Abstract
Introduction: Older adults are a rapidly growing segment of the U.S. population. Mobility problems that lead to further disability can be addressed through physical activity interventions. Quality of life outcome results are reported from a large trial of physical activity for sedentary older adults at risk for mobility disability. Methods: Data were from the Lifestyle Interventions and Independence for Elders study. This multisite RCT compared physical activity to health education among 1,635 randomly assigned sedentary older adults at risk for mobility disability in 2010–2011. Measures included demographics; comorbidity; a timed 400-meter walk; the Short Physical Performance Battery; and the Quality of Well-Being Scale (0–1.0 scale). Baseline and long-term follow-up (2.6 years) health-related quality of life data were collected as a secondary outcome. Multivariate linear regression modeling was used to examine covariates of health-related quality of life over time in 2017. Results: The sample had an overall mean Quality of Well-Being score of 0.613. Both groups declined in quality of life over time, but assignment to the physical activity intervention resulted in a slower decline in health-related quality of life scores (p=0.03). Intervention attendance was associated with higher health-related quality of life for both groups. Baseline characteristics including younger age, fewer comorbid conditions, non-white ethnicity, and faster 400-meter walk times were also associated with higher health-related quality of life over time. Conclusions: Declining mobility measured by physical performance is associated with lower quality of life in sedentary older adults. Physical activity interventions can slow the decline in quality of life, and targeting specific subgroups may enhance the effects of such interventions.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 141-146 |
| Number of pages | 6 |
| Journal | American Journal of Preventive Medicine |
| Volume | 56 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Jan 2019 |
Funding
LIFE investigators are also partially supported by the following: Dr. Thomas Gill (Yale University) is the recipient of an Academic Leadership Award (K07AG3587) from the NIA. Dr. Carlos Fragoso (Spirometry Reading Center, Yale University) is the recipient of a Career Development Award from the Department of Veterans Affairs. Dr. Roger Fielding (Tufts University) is partially supported by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, under agreement No. 58-1950-0-014. Any opinions, findings, conclusion, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the view of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Tufts University is also supported by the Boston Rehabilitation Outcomes Center (1R24HD065688-01A1). The research is partially supported by the Claude D. Pepper Older Americans Independence Centers at the University of Florida (1 P30 AG028740); Wake Forest University (1 P30 AG21332); Tufts University (1P30AG031679); University of Pittsburgh (P30 AG024827); and Yale University (P30AG021342) and the NIH/National Center for Research Resources Clinical and Translational Science Awards at Stanford University (UL1 RR025744). The Lifestyle Interventions and Independence for Elders Study (LIFE) is funded by a NIH/National Institute on Aging (NIA) Cooperative Agreement #UO1 AG22376 and a supplement from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute 3U01AG022376-05A2S, and sponsored in part by the Intramural Research Program, NIA, NIH.
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Epidemiology
- Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health