Leslie A. Pruitt

Objective Light-Intensity Physical Activity Associations With Rated Health in Older Adults

The extent to which light-intensity physical activity contributes to health in older adults is not well known. The authors examined associations between physical activity across the intensity spectrum (sedentary to vigorous) and health and well-being variables in older adults. Two 7-day assessments of accelerometry from 2005 to 2007 were collected 6 months apart in the observational Senior Neighborhood Quality of Life Study of adults aged >65 years in Baltimore, Maryland, and Seattle, Washington. Self-reported health and psychosocial variables (e.g., lower-extremity function, body weight, rated stress) were also collected. Physical activity based on existing accelerometer thresholds for moderate/vigorous, high-light, low-light, and sedentary categories were examined as correlates of physical health and psychosocial well-being in mixed-effects regression models. Participants (N = 862) were 75.4 (standard deviation, 6.8) years of age, 56% female, 71% white, and 58% overweight/obese. After adjustment for study covariates and time spent in moderate/vigorous physical activity and sedentary behavior, low-light and high-light physical activity were positively related to physical health (all P < 0.0001) and well-being (all P < 0.001). Additionally, replacing 30 minutes/day of sedentary time with equal amounts of low-light or high-light physical activity was associated with better physical health (all P < 0.0001). Objectively measured light-intensity physical activity is associated with physical health and well-being variables in older adults.

Effects of Moderate-Intensity Exercise on Polysomnographic and Subjective Sleep Quality in Older Adults With Mild to Moderate Sleep Complaints

BACKGROUND This study sought to determine the 12-month effects of exercise increases on objective and subjective sleep quality in initially inactive older persons with mild to moderate sleep complaints. METHODS A nonclinical sample of underactive adults 55 years old or older (n=66) with mild to moderate chronic sleep complaints were randomly assigned to a 12-month program of primarily moderate-intensity endurance exercise (n=36) or a health education control program (n=30). The main outcome measure was polysomnographic sleep recordings, with additional measures of subjective sleep quality, physical activity, and physical fitness. Directional hypotheses were tested. RESULTS Using intent-to-treat methods, at 12 months exercisers, relative to controls, spent significantly less time in polysomnographically measured Stage 1 sleep (between-arm difference=2.3, 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.7-4.0; p=003), spent more time in Stage 2 sleep (between-arm difference=3.2, 95% CI, 0.6-5.7; p=.04), and had fewer awakenings during the first third of the sleep period (between-arm difference=1.0, 95% CI, 0.39-1.55; p=.03). Exercisers also reported greater 12-month improvements relative to controls in Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) sleep disturbance subscale score (p=.009), sleep diary-based minutes to fall asleep (p=.01), and feeling more rested in the morning (p=.02). CONCLUSIONS Compared with general health education, a 12-month moderate-intensity exercise program that met current physical activity recommendations for older adults improved some objective and subjective dimensions of sleep to a modest degree. The results suggest additional areas for investigation in this understudied area.

Changes in Cognitive Function in a Randomized Trial of Physical Activity: Results of the Lifestyle Interventions and Independence for Elders Pilot Study

BACKGROUND Cognitive impairment is an important contributor to disability. Limited clinical trial evidence exists regarding the impact of physical exercise on cognitive function (CF). We report results of a pilot study to provide estimates of the relative impact of physical activity (PA) on 1-year changes in cognitive outcomes and to characterize relationships between changes in mobility disability and changes in cognition in older adults at increased risk for disability. METHODS Sedentary persons (102) at increased risk for disability (aged 70-89 years) were randomized to moderate-intensity PA or health education. Participants were administered the Digit Symbol Substitution Test (DSST), Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test (RAVLT), modified Stroop test, and Modified Mini-Mental State Examination at baseline and 1 year. RESULTS Group differences were not significant but improvements in cognitive scores were associated with improvements in physical function. Specifically, the DSST significantly correlated with change in the Short Physical Performance Battery score (r = .38, p = .0002), in chair stand score (r = .26, p = .012), in balance score (r = .21, p = .046), and in 400-m gait speed (r = .15, p = .147). Change recall on the RAVLT and in the Stroop test was also positively correlated with changes in chair stand and balance, respectively. CONCLUSIONS These results provide further support for the benefits of exercise on CF in older adults. An adequately powered clinical trial of PA involving older adults at increased risk for cognitive disability is needed to expand the indications for prescribing exercise for prevention of decline in brain function.

Lifestyle Interventions and Independence for Elders Pilot Study: Recruitment and Baseline Characteristics

OBJECTIVES: To describe several recruitment parameters derived from the Lifestyle Interventions and Independence for Elders pilot (LIFE‐P) study for use in a full‐scale trial of mobility disability prevention.

