GLADE study about lifelong well-being and healthy aging in the EC2U 7 countries and in Europe: THEMATIC REPORT ON PHYSICAL ACTIVITY

Virtual Institute for Good Health and Well-being (GLADE) is the EC2U Alliance’s Virtual Institute aimed to develop specific approaches in education, research, innovation and service transfer to the community in areas of the third UNSDG: Good Health and Well-being for All. This thematic report on physical activity is related to the GLADE study about lifelong well-being and healthy aging in the EC2U 7 countries and in Europe. The report starts with an introduction to the World Health Organization’s Global Action Plan on Physical Activity followed by description of the current physical activity levels within each of the EC2U country. After that, the national physical activity recommendations will be introduced. Finally, successful initiatives and programs of promoting physical activity across EC2U countries are presented. The report and its content will be presented in the EC2U Jena forum in 22-24th May 2023. The report will also be published in the EC2U alliance website

Eläköityvien terveyden edistämiseen kannattaa panostaa

Keskimääräisen eliniän pidentyessä myös eläkkeellä vietetyt vuodet lisääntyvät. Jotta nämä vuodet olisivat mahdollisimman terveitä ja toimintakykyisiä, terveyden edistämiseen tähtäävät toimet tulisi aloittaa riittävän varhain. Eläköityminen itsessään tarjoaa hyvän mahdollisuuden elintapojen tarkasteluun ja tarvittavien muutosten tekemiseen, koska työhön liittyvät kuormitustekijät poistuvat ja aikaa itsestä huolehtimiseen on enemmän. Ikääntyvän väestön terveyden edistämisen näkökulmasta eläköityminen on hyvä ajankohta vaikuttaa koko ikäryhmään. Toisaalta sairauksien ehkäisyn ja toimintakyvyn säilymisen kannalta erityisen tärkeää on tunnistaa ajoissa riskihenkilöt ja kohdentaa jatkotoimenpiteet heihin. Tutkimukset ovat osoittaneet ehkäisyn hyödyt erityisesti sydän- ja verisuonisairauksien hoidossa, kaatumisten ja murtumien ehkäisyssä sekä kognitiivisen ja fyysisen toimintakyvyn ylläpitämisessä. Terveysteknologia on avannut uusia mahdollisuuksia ehkäisyyn ja hoidon seurantaan myös ikäihmisten osalta. </p

Changes in prolonged sedentary behaviour across the transition to retirement

Background Prolonged sedentary behaviour is associated with a higher risk of cardiometabolic diseases. This longitudinal study examined changes in daily total, prolonged (>= 30 min) and highly prolonged (>= 60 min) sedentary time across the transition to retirement by gender and occupational status. Methods We included 689 aging workers (mean (SD) age before retirement 63.2 (1.6) years, 85% women) from the Finnish Retirement and Aging Study (FIREA). Sedentary time was measured annually using a wrist-worn triaxial ActiGraph accelerometer before and after retirement with on average 3.4 (range 2-4) measurement points. Results Women increased daily total sedentary time by 22 min (95% CI 13 to 31), prolonged sedentary time by 34 min (95% CI 27 to 42) and highly prolonged sedentary time by 15 min (95% CI 11 to 20) in the transition to retirement, and remained at the higher level of sedentary time years after retirement. The highest increase in total and prolonged sedentary time was observed among women retiring from manual occupations. Men had more total and prolonged sedentary time compared with women before and after retirement. Although no changes in men's sedentary time were observed during the retirement transition, there was a gradual increase of 33 min (95% CI 6 to 60) in prolonged sedentary time from pre-retirement years to post-retirement years. Conclusion The transition to retirement was accompanied by an abrupt increase in prolonged sedentary time in women but a more gradual increase in men. The retirement transition may be a suitable time period for interventions aiming to decrease sedentary behaviour.Peer reviewe

Meanings Attributed to Physical Activity and Changes in Self-Reported and Accelerometer-Measured Physical Activity among Recent Retirees

