Objective and Self-Reported Physical Activity and Risk of Falling Among Community-Dwelling Older Adults From Southern Brazil

Abstract

This study evaluated prospective associations between self-reported and objectively measured physical activity (PA) and risk of falls among older adults. A cohort study started in 2014 with 1,451 community-dwelling older adults living in Pelotas, Brazil. Leisure-time PA was obtained by the International Physical Activity Questionnaire and 7-day raw accelerometer data evaluated for total, light PA, and moderate to vigorous PA. In 2016–2017, participants recorded their falls in the previous 12 months. Around 23% of the 1,161 participants followed-up in 2016–2017 experienced a fall in the last 12 months. Participants who did not spend any time in self-reported leisure-time PA at baseline had on average 34% higher risk of falls, and individuals in the lowest tertile for moderate to vigorous PA had on average 51% higher risk of falls compared to those in the highest tertile. Low levels of self-reported and objectively measured moderate to vigorous PA were related to higher risk of falling among Brazilian older adults.