Objective Physical Activity and Cardiovascular Health in Women Aged 80 and Older

Project Title

Objective Physical Activity and Cardiovascular Health in Women Aged 80 and Older

Funding Dates

09/2011-04/2016

Description

The purpose of the project was to more precisely define the health benefits of regular physical activity (PA) in women aged 80 and older by using accelerometers to characterize the amounts and patterns of PA. The specific aims were (1) to determine the associations between objective measurements of PA using an accelerometer and risk of incident CVD; (2) to compare the magnitude of associations between self-reported and accelerometer measures of PA with incident CVD; (3) to conduct a calibration study designed to determine accelerometry thresholds for women ages 80 and older that distinguish sedentary from light activity and light activity from moderate to vigorous activity; and (4) to determine how level of PA influences risk of fall-related injuries and overall risk for any injury. The study made a major contribution as to how patterns of aerobic activity relate to risk of adverse health outcomes among older women.

Research Areas 

Cardiovascular Health, Obesity, and Diabetes
Nutrition and Physical Activity
Additional Topics

Principal Investigator

Kelly Evenson, PhD

Funding

Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center