Relationship between Physical Performance and Frailty Syndrome in Older Adults: The Mediating Role of Physical Activity, Sedentary Time and Body Composition

Irene Rodríguez-Gómez, Asier Mañas, José Losa-Reyna, Luis M. Alegre, Leocadio Rodríguez-Mañas, Francisco J. García-García and Ignacio Ara
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Irene Rodríguez-Gómez: GENUD Toledo Research Group, Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, 45071 Toledo, Spain
Asier Mañas: GENUD Toledo Research Group, Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, 45071 Toledo, Spain
José Losa-Reyna: GENUD Toledo Research Group, Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, 45071 Toledo, Spain
Luis M. Alegre: GENUD Toledo Research Group, Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, 45071 Toledo, Spain
Leocadio Rodríguez-Mañas: CIBER of Frailty and Healthy Aging (CIBERFES), 28029 Madrid, Spain
Francisco J. García-García: CIBER of Frailty and Healthy Aging (CIBERFES), 28029 Madrid, Spain
Ignacio Ara: GENUD Toledo Research Group, Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, 45071 Toledo, Spain

IJERPH, 2020, vol. 18, issue 1, 1-12

Abstract: The objectives were to clarify whether the relationship between physical performance and frailty was independently and jointly mediated by movement behaviors and body composition. We analyzed 871 older adults (476 women) from The Toledo Study for Healthy Aging. Skeletal muscle index (SMI) and fat index (FI) were determined using bone densitometry. Sedentary time (ST) and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) were assessed using accelerometry. The Frailty Trait Scale and The Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB) were used to evaluate frailty and physical performance, respectively. Simple and multiple mediation analyses were carried out to determine the role of movement behaviors and body composition, adjusted for potential confounders. ST and MVPA acted independently as mediators in the relationship between SPPB and frailty (0.06% for ST and 16.89% for MVPA). FI also acted as an independent mediator in the same relationship (36.47%), while the mediation role of SMI was not significant. MVPA and FI both acted jointly as mediators in this previous relationship explaining 58.15% of the model. Our data support the fact that interventions should simultaneously encourage the promotion of MVPA and strategies to decrease the FI in order to prevent or treat frailty through physical performance improvement.

Keywords: movement behavior; sedentary time; muscle; fat mass; aging (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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