The Relationship Between Outdoor Activity and Health in Older Adults Using GPS

Physical activity (PA) provides health benefits in older adults. Research suggests that exposure to nature and time spent outdoors may also have effects on health. Older adults are the least active segment of our population, and are likely to spend less time outdoors than other age groups. The relationship between time spent in PA, outdoor time, and various health outcomes was assessed for 117 older adults living in retirement communities. Participants wore an accelerometer and GPS device for 7 days. They also completed assessments of physical, cognitive, and emotional functioning. Analyses of variance were employed with a main and interaction effect tested for ±30 min PA and outdoor time. Significant differences were found for those who spent >30 min in PA or outdoors for depressive symptoms, fear of falling, and self-reported functioning. Time to complete a 400 m walk was significantly different by PA time only. QoL and cognitive functioning scores were not significantly different. The interactions were also not significant. This study is one of the first to demonstrate the feasibility of using accelerometer and GPS data concurrently to assess PA location in older adults. Future analyses will shed light on potential causal relationships and could inform guidelines for outdoor activity.

[1]  O. Selnes.  A Compendium of Neuropsychological Tests , 1991, Neurology.

[2]  Michelle M Porter,et al.  Monitoring mobility in older adults using global positioning system (GPS) watches and accelerometers: a feasibility study. , 2009, Journal of aging and physical activity.

[3]  M. Folstein,et al.  Vitamin D is associated with cognitive function in elders receiving home health services. , 2009, The journals of gerontology. Series A, Biological sciences and medical sciences.

[4]  L. I. Southerland,et al.  Quality of life following intensive care , 1988, Journal of General Internal Medicine.

[5]  Klaus Hauer,et al.  The Short FES-I: a shortened version of the falls efficacy scale-international to assess fear of falling. , 2007, Age and ageing.

[6]  A. Jette,et al.  Validation of the Late‐Life Function and Disability Instrument , 2004, Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.

[7]  Susan L Murphy,et al.  Review of physical activity measurement using accelerometers in older adults: considerations for research design and conduct. , 2009, Preventive medicine.

[8]  M. Holick,et al.  Vitamin D and Skin Physiology: A D‐Lightful Story , 2007, Journal of bone and mineral research : the official journal of the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.

[9]  H. Murayama,et al.  Contextual effect of neighborhood environment on homebound elderly in a Japanese community. , 2012, Archives of gerontology and geriatrics.

[10]  L. Mâsse,et al.  Physical activity in the United States measured by accelerometer. , 2008, Medicine and science in sports and exercise.

[11]  A. King,et al.  Physical activity and public health in older adults: recommendation from the American College of Sports Medicine and the American Heart Association. , 2007, Medicine and science in sports and exercise.

[12]  P. Freedson,et al.  Amount of time spent in sedentary behaviors in the United States, 2003-2004. , 2008, American journal of epidemiology.

[13]  L. Azeez,et al.  Available Online at www , 2010 .

[14]  D L Patrick,et al.  Screening for depression in well older adults: evaluation of a short form of the CES-D (Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale). , 1994, American journal of preventive medicine.

[15]  M. Buman,et al.  Objective Light-Intensity Physical Activity Associations With Rated Health in Older Adults , 2011 .

[16]  A. Bauman,et al.  Physical activity and public health: updated recommendation for adults from the American College of Sports Medicine and the American Heart Association. , 2007, Circulation.

[17]  Dale W Esliger,et al.  Accelerometer assessment of physical activity in active, healthy older adults. , 2009, Journal of aging and physical activity.

[18]  A. King,et al.  American College of Sports Medicine and the American Heart Association Physical Activity and Public Health in Older Adults. Recommendation From the , 2007 .

[19]  Kristine Yaffe,et al.  Cognition in Older Women: The Importance of Daytime Movement , 2008, Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.

[20]  M. Depledge,et al.  Does participating in physical activity in outdoor natural environments have a greater effect on physical and mental wellbeing than physical activity indoors? A systematic review , 2011, Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health.

[21]  Susanne Iwarsson,et al.  Fear of Moving Outdoors and Development of Outdoor Walking Difficulty in Older People , 2009, Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.

[22]  S. Anton,et al.  Effects of a weight loss plus exercise program on physical function in overweight, older women: a randomized controlled trial , 2011, Clinical interventions in aging.

[23]  Lawrence D Frank,et al.  Outdoor physical activity and self rated health in older adults living in two regions of the U.S. , 2012, International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity.

[24]  Linas A. Bieliauskas,et al.  Mayo's Older Americans Normative Studies: Age- and IQ-Adjusted Norms for the Trail-Making Test, the Stroop Test, and MAE Controlled Oral Word Association Test , 2005, The Clinical neuropsychologist.

[25]  D. Cahn-Weiner,et al.  Tests of Executive Function Predict Instrumental Activities of Daily Living in Community-Dwelling Older Individuals , 2002, Applied neuropsychology.

[26]  Scott Duncan,et al.  Using global positioning systems in health research: a practical approach to data collection and processing. , 2011, American journal of preventive medicine.

[27]  Leena Choi,et al.  Assessment of wear/nonwear time classification algorithms for triaxial accelerometer. , 2012, Medicine and science in sports and exercise.

[28]  P S Freedson,et al.  Calibration of the Computer Science and Applications, Inc. accelerometer. , 1998, Medicine and science in sports and exercise.

[29]  H. Frumkin.  Beyond toxicity: human health and the natural environment. , 2001, American journal of preventive medicine.

[30]  W. Strawbridge,et al.  Physical activity reduces the risk of subsequent depression for older adults. , 2002, American journal of epidemiology.

[31]  E. Dall’aglio,et al.  Vitamin D in older population: new roles for this ‘classic actor’? , 2010, The aging male : the official journal of the International Society for the Study of the Aging Male.

[32]  P S Freedson,et al.  Field evaluation of the Computer Science and Applications, Inc. physical activity monitor. , 2000, Medicine and science in sports and exercise.

[33]  L. Rubenstein,et al.  Frequency of going outdoors: a predictor of functional and psychosocial change among ambulatory frail elders living at home. , 2004, The journals of gerontology. Series A, Biological sciences and medical sciences.

[34]  P. Groenewegen,et al.  Social contacts as a possible mechanism behind the relation between green space and health. , 2009, Health & place.

[35]  Daniel Azoulay,et al.  Going Outdoors Daily Predicts Long-Term Functional and Health Benefits Among Ambulatory Older People , 2008, Journal of aging and health.

[36]  R. Vieth.  The role of vitamin D in the prevention of osteoporosis , 2005, Annals of medicine.

[37]  L. S. St Leger.  Health and nature-new challenges for health promotion. , 2003, Health promotion international.

[38]  D. Buchner.  Physical activity and quality of life in older adults. , 1997, JAMA.

[39]  Glen E Duncan,et al.  Effects of aerobic exercise on mild cognitive impairment: a controlled trial. , 2010, Archives of neurology.