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Observational Study
. 2017 Mar;28(3):1001-1011.
doi: 10.1007/s00198-016-3810-5. Epub 2016 Oct 31.

A novel accelerometer-based method to describe day-to-day exposure to potentially osteogenic vertical impacts in older adults: findings from a multi-cohort study

K Hannam  1 , K C Deere  1 , A Hartley  1 , E M Clark  1 , J Coulson  2 , A Ireland  2 , C Moss  3 , M H Edwards  3 , E Dennison  3 , T Gaysin  4 , R Cooper  4 , A Wong  4 , J S McPhee  2 , C Cooper  3 , D Kuh  4 , J H Tobias  5
Affiliations
Observational Study

A novel accelerometer-based method to describe day-to-day exposure to potentially osteogenic vertical impacts in older adults: findings from a multi-cohort study

K Hannam et al. Osteoporos Int. 2017 Mar.

Abstract

This observational study assessed vertical impacts experienced in older adults as part of their day-to-day physical activity using accelerometry and questionnaire data. Population-based older adults experienced very limited high-impact activity. The accelerometry method utilised appeared to be valid based on comparisons between different cohorts and with self-reported activity.

Introduction: We aimed to validate a novel method for evaluating day-to-day higher impact weight-bearing physical activity (PA) in older adults, thought to be important in protecting against osteoporosis, by comparing results between four cohorts varying in age and activity levels, and with self-reported PA levels.

Methods: Participants were from three population-based cohorts, MRC National Survey of Health and Development (NSHD), Hertfordshire Cohort Study (HCS) and Cohort for Skeletal Health in Bristol and Avon (COSHIBA), and the Master Athlete Cohort (MAC). Y-axis peaks (reflecting the vertical when an individual is upright) from a triaxial accelerometer (sampling frequency 50 Hz, range 0-16 g) worn at the waist for 7 days were classified as low (0.5-1.0 g), medium (1.0-1.5 g) or higher (≥1.5 g) impacts.

Results: There were a median of 90, 41 and 39 higher impacts/week in NSHD (age 69.5), COSHIBA (age 76.8) and HCS (age 78.5) participants, respectively (total n = 1512). In contrast, MAC participants (age 68.5) had a median of 14,322 higher impacts/week. In the three population cohorts combined, based on comparison of beta coefficients, moderate-high-impact activities as assessed by PA questionnaire were suggestive of stronger association with higher impacts from accelerometers (0.25 [0.17, 0.34]), compared with medium (0.18 [0.09, 0.27]) and low impacts (0.13 [0.07,0.19]) (beta coefficient, with 95 % CI). Likewise in MAC, reported moderate-high-impact activities showed a stronger association with higher impacts (0.26 [0.14, 0.37]), compared with medium (0.14 [0.05, 0.22]) and low impacts (0.03 [-0.02, 0.08]).

Conclusions: Our new accelerometer method appears to provide valid measures of higher vertical impacts in older adults. Results obtained from the three population-based cohorts indicate that older adults generally experience very limited higher impact weight-bearing PA.

Keywords: Accelerometry; Bone; Older adults; Physical activity.

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Conflict of interest statement

Compliance with ethical standards Separate regional ethical approval was obtained for VIBE study data collection in NSHD (14/LO/1073 and 14/SS/1009), HCS (10/HO311/59), COSHIBA (14/SW/0138) and MAC (14/NW0275), and written informed consent was obtained from all participants. Conflicts of interest None.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Recruitment flow diagram
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Figure shows accelerometry counts normalised to 7 days wear time in low (0.5 ≤ g < 1.0 g), medium (1.0 ≤ g < 1.5) and higher (≥1.5 g) bands (g units over and above 1 g of earth’s gravitational force) separated by sex. M male, F female. Bars represent the median, 25th percentile and 75th percentile of accelerometry counts
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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