Physical Activity in Centenarians beyond Cut-Point-Based Accelerometer Metrics

Adrián Hernández-Vicente (), Jorge Marín-Puyalto, Esther Pueyo, Germán Vicente-Rodríguez and Nuria Garatachea
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Adrián Hernández-Vicente: Growth, Exercise, NUtrition and Development (GENUD) Research Group, University of Zaragoza, 50009 Zaragoza, Spain
Jorge Marín-Puyalto: Growth, Exercise, NUtrition and Development (GENUD) Research Group, University of Zaragoza, 50009 Zaragoza, Spain
Esther Pueyo: Biomedical Signal Interpretation and Computational Simulation (BSICoS), Aragón Institute for Engineering Research (I3A), IIS Aragón, University of Zaragoza, 50018 Zaragoza, Spain
Germán Vicente-Rodríguez: Growth, Exercise, NUtrition and Development (GENUD) Research Group, University of Zaragoza, 50009 Zaragoza, Spain
Nuria Garatachea: Growth, Exercise, NUtrition and Development (GENUD) Research Group, University of Zaragoza, 50009 Zaragoza, Spain

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 18, 1-13

Abstract: This study described and compared physical activity (PA) characteristics at the end of the human lifespan using conventional cut-point-based versus cut-point-free accelerometer metrics. Eighteen institutionalized centenarians (101.5 ± 2.1 years, 72.2% female, 89% frail) wore the wrist GENEActiv accelerometer for 7 days. Conventional metrics, such as time spent in light-intensity PA (LiPA) and moderate-to-vigorous intensity PA (MVPA) were calculated according to published cut-points for adults and older adults. The following cut-point-free metrics were evaluated: average acceleration, intensity gradient and Mx metrics. Depending on the cut-point, centenarians accumulated a median of 15–132 min/day of LiPA and 3–15 min/day of MVPA. The average acceleration was 9.2 mg [Q1: 6.7 mg–Q3: 12.6 mg] and the intensity gradient was −3.19 [−3.34–−3.12]. The distribution of Z -values revealed positive skew for MVPA, indicating a potential floor effect, whereas the skew magnitude was attenuated for cut-point-free metrics such as intensity gradient or M5. However, both cut-point-based and cut-point-free metrics were similarly positively associated with functional independence, cognitive and physical capacities. This is the first time that PA has been described in centenarians using cut-point-free metrics. Our results suggest that new analytical approaches could overcome cut-point limitations when studying the oldest-old. Future studies using these new cut-point-free PA metrics are warranted to provide more complete and comparable information across groups and populations.

Keywords: oldest-old; mortality; SPPB; intensity gradient; average acceleration; Mx metrics (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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