Higher Levels and Intensity of Physical Activity Are Associated with Reduced Mortality among Community Dwelling Older People

Introduction. There is limited evidence on physical activity and mortality in older people. Methods. People aged 75–84 years (n = 1449) participating in a randomized trial of health screening in UK general practice were interviewed about their physical activity (PA) and were assessed for a wide range of health and social problems. Mortality data were collected over 7 years of followup. Results. Full information on PA and potential confounders was available in 946 people. Those in the highest third of duration of PA had a lower mortality, confounder-adjusted Hazard Ratio (HR) = 0.74, and 95% Confidence Interval (CI) 0.56–0.97, compared to the lowest third. Similar benefits were seen when categorized by intensity of PA, with those in the highest group having a lower mortality, confounder-adjusted HR = 0.61, and 95% CI 0.47–0.79, compared to the lowest category. Conclusions. Our results suggest the importance of providing older people with opportunities for physical activity.