Retirement poses opportunities and challenges for maintaining and adopting physically active habits, which may have major implications for health and functional ability in later life. Qualitative studies suggest that a broad range of meanings of physical activity should be considered when promoting physical activity among retirees. The current study utilized the Physical Activity Relationship (PAR) approach to examine the importance of meanings attributed to physical activity and their associations with physical activity over time. A total of 230 recently retired participants (65.2 years old, 83% women) responded to a 54-item inventory assessing the importance of meanings attributed to physical activity at baseline. Eight meaning dimensions were identified through exploratory factor analysis. Differences in their importance across gender and occupational background were examined using t-tests and ANOVA. Associations between meaning dimensions and self-reported and accelerometer-measured physical activity over 12 months were examined with general linear models. Dimensions defined as Physical Fitness, Positive Mood, and Belonging were positively associated with changes in self-reported and accelerometer-measured physical activity. Additionally, the importance of several meaning dimensions varied across occupational background. In conclusion, physical activity promotion among retirees should focus on physical fitness, positive mood, and social belonging. Furthermore, meanings attributed to physical activity may vary across occupational backgrounds

Physical Activity across Retirement Transition by Occupation and Mode of Commute

Purpose Retirement induces changes in the composition of daily physical activity. Our aim was to examine changes in accelerometer-measured physical activity around transition to statutory retirement among men and women by occupational category and by preretirement modes of commuting. Methods We included 562 workers (mean [SD] age, 63.3 [1.1] yr; 85% women) from the Finnish Retirement and Aging study. The participants wore an accelerometer on their nondominant wrist for 1 wk before and 1 wk after retirement, with 1 yr between the measurements. We compared mean daily activity counts before and after retirement between manual and nonmanual occupations by gender and by preretirement commuting mode using linear models with generalized estimating equations. Results Before retirement, women were more active than men (2550 (95% confidence interval, 2500-2590) vs 2060 (1970-2140) mean daily activity counts), with the most active group being women in manual occupations. After retirement, physical activity decreased by 3.9% among women and increased, albeit nonsignificantly, by 3.1% in men. The decrease was most pronounced among women in manual and increase among men in nonmanual occupations. After retirement, women remained more active than men (2450 (95% confidence interval 2390-2500) vs 2120 (2010-2230) counts). Active commuting, especially cycling, before retirement was associated with higher physical activity both before and after retirement, and these people also maintained their total activity lever better than did those who commuted by public transportation. Conclusions Although women in manual occupations decreased and men in nonmanual occupations increased their activity after retirement, women were more active than men both before and after retirement. Those who engaged in active commuting before retirement maintained their activity level also after retirement.Peer reviewe

Changes in non-occupational sedentary behaviours across the retirement transition : the Finnish Retirement and Aging (FIREA) study

Background Retirement is a major life transition which may influence health behaviours and time use. Little is known about how sedentary behaviour changes as a result of increased time availability after retirement. The aim of this study was to examine changes in nonoccupational sedentary behaviours across the retirement transition. In addition, we examined which preretirement characteristics were associated with these changes. Methods The study population consisted of 2011 participants from the Finnish Retirement and Aging Study. Repeated postal survey including questions on sedentary behaviour domains (television viewing, computer use at home, sitting in a vehicle and other sitting) were conducted once a year across the retirement transition, covering on average 3.4 study waves. Linear regression with generalised estimating equations was used for the analyses. Results Total sedentary time increased by 73 (95% CI 66 to 80) min/day during the retirement transition. Of the domain-specific sedentary behaviours, television viewing time increased by 28 (95% CI 25 to 32) min/day, computer use at home by 19 (95% CI 17 to 22) min/day and other sitting time by 37 (95% CI 33 to 41) min/day, while time sitting in a vehicle decreased by 6 (95% CI 4 to 9) min/day. Highest increase in total sedentary time was among women and persons who had high occupational sitting time, low physical activity level, sleep difficulties, mental disorders or poor health before retirement (all p values for interaction <0.03). Conclusion Total and domain-specific sedentary time, except sitting in a vehicle, increased during the retirement transition.Peer reviewe

