249 MINIMALLY-EFFECTIVE PHYSICAL ACTIVITY DOSE FOR GENERALIZED ANXIETY DISORDER AMONG OLDER ADULTS: PRELIMINARY FINDINGS FROM THE IRISH LONGITUDINAL STUDY ON AGEING

Abstract

Abstract Background Among older adults, Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD), a debilitating condition characterized by persistent excessive worry, is associated with poorer quality of life and estimated cost to the individual of €1,864 annually. Meeting recommended Physical Activity (PA) levels has been associated with lower odds of GAD; however, the minimally-sufficient dose associated with benefits is currently unknown. Herein, we quantified the association between different PA doses and worry symptoms and GAD status among older adults across 10 years (waves 1-5) as part of The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing. Methods PA was measured at each wave using the short-form International Physical Activity Questionnaire. Five dose categories were examined (0, 1-<600, 600-<1,200, 1,200-<2,400, and ≥2,400 MET.min.week-1). At all waves, worry symptoms were assessed using the abbreviated Penn State Worry Questionnaire continuous score; a score of ≥23 classified GAD status. Additionally, for Waves 2-5, the CIDI GAD quantified diagnosis of GAD during the past 12 months. Poisson regression with Stata quantified associations between PA dose and GAD and worry symptoms, adjusted for age, health/lifestyle variables and antipsychotics/anxiolytic medication. Results Among 2,200 participants, compared to lowest PA dose, only the highest PA dose (i.e., ≥2,400 MET.min.week-1) was significantly associated with 35% lower odds of GAD (OR=0.65; 95%CI: 0.51, 0.82; p≤0.001). For continuous worry symptoms, meeting the recommendation of at least 600 MET.min.week-1 was significantly, inversely associated with worry symptoms (coefficient= –0.02; 95%CI: –0.033, –0.005; p≤0.009). Female sex, less education, taking anxiolytics, and current smoking were also associated with greater odds of GAD and greater worry severity. Conclusion High physical activity dose was associated with lower odds of GAD over 10 years among older adults. Present findings suggest that older adults, particularly females and smokers, may need to exceed recommended physical activity levels to protect against GAD.