Physical Activity Program Delivery by Professionals versus Volunteers: the TEAM Randomized Trial

OBJECTIVE Older adults have low rates of physical activity participation, but respond positively to telephone-mediated support programs. Programs are often limited by reliance on professional staff. This study tested telephone-based physical activity advice delivered by professional staff versus trained volunteer peer mentors. DESIGN A 12-month, randomized, controlled clinical trial was executed from 2003-2008. Twelve volunteer peer mentors and 181 initially inactive adults ages 50 years and older were recruited from the San Francisco Bay Area. Participants were randomized to: (1) telephone-based physical activity advice delivered by professional staff, (2) telephone-based physical activity advice delivered by trained volunteer peers, or (3) an attention-control arm of staff-delivered telephone support for nutrition. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Moderate-intensity or more vigorous physical activity (MVPA) was assessed at baseline, 6, and 12 months with the Community Healthy Activities Model Program for Seniors (CHAMPS) Questionnaire, with accelerometry validation (Actigraph) in a randomly selected subsample. Treatment fidelity was examined through analysis of quantity and quality of intervention delivery. RESULTS At 6 and 12 months, both physical activity arms significantly increased MVPA relative to the control arm. Both physical activity arms were comparable in quantity of intervention delivery, but peers demonstrated more versatility and comprehensiveness in quality of intervention content. CONCLUSIONS This study demonstrates that trained peer volunteers can effectively promote physical activity increases through telephone-based advice. The results support a program delivery model with good dissemination potential for a variety of community settings.

Lifestyle activity : Current recommendations

SummaryAn accumulation of international scientific evidence indicates that physical inactivity is detrimental to health and that moderate levels of physical activity confer significant health benefits. Unfortunately, in countries where major surveys of physical activity have been conducted, the prevalence of sedentary behaviour has been found to be as high as 40%. In the US, where approximately 30% of adults report little or no physical activity, the Centers for Disease Control and the American College of Sports Medicine recently issued guidelines and recommendations on the amount and frequency of moderate levels of physical activity necessary to elicit health benefits in predominantly sedentary adults. These guidelines utilise a physical activity-health paradigm and, uniquely, recommend the potential effectiveness of activities of daily living or ‘lifestyle activity’ for achieving health benefits. This article briefly reviews the rationale behind these guidelines and, in view of the historical association of the exercise training-fitness model to health, highlights some challenges and potential problems in applying these new guidelines to the general population.

Employing Virtual Advisors in Preventive Care for Underserved Communities: Results From the COMPASS Study

Electronically delivered health promotion programs that are aimed primarily at educated, health-literate individuals have proliferated, raising concerns that such trends could exacerbate health disparities in the United States and elsewhere. The efficacy of a culturally and linguistically adapted virtual advisor that provides tailored physical activity advice and support was tested in low-income older adults. Forty inactive adults (92.5% Latino) 55 years of age and older were randomized to a 4-month virtual advisor walking intervention or a waitlist control. Four-month increases in reported minutes of walking/week were greater in the virtual advisor arm (mean increase = 253.5 ± 248.7 minutes/week) relative to the control (mean increase = 26.8 ± 67.0 minutes/week; p = .0008). Walking increases in the virtual advisor arm were substantiated via objectively measured daily steps (slope analysis p = .002). All but one intervention participant continued some interaction with the virtual advisor in the 20-week poststudy period (mean number of poststudy sessions = 14.0 ± 20.5). The results indicate that a virtual advisor delivering culturally and linguistically adapted physical activity advice led to meaningful 4-month increases in walking relative to control among underserved older adults. This interactive technology, which requires minimal language and computer literacy, may help reduce health disparities by ensuring that all groups benefit from e-health opportunities.

Reliability of the 7-Day Physical Activity Recall in a Biracial Group of Inactive and Active Adults

BACKGROUND Physical activity recall (PAR) reliability was estimated in a three-site sample of African American and white adults. The sample was sedentary at baseline and more varied in physical activity 24 months later. Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) were used to estimate the number of PAR assessments necessary to obtain a reliability of 0.70 at both timepoints. METHODS The PAR was administered ≤ 30 d apart at baseline (n = 547) and 24 months (n = 648). Energy expenditure ICC was calculated by race, gender, and age. RESULTS Baseline reliability was low for all groups with 4-16 PARs estimated to attain reliable data. ICCs at 24 months were similar (ICC = 0.54-0.55) for race and age group, with 2-3 PARs estimated to reach acceptable reliability. At 24 months, women were more reliable reporters than men. CONCLUSION Low sample variability in activity reduced reliability, highlighting the importance of evaluating diverse groups. Despite evaluating a sample with greater physical activity variability, an estimated 2-3 PARs were necessary to obtain acceptable reliability.