Leisure-time physical activity and DNA methylation agea twin study

BackgroundEpigenetic clocks may increase our understanding on human aging and how genetic and environmental factors regulate an individual aging process. One of the most promising clocks is Horvath's DNA methylation (DNAm) age. Age acceleration, i.e., discrepancy between DNAm age and chronological age, tells us whether the person is biologically young or old compared to his/her chronological age. Several environmental and lifestyle factors have been shown to affect life span. We investigated genetic and environmental predictors of DNAm age in young and older monozygotic (MZ) and dizygotic (DZ) twins with a focus on leisure time physical activity.ResultsQuantitative genetic modeling revealed that the relative contribution of non-shared environmental factors was larger among older compared with younger twin pairs [47% (95% CI 35, 63) vs. 26% (95% CI: 19, 35), pPeer reviewe

Work ability and physical fitness among aging workers : the Finnish Retirement and Aging Study

Background With advancing age, physical capacity gradually decreases which may lead to decreased work ability, if the physical work requirements remain the same. Examination of the importance of physical fitness for work ability among aging workers will help to find potential strategies to promote work ability in old age. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between physical fitness and work ability among aging workers. Methods Aging workers (n = 288, mean age 62.5, 83% women) from the Finnish Retirement and Aging study underwent cardiorespiratory, muscular fitness and functional testing. Work ability was inquired on a scale 0-10 from poor to excellent. Association between physical fitness indicators and work ability was examined using ordinary least squares regression, taking into account age, gender, occupational status, heavy physical work, body mass index and accelerometer-measured daily total physical activity. Results VO2peak, modified push-up test and maximal walking speed were positively associated with work ability (beta = 0.51, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.29-0.74, beta = 0.46, 95% CI 0.26-0.66 and beta = 0.23, 95% CI 0.07-0.39, respectively), while chair rise test time was inversely associated with work ability (beta = -0.23, 95% CI -0.39--0.06). No associations were found between hand grip strength or sit-up test and work ability. Conclusions Cardiorespiratory fitness, upper body strength, and lower extremity function were positively associated with work ability. Good physical fitness may help to maintain work ability among aging workers.Peer reviewe

Physical activity and health : Findings from Finnish monozygotic twin pairs discordant for physical activity

Genetic and early environmental differences including early health habits associate with future health. To provide insight on the causal nature of these associations, monozygotic (MZ) twin pairs discordant for health habits provide an interesting natural experiment. Twin pairs discordant for leisure-time physical activity (LTPA) in early adult life is thus a powerful study design to investigate the associations between long-term LTPA and indicators of health and wellbeing. We have identified 17 LTPA discordant twin pairs from two Finnish twin cohorts and summarize key findings of these studies in this paper. The carefully characterized rare long-term LTPA discordant MZ twin pairs have participated in multi-dimensional clinical examinations. Key findings highlight that compared with less active twins in such MZ twin pairs, the twins with higher long-term LTPA have higher physical fitness, reduced body fat, reduced visceral fat, reduced liver fat, increased lumen diameters of conduit arteries to the lower limbs, increased bone mineral density in loaded bone areas, and an increased number of large high-density lipoprotein particles. The findings increase our understanding on the possible site-specific and system-level effects of long-term LTPA.Peer reviewe

Long-term physical activity modulates brain processing of somatosensory stimuli : Evidence from young male twins

Leisure-time physical activity is a key contributor to physical and mental health. Yet the role of physical activity in modulating cortical function is poorly known. We investigated whether precognitive sensory brain functions are associated with the level of physical activity. Physical activity history (3-yr-LTMET), physiological measures and somatosensory mismatch response (sMMR) in EEG were recorded in 32 young healthy twins. In all participants, 3-yr-LTMET correlated negatively with body fat%, r=0.77 and positively with VO2max, r=0.82. The fat% and VO2max differed between 15 physically active and 17 inactive participants. Trend toward larger sMMR was seen in inactive compared to active participants. This finding was significant in a pairwise comparison of 9 monozygotic twin pairs discordant for physical activity. Larger sMMR reflecting stronger synchronous neural activity may reveal diminished gating of precognitive somatosensory information in physically inactive healthy young men compared to the active ones possibly rendering them more vulnerable to somatosensory distractions from their surroundings. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.Peer reviewe