Physical Activity, Inflammation, and Physical Function in Older Adults: Results From the Health & Retirement Study.

Unlabelled: Physical function declines with aging due to physical and biological changes. The biological process of aging has been associated with increases in systemic inflammation and a greater risk for chronic conditions. In older adults, physical activity aids in maintenance of function.

Functional Exercise Improves Mobility Performance in Older Adults With Type 2 Diabetes: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

: Diabetes-related disability occurs in approximately two-thirds of older adults with diabetes and is associated with loss of independence, increased health care resource utilization, and sedentary lifestyle. The objective of this randomized controlled trial was to determine the effect of a center-based functional circuit exercise training intervention followed by a 10-week customized home-based program in improving mobility function in sedentary older adults with diabetes. : Participants (n = 111; mean age 70.

Physical Activity, Functional Ability, and Obesity in Older Adults: A Gender Difference.

Disability, institutionalization, and loss of independence may be directly caused or exacerbated by physical inactivity and obesity. The purpose of the current cross-sectional survey was to explore the impact of gender and obesity on functional ability tasks, physical activity, and psychosocial factors in older adults. Participants comprised 964 University retirees (55% female, mean age = 75.

A Minimal Contact Diet and Physical Activity Intervention for White-Collar Workers.

Minimal contact lifestyle interventions with multiple components coupled with health screening have the potential to improve worker health. The purpose of this study was to test a minimal contact multiple component lifestyle diet and exercise intervention. The multiple components that were included in this project included a worksite health screening, brief counseling session, emailed newsletter, and a pedometer.

Submaximal oxygen uptake kinetics, functional mobility, and physical activity in older adults with heart failure and reduced ejection fraction.

Background: Submaximal oxygen uptake measures are more feasible and may better predict clinical cardiac outcomes than maximal tests in older adults with heart failure (HF). We examined relationships between maximal oxygen uptake, submaximal oxygen kinetics, functional mobility, and physical activity in older adults with HF and reduced ejection fraction.

Methods: Older adults with HF and reduced ejection fraction (n = 25, age 75 ± 7 years) were compared to 25 healthy age- and gender-matched controls.

Gardening/Yard Work and Depressive Symptoms in African Americans.

Background: The purpose of this study was to examine the frequency of gardening/yard work in relation to depressive symptoms in African-Americans while controlling for biological and social factors.

Methods: A secondary analysis was performed on the National Survey of American Life (n=2,903) using logistic regression for complex samples. Gardening/Yard work was measured by self-reported frequency.

Gender differences in neighborhood walking in older adults.

Objective: This study examined mobility, self-efficacy, outcome expectations, neighborhood (density, destinations, and design), and neighborhood walking in older men (n = 106, 60-99 years, M = 76.78, SD = 8.12) and women (n = 216, 60-99 years, M = 75.

Depressive Symptoms and Walking in African-Americans.

Objective: Although increased frequency of physical activity is associated with fewer depressive symptoms in African-Americans, most studies do not focus on a specific type of activity. Identifying the activity can provide helpful information for designing interventions that focus on depressive symptoms. The objective of this study was to examine the odds of depressive symptoms in relation to walking in African-Americans.

Leisure-time physical activity in relation to depressive symptoms in African-Americans: results from the National Survey of American Life.

Objective: To examine the frequency of leisure-time physical activity (LTPA) in relation to depressive symptoms in a nationally representative sample of African American (AA) women and AA men with guidance by Stokols' Social Ecological Framework.

Method: A secondary analysis of AA women (n=1811) and AA men (n=1038) was performed on the National Survey of American Life, where a four stage national area probability sampling was conducted. Interviews were conducted 2001-2003.

Dog ownership, functional ability, and walking in community-dwelling older adults.

Background: Regular walking improves overall health and functional ability of older adults, yet most are sedentary. Dog ownership/pet responsibility may increase walking in older adults. Goals of this study were to identify factors that influence older adult walking and compare physical activity, functional ability and psychosocial characteristics by dog ownership status.

Influences on neighborhood walking in older adults.

The purpose of this cross-sectional survey study was to examine the influence of self-efficacy, outcome expectations, and environment on neighborhood walking in older adults with (n = 163, mean age = 78.7, SD = 7.96 years) and without (n = 163, mean age = 73.

