Associação entre atividade física, aptidão física e mortalidade em idosos da comunidade

Abstract

To health promotion in old age, physical activity stands out as essential behavioral condition known to decrease adverse risk factors related to mortality.Conversely, physical fitness is recognized as physiological attribute which is closely related to functional mobility and, consequently, to mortality in old age.The aim was to investigate relationships between physical activity, physical fitness and mortality after eight years among community-dwelling older adults and to explore mediating effects.This is a longitudinal study based on data from FIBRA Study, collected in Campinas city between 2008 and 2009.Mortality Information System (SIM) was investigated with deaths up to 2016.Physical activity was measured by self-report while physical fitness by performance tests in 689 participants aged 65 years or older, without cognitive deficit.Model was drawn to test relationships between global, leisure, domestic physical activity and mortality, considering the influence of sex and age.Mediating effect physical fitness was tested through Path Analysis.Global, leisure and domestic physical activity were negatively associated with mortality.Global physical activity had direct effect on mortality and also was mediated by slowness.Domestic activity was mediated by weakness and overall physical activity, and leisure activity by physical and global activity.The model explained 6.87% of the death variability.In conclusion, older adults with lower level of global physical activity had higher risk of death regardless of physical fitness.Additionally, those with lower levels of domestic activity and those who were older were more likely to present low strength.