Lifelong Physical Activity in Midlife and Older Women

Abstract

The need for measures of physical activity in women led to this descriptive study of 375 women aged 33–62 (mean age 47±7 years). A questionnaire was developed to assess levels of lifelong physical activity (LLPAQ) with three subscales: occupation, leisure, and household. Reliability as determined by Cronbach's alpha ranged from .83–.87, while test–retest correlations ranged from .46–.57 for the subscales and total score. Correlations of the LLPAQ with cardiorespiratory fitness were positive, with a shift from highest correlation between fitness and leisure physical activity ( r = .26–.29, p < .05) in younger women, to highest correlation between fitness and occupation physical activity ( r = .29–.38, p < .05) in women over 50. Patterns of physical activity over the lifespan were different for each subscale; total scores showed a peak in overall physical activity between ages 25–39, and a steep decline after age 39, due to small decreases on each subscale. Relevance of a measure including household physical activity to document lifelong levels of physical activity for health studies of women is discussed.