Cohort differences in maximal physical performance : a comparison of 75- and 80-year-old men and women born 28 years apart
Year of publication
2021
Authors
Koivunen, Kaisa; Sillanpää, Elina; Munukka, Matti; Portegijs, Erja; Rantanen, Taina
Abstract
Whether increased life expectancy is accompanied by increased functional capacity in older people at specific ages is unclear. We compared similar validated measures of maximal physical performance in two population-based older cohorts born and assessed 28 years apartParticipants in the first cohort were born in 1910 and 1914 and were assessed at age 75 and 80 years, respectively (N=500, participation rate 77\\%). Participants in the second cohort were born in 1938 or 1939 and 1942 or 1943 and were assessed at age 75 and 80 years, respectively (N=726, participation rate 40\\%). Participants were recruited using a population register and all community-dwelling persons in the target area were eligible. Both cohorts were interviewed at home and examined at the research center with identical protocols. Maximal walking speed, maximal isometric grip and knee extension strength, lung function measurements; forced vital capacity (FVC) and forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1) were assessed. Data on non-participation were systematically collectedWalking speed was on average 0.2-0.4 m/s faster in the later than earlier cohort. In grip strength, the improvements were 5-25\\%, and in knee extension strength 20-47\\%. In FVC, the improvements were 14-21\\% and in FEV1 0-14\\%The later cohort showed markedly and meaningfully higher results in the maximal functional capacity tests, suggesting that currently 75- and 80-year old people in Finland are living to older ages nowadays with better physical functioning.
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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
Publisher
Volume
76
Issue
7
Pages
1251-1259
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
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Publication country
United States
Internationality of the publisher
International
Language
English
International co-publication
No
Co-publication with a company
No
DOI
10.1093/gerona/glaa224
The publication is included in the Ministry of Education and Culture’s Publication data collection
Yes