Individual scaling of accelerometry to preferred walking speed in the assessment of physical activity in older adults
Year of publication
2020
Authors
Karavirta, Laura; Rantalainen, Timo; Skantz, Heidi; Lisko, Inna; Portegijs, Erja; Rantanen, Taina
Abstract
Background Walking forms a large portion of physical activity (PA) of older adults. We assessed free-living PA using acceleration corresponding to preferred walking speed as a relative cut-point, and studied how it relates to age. We compared the relative cut-point to a common absolute cut-point of moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA). Methods 444 community-dwelling adults aged 75, 80 and 85 wore an accelerometer on the thigh during a PA surveillance period and a modified six-minute walking test (6MWT) at preferred speed. Each individual’s mean acceleration (g) during the 6MWT was used as a cut-point for relative PA. Acceleration corresponding to three metabolic equivalents (METs) was used as the cut-point for absolute MVPA. Results When using the acceleration of preferred walking speed as a cut-point, 62 (SD 82) minutes a week of relative PA was detected, compared to 228 (163) minutes of absolute MVPA. For 96 % of the participants, the acceleration generated by their preferred walking speed exceeded the common absolute cut-point for MVPA. Absolute MVPA was lower in the older age groups, and 6MWT speed explained 22 % of its variation (p<0.001), whereas relative PA was independent of walking speed and age. Conclusions Preferred walking speed was a significant contributor to absolute MVPA, and those who walked the slowest accumulated the least MVPA. Assessing relative PA using the intensity of preferred walking speed as a cut-point eliminated the dependency of PA on age and walking speed, and may be a feasible scaling option to evaluate relative PA among older people.
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Publication type
Publication format
Article
Parent publication type
Journal
Article type
Original article
Audience
ScientificPeer-reviewed
Peer-ReviewedMINEDU's publication type classification code
A1 Journal article (refereed), original researchPublication channel information
Volume
75
Issue
9
Pages
e111-e118
ISSN
Publication forum
Publication forum level
3
Open access
Open access in the publisher’s service
No
Self-archived
Yes
Other information
Fields of science
Health care science; Public health care science, environmental and occupational health; Sport and fitness sciences
Keywords
[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],[object Object]
Publication country
United States
Internationality of the publisher
International
Language
English
International co-publication
Yes
Co-publication with a company
No
DOI
10.1093/gerona/glaa142
The publication is included in the Ministry of Education and Culture’s Publication data collection
Yes