Movement Behaviors in Older English Adults
Author Information
Author(s): Brocklebank Laura, Doherty Aiden, Steptoe Andrew
Primary Institution: University of Oxford
Hypothesis
Movement behaviors impact various health outcomes and have rarely been objectively measured in large nationally representative cohorts of older adults.
Conclusion
The study found that older adults spend significant time being sedentary and sleeping, with variations in physical activity levels based on age and gender.
Supporting Evidence
- 4,400 individuals agreed to wear the accelerometer, with 3,308 having sufficient wear time.
- On average, participants spent 9.4 hours/day sleeping and 9.8 hours/day being sedentary.
- Women had higher overall physical activity than men despite men accumulating more moderate-vigorous physical activity.
Takeaway
Older people in England spend a lot of time sitting and sleeping, and how active they are can depend on their age and whether they are men or women.
Methodology
Participants wore a wrist-worn triaxial accelerometer for eight consecutive days to measure movement behaviors.
Limitations
The study only included a subset of individuals from a larger cohort and may not represent all older adults.
Participant Demographics
Participants were English adults aged ≥50 years, with a mean age of 68.5 years, including 55.6% men.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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