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Objectives To examine the associations between cumulative physical activity ( PA) and its changes over 3 years and changes over 9 years of follow-up in physical performance in older adults. Design Longitudinal. Setting Community-based. Participants Men and women aged 65 and older from the Invecchiare in Chianti study (N = 782). Measurements Physical performance was assessed at baseline and at 3-, 6-, and 9-year follow-up using the Short Physical Performance Battery ( SPPB). PA was assessed through an interviewer-administered questionnaire at baseline and 3-year follow-up. Analyses were adjusted for education, body mass index, smoking, alcohol intake, coronary heart disease, stroke, peripheral arterial disease, cancer, lung disease, lower extremity osteoarthritis, depression, and Mini-Mental State Examination. Results Over 3 years of follow-up, 27.8% of participants were inactive, 52.2% were minimally active, and 20.0% were active, and the PA of 37.2% decreased, there was no change in PA of 50.1% and the PA of 12.7% increased. After adjustment for potential covariates, being mostly active (−1.08, 95% confidence interval ( CI) = −1.43 to −0.73) and minimally active (−1.33, 95% CI = −1.53 to −1.12) over 3 years of follow-up was associated with less decline in SPPB score than being mostly inactive (−2.60, 95% CI = −2.92 to −2.27). When analyzing changes, increasing PA (−0.57, 95% CI = −1.01 to −0.12) was associated with less decline in SPPB score over 9 years than decreasing PA (−2.16, 95% CI = −2.42 to −1.89). Conclusion Maintaining or increasing PA levels may attenuate age-associated physical performance decline. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We examined the associations of maintaining or increasing physical activity (PA) for a 3-yr follow-up with subsequent incident inability to complete the 400-m walk test (i.e., mobility disability) for 6 yrs of follow-up in older adults. This study included 421 participants 65 yrs and older. The 400-m walk test was assessed at baseline and at 3-, 6-, and 9-yr follow-up. Physical activity was self-reported through a 6-point rating scale at baseline and 3-yr follow-up. Three-year cumulative PA (i.e., average at baseline and at 3-yr follow-up) and its changes (i.e., from baseline to 3-yr follow-up) were linked to subsequent incidence of mobility disability for 6 yrs of follow-up (i.e., from 3- to 9-yr follow-up), after adjustment for potential covariates. After the 3-yr period, incidence of mobility disability for the subsequent 6 yrs of follow-up occurred in 129 participants. The odds ratio (95% confidence interval) of incident mobility disability associated with 1-category increase in cumulative PA was 0.63 (0.41-0.97, P = 0.036). The odds ratio (95% confidence interval) of incident mobility disability associated with 1-category increase in changes in PA was 0.56 (0.38-0.84, P = 0.005). Hence, maintaining or increasing PA levels is associated with a reduced risk of mobility disability among older adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]