The association of physical activity with mortality among older adults in the Longitudinal Study of Aging (1984-1988).

Self-reported physical activity/exercise and mortality among adults aged 70 and over were examined using data drawn from the 1984-1988 Longitudinal Study of Aging (LSOA). Analyses were conducted for the LSOA sample as a whole (N = 5901), for women (n = 3679) and men (n = 2222), and for persons with 1 + IADL difficulties (n = 1592). Results for the whole sample indicated that less activity/exercise was associated with a higher risk of mortality for each of four questions (activity compared to peers, have regular exercise routine, get enough exercise, days walking a mile per week). Analyses by gender indicated that all four questions were important for women, while the two questions asking for a judgment about activity were important for men. For persons with 1 + IADL impairments, walking was associated with lower mortality. This investigation supports literature on the importance of maintaining physical activity into older adulthood, and suggests that clinicians should attend to reports of activity level by their patients as one of the broader psychosocial domains of patient care.