0000000000469626
AUTHOR
Rantanen Taina
Do mobility, cognitive functioning, and depressive symptoms mediate the association between social activity and mortality risk among older men and women?
Social activity and health correlate in old age, but less is known about what explains this association. The aim of this study was to investigate whether mobility, cognitive functioning, and depressive symptoms mediate the association between social activity and mortality risk, or whether they alternatively should be considered as prerequisites for social activity in older Finnish men and women. In 1988, 406 men and 775 women aged 65–84 years took part in face-to-face interviews about their health, socioeconomic status, and social activities. Confirmatory factor analyses were used to form latent variables describing collective and productive social activity. Latent variable models were used…
Associations of physical activity in detailed intensity ranges with body composition and physical function. a cross-sectional study among sedentary older adults.
Background Physical activity is crucial to maintain older adults’ health and functioning, but the health benefits of particular activity intensities remain unclear. The aim of this cross-sectional study was to peruse the distribution of physical activity, and to investigate the associations of particular physical activity intensities with body composition and physical function among older adults. Methods The sample comprised of 293 community-dwelling sedentary or at most moderately active older adults (42% men, mean age 74 ± 4 years). Physical activity was measured with a hip-worn tri-axial accelerometer over seven consecutive days, and investigated in detailed intensity range and in catego…
Biological clocks and physical functioning in monozygotic female twins
Background Biomarkers of biological aging – DNA methylation age (DNAm age) and leukocyte telomere length (LTL)– correlate strongly with chronological age across the life course. It is, however, unclear how these measures of cellular wear and tear are associated with muscle strength and functional capacity, which are known to decline with older age and are associated with mortality. We investigated if DNAm age and LTL were associated with body composition and physical functioning by examining 48 monozygotic twin sisters. Methods White blood cell DNAm age (predicted years) was calculated from Illumina 450 k BeadChip methylation data using an online calculator. DNAm age acceleration was define…
Older Adults' Physical Activity and the Relevance of Distances to Neighborhood Destinations and Barriers to Outdoor Mobility
Aim: To determine the relevance of features located close to home and further away, our aim was to study associations between older adults' physical activity and self-reported neighborhood destinations and barriers to outdoor mobility categorized by presence and maximal distance from home. Methods: Cross-sectional analyses comprising men and women 79–94 years old (57%) living independently in Central Finland (n = 185). Self-reported physical activity was categorized into lower (≤3 h moderate activity a week) and higher (≥4 h moderate or intense activity a week) activity. Assisted by interviewers, participants located on an interactive map destinations perceived to facilitate and barriers pe…