Skip to main content
ARS Home » Northeast Area » Boston, Massachusetts » Jean Mayer Human Nutrition Research Center On Aging » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #206308
Title: Adherence to the physical activity intervention in the Lifestyle Interventions and Independence for Elders pilot (LIFE-P) study.

Author
item PAHOR, MARCO - UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA
item BLAIR, STEVEN - COOPER INSTITUTE
item ESPELAND, MARK - WAKE FOREST UNIVERSITY
item Fielding, Roger
item GILL, THOMAS - YALE UNIVERSITY
item GURALNICK, JACK - NIA
item HADLEY, EVAN - NIA
item KING, ABBY - STANFORD UNIVERSITY
item KRITCHEVSKY, STEPHEN - WAKE FOREST UNIVERSITY
item MARALDI, CINZIA - UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA

Submitted to: Journal of Gerontology Biological Science
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/25/2006
Publication Date: 11/1/2006
Citation: Pahor, M., Blair, S.N., Espeland, M., Fielding, R., Gill, T.M., Guralnick, J.M., Hadley, E.C., King, A.C., Kritchevsky, S.B., Maraldi, C. 2006. Adherence to the physical activity intervention in the Lifestyle Interventions and Independence for Elders pilot (LIFE-P) study. Journal of Gerontology Series A: Biological and Medical Sciences. 61:1157-1165.

Interpretive Summary: As the life expectancy in the United States has continued to rise, the maintenance of physical and cognitive independence of older Americans has emerged as a major clinical and public health priority. A critical factor in an older person’s ability to function independently is mobility, or the ability to move without assistance. Older people who lose mobility are less likely to remain in the community, have higher rates of morbidity, mortality, and hospitalizations and experience a poorer quality of life. Several studies suggest that regular physical activity may improve physical performance, but definitive evidence showing that mobility disability can be prevented is lacking. We conducted “Lifestyle Interventions and Independence For Elders-LIFE” pilot study. The Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB), which includes walking, balance and chair stands tests, independently predicts physical disability in the elderly. To date, however, there is no definitive evidence from randomized controlled studies that SPPB scores can be improved with regular exercise or physical activity. We assessed the effect of a comprehensive physical activity (PA) intervention on the SPPB and other physical performance measures. A total of 424 sedentary persons at risk of disability and in the age range of 70-89 years were followed for an average of 1.2 years. Participants were assigned to a Moderate intensity PA intervention compared to a successful aging (SA) health education intervention. The SPPB score in the PA group was reduced and remained unchanged in the SA group. The 400 m walking speed was also significantly improved in the PA group. This study shows that a PA intervention improved the SPPB score and other measures of physical performance in older individuals at risk for disability.

Technical Abstract: Lifestyle Interventions and Independence for Elders Pilot (LIFE-P) was a trial to examine the effects of physical activity on measures of disability risk in previously sedentary older adults at risk for disability. We examined adherence and retention to the LIPE-P physical activity (PA) intervention. The PA intervention (n=213) consisted of walking, strength, flexibility, and balance training supplemented with behavioral skills training modules, and utilized a phased center-based schedule of adoption (3x/wk, weeks 1-8), transition (2x/wk, weeks 9-24), and maintenance (1x/wk, weeks 25-end) while transitioning to primarily home-based physical activity. Participation in moderate intensity physical activity increased from baseline to month 6 (125.2 +/- 200.2 min.wk-1 vs. 245.4 +/- 278.3 min.wk-1), with 56% of participants reporting > 150 min.wk-1 at 6 months. Center-based attendance was 76.3 +/- 24.5 %, 65.4 +/- 28.6 %, and 49.8 +/- 35.8 % and average minutes walked were 27.6 +/- 8.1, 32.0 +/- 9.2, and 33.1 +/- 11.6 min/session in the adoption, transition, and maintenance phases, respectively. Home-based physical activity during maintenance had a walking frequency of 3.7 +/- 2.2 sessions/wk and an average time of 138.0 +/- 148.5 min per week. Adherence to PA in LIFE-P was consistent with that reported in shorter duration physical activity trials of less mobility-limited older adults. Older individuals at risk for disability can participate and adhere to a regular program of physical activity in a long term randomized trial.