Abstract
This prospective study examined the association between physical activity and the incidence of self-reported stiff or painful joints (SPJ) among mid-age women and older women over a 3-year period. Data were collected from cohorts of mid-age (48–55 years at Time 1; n = 4,780) and older women (72–79 years at Time 1; n = 3,970) who completed mailed surveys 3 years apart for the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health. Physical activity was measured with the Active Australia questions and categorized based on metabolic equivalent value minutes per week: none (<40 MET.min/week); very low (40 to <300 MET.min/week); low (300 to <600 MET.min/week); moderate (600 to <1,200 MET.min/week); and high (1,200+ MET.min/week). Cohort-specific logistic regression models were used to examine the association between physical activity at Time 1 and SPJ 'sometimes or often' and separately 'often' at Time 2. Respondents reporting SPJ 'sometimes or often' at Time 1 were excluded from analysis. In univariate models, the odds of reporting SPJ 'sometimes or often' were lower for mid-age respondents reporting low (odds ratio (OR) = 0.77, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.63–0.94), moderate (OR = 0.82, 95% CI = 0.68–0.99), and high (OR = 0.75, 95% CI = 0.62–0.90) physical activity levels and for older respondents who were moderately (OR = 0.80, 95% CI = 0.65–0.98) or highly active (OR = 0.83, 95% CI = 0.69–0.99) than for those who were sedentary. After adjustment for confounders, these associations were no longer statistically significant. The odds of reporting SPJ 'often' were lower for mid-age respondents who were moderately active (OR = 0.71, 95% CI = 0.52–0.97) than for sedentary respondents in univariate but not adjusted models. Older women in the low (OR = 0.72, 95% CI = 0.55–0.96), moderate (OR = 0.54, 95% CI = 0.39–0.76), and high (OR = 0.61, 95% CI = 0.46–0.82) physical activity categories had lower odds of reporting SPJ 'often' at Time 2 than their sedentary counterparts, even after adjustment for confounders. These results are the first to show a dose–response relationship between physical activity and arthritis symptoms in older women. They suggest that advice for older women not currently experiencing SPJ should routinely include counseling on the importance of physical activity for preventing the onset of these symptoms.
Highlights
Arthritis is a musculoskeletal condition of the joints
In univariate logistic regression models, the odds of reporting arthritis at T2 were significantly increased among the mid-age women who reported stiff or painful joints 'sometimes or often' at the 1999 (T1) (odds ratio (OR) = 2.48, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 2.16–2.83, P < 0.001) and, among those who reported these symptoms 'often' (OR = 2.56, 95% CI = 2.13–3.09, P < 0.001)
475 mid-age women and 843 older women were excluded because they did not participate in the T2 survey. Another 208 mid-age women and 199 older women were excluded because they had missing values for physical activity at T1
Summary
In Australia, it is a leading cause of pain and disability [1], affecting 3.4 million adults or 17% of the population [2]. Estimates are that by 2020 arthritis will affect 4.6 million Australians, or 20% of the adult population [2]. The current prevalence in Australia is slightly less than that in the United States, where 21% of the population has arthritis [3], making it the most prevalent chronic condition for mid-age and older people in the United States [4]. As the proportion of older people in both countries continues to rise, more individuals, women, will be at risk of developing arthritis, and the burden of this disease will continue to increase. Identifying modifiable risk factors for the effects of arthritis is crucial to the prevention of its associated disability, especially in mid-age women and in older women
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