Longitudinal change in physical activity and disability in adults.

Objectives: To prospectively examine whether physical activity or change in physical activity increases or decreases the risk of disability later in life.

Methods: Tobit regression models were used to examine the effect of physical activity at baseline and change from baseline on disability 10 and 20 years later in 6913 adults.

Results: Increasing recreational physical activity was associated with reduced risk of disability whereas reducing recreational physical activity increased the risk of disability after 10 years.

Neighborhood factors relevant for walking in older, urban, African American adults.

Focus-group and photo-voice methodology were used to identify the salient factors of the neighborhood environment that encourage or discourage walking in older, urban African Americans. Twenty-one male (n = 2) and female (n = 19) African Americans age 60 years and older (M = 70 +/- 8.7, range = 61-85) were recruited from a large urban senior center.

Physical Activity Effects on Depressive Symptoms in Black Adults.

OBJECTIVES: Randomized trials found physical activity (PA) effective in decreasing depressive symptoms. Few studies included Black participants. The purpose of this systematic literature review was to determine the effects of PA on depressive symptoms in Black adults.

Correlates of cigarette smoking among low-income African American women.

Objective: This study examines individual and contextual correlates of cigarette smoking in a randomly selected, community-based sample of low-income African American women.

Design: The study sample was selected by using a two-stage area probability sample design.

Setting: Participants were recruited from > 12,000 housing units selected from 39 census tracts in the city of Detroit.

The bath environment, the bathing task, and the older adult: a review and future directions for bathing disability research.

Purpose: To review existing research studies to identify optimal intervention strategies for remediation and prevention of bathing disability and future directions for bathing disability research.

Method: Bathing disability, defined as problems in the interaction between the person and the environment during bathing performance, is examined through a comprehensive, narrative literature review.

Results: Most studies focus on the relationship between the person and the environment (such as assistive device use and environmental hazards) while fewer studies focus on analysis of the bathing task or the interaction of the person, environment, and bathing task.

Physical activity and function in older adults: theory of planned behavior.

Objective: To assess the theory of planned behavior (TPB) and TPB with functional ability to explain intention and self-reported physical activity (PA) behavior of older adults.

Methods: A survey was mailed to 2056 retirees from a large Midwestern university.

Results: Structural equation modeling revealed that the TPB plus functional ability explained an additional 11% variance than the TPB alone in older adult PA and functional ability was the best predictor of PA (beta = .

Girls on the move program to increase physical activity participation.

Background: Because physical inactivity poses serious health risks, interventions are urgently needed to reverse the increasingly sedentary lifestyles of adolescent girls.

Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the feasibility of "Girls on the Move," an individually tailored computerized physical activity (PA) program plus nurse counseling intervention, in increasing PA.

Methods: A pretest-posttest control group design was used with 77 racially diverse sedentary girls in Grades 6, 7, and 8 from two middle schools.

Cigarette smoking among low-income African Americans: a serious public health problem.

Background: This study examines the current prevalence of cigarette smoking and the number of cigarettes smoked in a community-based sample of 1021 low-income African-American men and women.

Methods: Participants were selected using a two-stage, area probability sample design. Data were collected in 2002-2003 in face-to-face interviews and analyzed in 2005.

Promoting healthful diets and exercise: efficacy of a 12-week after-school program in urban African Americans.

This study examined the effectiveness of a unique extracurricular after-school initiative designed to promote healthy diets and exercise in urban African Americans. The Students and Parents Actively Involved in Being Fit after-school program was offered for 12 weeks to students and their parents/guardians at an urban middle school. Specific aims of the intervention were to increase participants' vegetable and fruit intake by using established 5 A Day for Better Health educational resource materials/activities and to affect their health-related fitness through dance, games, and fitness activities.

Beliefs of blue-collar workers: stage of readiness for exercise.

Objective: To address a theoretical debate regarding contributions of self-efficacy and the theory of planned behavior (TPB) in explaining the amount of variance in stage of readiness to exercise among blue-collar workers.

Method: A validated questionnaire was used for assessment.

Results: LISREL indicated that self-efficacy had the most influence on stage and TPB constructs were subjugated to self-efficacy.