spent daily in these movement behaviors. The aim of this study was to examine longitudinally how the composition of 24-h movement behaviors changes during the transition to retirement using compositional data analysis (CoDA).

Methods

We included 551 retiring public sector workers (mean age 63.2 years, standard deviation 1.1) from the Finnish Retirement and Aging study. The study participants wore a wrist-worn ActiGraph accelerometer for one week 24 h per day before and after retirement, with one year between the measurements. The daily proportions to time spent sleeping, in sedentary behavior (SED), light physical activity (LPA) and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) were estimated using the GGIR package. Changes in the daily proportions of movement behaviors were examined using Compositional Data Analysis version of linear mixed models.

Results

In general, the proportion of time spent in active behaviors decreased relative to time spent in passive behaviors after retirement (p < .001). This change depended on occupation (occupation*time interaction p < .001). After retirement manual workers increased the proportions of both sleep and SED in relation to active behaviors, whereas non-manual workers increased the proportion of sleep in relation to active behaviors and SED. The proportion of MVPA decreased relatively more than the proportion of LPA (p = 0.01), independently of gender and occupation.

Conclusions

Retirement induced a decrease in the proportion of time spent in active behaviors, especially time spent in MVPA. Future studies are needed to find ways to maintain or increase daily physical activity levels at the cost of sedentary behaviors among retirees.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12966-022-01364-3.

Socioeconomic Differences in Physical Activity and Sedentary Behavior During the Retirement Transition: A Systematic Review of Longitudinal Studies

BACKGROUND

The retirement transition constitutes both a risk and an opportunity for changes in physical activity (PA) and sedentary behavior (SB). The present systematic review aims to summarize the current evidence regarding the differences between socioeconomic status (SES) groups in changes in PA and SB across the retirement transition.

METHODS

The authors searched 5 databases. Inclusion criteria were: investigating statutory retirement, measuring PA and/or SB at least once before and once after retirement, and reporting information on SES differences. Results are reported by means of a narrative synthesis, combined with harvest plots based on direction of effect.

RESULTS

We included 24 papers from 19 studies. Sixteen papers focused on PA, 3 on SB, and 5 investigated both. For total PA, occupational PA, and total sedentary time, nearly all publications reported more favorable changes for high SES groups. For recreational PA, active transport, and screen time, there seemed to be a tendency toward more favorable changes for high SES groups. Changes in household/caregiving PA did not appear to differ between SES groups.

CONCLUSIONS

Changes in movement behavior during the retirement transition are potentially more favorable for high SES adults. Nonetheless, the differences between SES groups seem to depend on the domain of movement behavior.