Table. Characteristics of the US Population Aged 40 to 85 Years or Older by the Amount of MVPA, 2003 to 2006 NHANESa.
| Characteristic | MVPA, min/db | P valuec | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0-39.9 (n = 1164) | 40.0-79.9 (n = 1249) | 80.0-119.9 (n = 1141) | ≥120.0 (n = 1286) | Total (N = 4840) | ||
| Age, mean (95% CI), y | 70.4 (69.3-71.6) | 58.4 (57.5-59.3) | 53.8 (53.0-54.7) | 50.7 (50.1-51.3) | 57.0 (56.3-57.6) | <.001 |
| BMI, mean (95% CI) | 29.3 (28.9-29.7) | 29.9 (29.4-30.4) | 29.0 (28.6-29.4) | 27.8 (27.5-28.1) | 28.9 (28.7-29.1) | <.001 |
| Healthy Eating Index score, mean (95% CI)d | 58.2 (57.3-59.1) | 57.2 (56.4-58.0) | 57.1 (56.1-58.0) | 55.3 (54.3-56.3) | 56.8 (56.2-57.3) | .01 |
| MVPA, mean (95% CI), min/d | 21.7 (21.1-22.3) | 60.5 (59.9-61.1) | 99.0 (98.1-99.8) | 171.4 (168.9-173.9) | 98.2 (95.6-100.7) | <.001 |
| Sex | ||||||
| Men | 489 (34.7) | 540 (39.2) | 555 (44.4) | 821 (62.4) | 2405 (47.0) | <.001 |
| Women | 675 (65.3) | 709 (60.8) | 586 (55.6) | 465 (37.6) | 2435 (53.0) | |
| Race and ethnicitye | ||||||
| Mexican American | 149 (3.1) | 213 (4.1) | 208 (5.3) | 317 (7.0) | 887 (5.1) | .41 |
| Non-Hispanic | ||||||
| Black | 213 (10.9) | 283 (11.2) | 240 (9.7) | 257 (10.0) | 993 (10.4) | |
| White | 754 (81.2) | 680 (76.7) | 614 (77.4) | 633 (75.8) | 2681 (77.4) | |
| Other groups | 48 (4.7) | 73 (8.0) | 79 (7.6) | 79 (7.2) | 279 (7.0) | |
| Education | ||||||
| Less than high school | 452 (30.4) | 344 (16.2) | 284 (13.6) | 372 (14.8) | 1452 (17.6) | .01 |
| High school | 300 (28.3) | 331 (28.4) | 265 (24.3) | 291 (25.7) | 1187 (26.5) | |
| More than high school | 412 (41.3) | 574 (55.5) | 592 (62.1) | 623 (59.5) | 2201 (55.9) | |
| BMIf | ||||||
| Normal weight | 349 (28.4) | 292 (24.2) | 307 (28.3) | 365 (30.8) | 1313 (28.1) | <.001 |
| Overweight | 387 (32.9) | 436 (33.9) | 432 (36.5) | 540 (39.2) | 1795 (36.1) | |
| Obesity | 428 (38.7) | 521 (41.9) | 402 (35.2) | 381 (30.0) | 1732 (35.8) | |
| Alcohol use | ||||||
| Never | 222 (18.1) | 176 (13.1) | 129 (8.9) | 99 (6.6) | 626 (10.8) | <.001 |
| Former | 248 (23.1) | 244 (18.9) | 192 (16.0) | 171 (12.5) | 855 (16.9) | |
| Current | 628 (53.4) | 759 (62.6) | 753 (69.4) | 937 (75.7) | 3077 (66.8) | |
| Missing or unknown | 66 (5.5) | 70 (5.4) | 67 (5.7) | 79 (5.2) | 282 (5.4) | |
| Smoking status | ||||||
| Never smoker | 506 (42.3) | 582 (45.8) | 567 (52.3) | 579 (45.4) | 2234 (46.8) | .46 |
| Former smoker | 473 (39.7) | 406 (30.7) | 344 (27.8) | 344 (32.7) | 1633 (32.2) | |
| Current smoker | 185 (18.0) | 261 (23.5) | 230 (19.9) | 230 (21.9) | 973 (21.0) | |
| Comorbid conditions | ||||||
| Diabetes mellitus | ||||||
| Yes | 310 (24.6) | 199 (12.6) | 127 (9.2) | 89 (4.1) | 725 (11.2) | <.001 |
| No | 820 (72.2) | 1016 (85.1) | 1001 (89.7) | 1182 (94.9) | 4019 (87.1) | |
| Borderline | 34 (3.2) | 34 (2.3) | 13 (1.2) | 15 (1.0) | 96 (1.7) | |
| Stroke | ||||||
| Yes | 144 (12.1) | 51 (3.2) | 42 (2.7) | 19 (1.0) | 256 (4.0) | <.001 |
| No | 1020 (87.9) | 1198 (96.8) | 1099 (97.3) | 1267 (99.0) | 4584 (96.0) | |
| Coronary heart disease | ||||||
| Yes | 149 (13.1) | 85 (6.0) | 55 (3.7) | 30 (2.2) | 319 (5.5) | <.001 |
| No | 1001 (85.9) | 1159 (93.8) | 1080 (96.0) | 1254 (97.7) | 4494 (94.2) | |
| Missing or unknown | 14 (0.9) | 5 (0.2) | 6 (0.3) | 2 (0.2) | 27 (0.3) | |
| Heart failure | ||||||
| Yes | 146 (12.8) | 52 (3.1) | 25 (1.6) | 21 (1.3) | 244 (3.9) | <.001 |
| No | 1002 (86.3) | 1193 (96.8) | 1115 (98.4) | 1264 (98.6) | 4574 (95.9) | |
| Missing or unknown | 16 (0.9) | 4 (0.1) | 1 (0.0) | 1 (0.1) | 22 (0.2) | |
| Cancer | ||||||
| Yes | 266 (24.7) | 167 (13.5) | 128 (11.2) | 79 (7.5) | 640 (13.0) | <.001 |
| No | 898 (75.3) | 1082 (86.5) | 1013 (88.8) | 1207 (92.5) | 4200 (87.0) | |
| Chronic bronchitis | ||||||
| Current | 67 (6.7) | 56 (5.5) | 22 (2.2) | 30 (2.4) | 175 (3.9) | <.001 |
| Former | 60 (6.3) | 53 (4.6) | 33 (3.0) | 34 (3.5) | 180 (4.1) | |
