Introduction
Little research to date has explored typologies of physical activity among older adults.
An understanding of physical activity patterns may help to both determine the health
benefits of different types of activity and target interventions to increase activity
levels in older adults. This analysis, conducted in 2014, used a latent class analysis
approach to characterize patterns of physical activity in a cohort of older adults.
Methods
A total of 3,497 men and women aged 65–75 years living in New York City completed
the Physical Activity Scale for the Elderly (PASE) in 2011. PASE scale items were
used to classify subjects into latent classes. Multinomial regression was then used
to relate individual and neighborhood characteristics to class membership.
Results
Five latent classes were identified: “least active,” “walkers,” “domestic/gardening,”
“athletic,” and “domestic/gardening athletic.” Individual-level predictors, including
more education, higher income, and better self-reported health, were associated with
membership in the more-active classes, particularly the athletic classes. Residential
characteristics, including living in single-family housing and living in the lower-density
boroughs of New York City, were predictive of membership in one of the domestic/gardening
classes. Class membership was associated with BMI even after controlling for total
PASE score.
Conclusions
This study suggests that individual and neighborhood characteristics are associated
with distinct physical activity patterns in a group of older urban adults. These patterns
are associated with body habitus independent of overall activity.
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: June 16, 2015
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© 2015 American Journal of Preventive Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
