The assessment of physical activity in older women: analysis of the interrelationship and reliability of activity monitoring, activity surveys, and caloric intake.

The interrelationship and reliability of three different activity measures were examined in 76 postmenopausal women. The women wore Large Scale Integrated (LSI) activity monitors, completed the Paffenbarger Activity Survey, and completed 3-day food logs for determination of caloric intake/expenditure. The Paffenbarger survey was assessed twice, a year apart. The results indicated that caloric intake was a very poor index of activity. The LSI activity monitoring and Paffenbarger survey were both effective, reliable measures of physical activity. However, they appeared to measure somewhat different aspects of physical activity. The LSI measured physical activity associated with movement, whereas the surveys measured the intensity component of energy expenditure. The research indicated that it is important to evaluate the characteristics of the activity of interest in order to select a physical activity tool for assessing activity patterns in older women.

The epidemiology of physical activity in children, college students, middle-aged men, menopausal females and monkeys.

Although the inverse relationship between physical activity and coronary heart disease (CHD) has been well documented, little is known concerning the epidemiology of physical activity. A primary reason for the lack of knowledge has been a problem of quantification of physical activity. We have employed the Large-Scale-Integrated (LSI)Activity Monitor in five diverse populations to measure individual physical activity levels. The results indicated that the instrument can accurately index individual physical activity levels, as well as to provide important information concerning the epidemiology of physical activity.

The epidemiology of high density lipoprotein cholesterol levels in post-menopausal women.

High density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDLc) appears to be the most important risk factor of heart attack where increased HDLc levels are associated with reduced heart attack risk. Little is known regarding the determinants of HDLc in older women. The current research investigated possible HDLc correlates in 75 post-menopausal women. Obesity was negatively related and was the strongest determinant. Alcohol consumption and physical activity were also highly related. Of importance was that physical activity was related but only at the highest levels (greater than or equal to 2,000 Kilo-Calories per week). The increased levels of HDLc as a function of physical activity was very interesting because the activities were of relatively low intensity suggesting that the amount of activity rather than intensity was the primary physical activity determinant of HDLc.