The Gender-Specific Relationship between Nutritional Status, Physical Activity and Functional Mobility in Irish Community-Dwelling Older Adults

Maeve Lorraine O’Connell, Tara Coppinger, Seán Lacey, Tijana Arsenic and Aoife Louise McCarthy
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Maeve Lorraine O’Connell: Department of Biological Sciences, Munster Technological University, Rossa Avenue, T12 P928 Cork, Ireland
Tara Coppinger: Department of Sport, Leisure and Childhood Studies, Munster Technological University, Rossa Avenue, T12 P928 Cork, Ireland
Seán Lacey: Department of Mathematics, Munster Technological University, Rossa Avenue, T12 P928 Cork, Ireland
Tijana Arsenic: Department of Biological Sciences, Munster Technological University, Rossa Avenue, T12 P928 Cork, Ireland
Aoife Louise McCarthy: Department of Biological Sciences, Munster Technological University, Rossa Avenue, T12 P928 Cork, Ireland

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 16, 1-10

Abstract: Research suggests that both nutrition and physical activity can protect mobility in older adults, but it is yet to be determined whether these relationships are affected by gender. Thus, we investigated the gender-specific relationship between nutritional status, physical activity level and functional mobility in Irish older adults. A cross-sectional study was undertaken in 176 community-dwelling older adults (73.6 ± 6.61 years) living in Cork, Ireland. Nutritional status was measured using the Mini Nutritional Assessment-Short Form (MNA-SF) and physical activity was assessed via the Physical Activity Scale for the Elderly (PASE). Functional mobility was measured using the Timed Up and Go (TUG) test. The gender-stratified relationship between variables was assessed using Pearson’s correlations and multiple linear regression. Partial correlations ( p < 0.05) were observed for TUG with PASE score in both genders, and with MNA-SF score in females, only. Multiple regression showed that physical activity was a predictor of TUG in both genders (? = 0.257 for males, ? = 0.209 for females, p < 0.05), while nutritional status was a predictor of TUG in females, only (? = ?0.168, p = 0.030). Our results suggest that physical activity is associated with functional mobility in both genders, while the relationship between nutritional status and mobility may be specific to older females. These findings may be of interest for the design of functional preservation strategies.

Keywords: older adults; functional mobility; nutritional status; physical activity level (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
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