| Never | 1031 (86.3) | 1138 (89.9) | 1081 (94.4) | 1218 (93.8) | 4468 (91.7) | |
| Missing or unknown | 6 (0.6) | 2 (0.1) | 5 (0.4) | 4 (0.3) | 17 (0.3) | |
| Emphysema | ||||||
| Yes | 86 (8.0) | 40 (3.0) | 17 (1.2) | 12 (0.7) | 155 (2.7) | <.001 |
| No | 1069 (91.3) | 1209 (97.0) | 1123 (98.7) | 1272 (99.2) | 4673 (97.1) | |
| Missing or unknown | 9 (0.7) | 0 | 1 (0.1) | 2 (0.1) | 12 (0.2) | |
| Mobility limitationsg | ||||||
| None | 416 (34.8) | 570 (37.3) | 456 (32.0) | 391 (22.7) | 1833 (30.9) | <.001 |
| Unrelated to mobility | 42 (5.8) | 323 (37.7) | 511 (55.1) | 769 (69.9) | 1645 (46.6) | |
| Limitation | 702 (59.0) | 353 (24.8) | 174 (13.0) | 126 (7.4) | 1355 (22.4) | |
| Missing or unknown | 4 (0.4) | 3 (0.2) | 0 | 0 | 7 (0.1) | |
| General health | ||||||
| Excellent | 44 (4.0) | 99 (8.4) | 116 (11.6) | 158 (14.7) | 417 (10.4) | <.001 |
| Very good | 204 (19.5) | 297 (28.8) | 343 (35.0) | 380 (36.4) | 1224 (31.2) | |
| Good | 414 (36.0) | 469 (37.0) | 401 (34.5) | 427 (32.5) | 1711 (34.8) | |
| Fair or poor | 440 (35.3) | 317 (20.6) | 216 (13.3) | 244 (11.4) | 1217 (18.5) | |
| Missing or unknown | 62 (5.2) | 67 (5.1) | 65 (5.6) | 77 (5.0) | 271 (5.2) | |
| Frail or unable to walkh | ||||||
| Yes | 444 (36.5) | 160 (10.9) | 73 (4.9) | 55 (2.8) | 732 (11.4) | <.001 |
| No | 720 (63.5) | 1089 (89.1) | 1068 (95.1) | 1231 (97.2) | 4108 (88.6) | |
Abbreviations: BMI, body mass index (calculated as weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared); MVPA, moderate-to-vigorous physical activity intensity; NHANES, National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.
Data are presented as the number (%) of US adults unless noted otherwise. Percentages and means (95% CIs) were estimated using US population and study design weights. Sample weights included readjustments after stratification from loss of observations owing to missing accelerometry data, and all participants were eligible for mortality linkage through the National Death Index.
Total number of minutes per day recorded by the accelerometer that were at or above the cutpoint of 760 counts per minute4 (ie, MVPA).
P values were computed using linear regression for continuous variables and logistic regression for categorical variables, and they did not include unknown or missing categories. P values were computed separately for each covariate and indicate statistically significant differences between physical activity groups if P < .05.
Healthy Eating Index 2005 scores describe an individual diet quality as recommended by the 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Scores range from 0 (least healthy) to 100 (most healthy).
Race and ethnicity was determined by self-report and was classified using preferred terminology from the National Center for Health Statistics as Mexican American, non-Hispanic Black, and non-Hispanic White. Mexican American individuals were oversampled rather than broader groups of individuals from Latin America. The “other” classification includes Alaska Native, Asian, other Hispanic, or other race and ethnicity, including multiracial.
BMI ranges are as follows: normal weight, 13.4 to 24.9 (includes underweight participants with a BMI <18.5); overweight, 25.0 to 29.9; and obesity, 30.0 to 62.5.
Mobility limitations were assessed among those aged 60 years or older or among younger individuals reporting some type of physical or mental limitation. A mobility limitation was defined as a report of having difficulty walking for a quarter mile, without special equipment, or walking up 10 steps.
Frailty was defined as a frail index score greater than 45% derived from items related to limitations of activities of daily living, vision, hearing, health care use, medications, and several physiological and biochemical measurements.6 Inability to walk was defined as needing special equipment to walk.