Physical activity as an indicator of predictive functional disability in elderly

Rev Lat Am Enfermagem. 2012 Mar-Apr;20(2):259-65. doi: 10.1590/s0104-11692012000200007.
[Article in English, Portuguese, Spanish]

Abstract

To analyze the time spent on physical activity in female and male individuals as a predictor of the absence of functional disability in older adults, a cross-sectional study was conducted with 624 individuals. Receiver Operating Characteristic curves (ROC) were constructed and compared to areas of physical activity by gender and the absence of functional disability. We identified cutoffs of physical activity (minutes / week) to predict the absence of functional disability (CI 95%). It was found that there is a higher area under the ROC curve for the time spent on physical activities in females. It was observed that 280 minutes / week (women) or 410 minutes / week (men) were the best cutoff points for predicting the absence of functional disability. Time spent on physical activity practices can serve as an important indicator to sort priority groups for certain interventions.

MeSH terms

  • Activities of Daily Living*
  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Cross-Sectional Studies
  • Disabled Persons*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Motor Activity*
  • Prognosis