Haga Monika, Vrotsou Katerina, Bredland Ebba
Department of Neuromedicine and Movement Science, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, 7491 Trondheim, Norway.
Department of Science and Technology, Linköping University, 581 83 Linköping, Sweden.
Sports (Basel). 2018 Oct 30;6(4):135. doi: 10.3390/sports6040135.
Regular physical activity relates to physical and mental functioning in older people, and promoting physical activity has the potential to substantially reduce functional decline and improve well-being. Despite this, investigations of the physical activity quotient through participation in functional activities in everyday life have traditionally gained limited focus among older populations compared to leisure-time physical activity and exercise. Considering the accumulated evidence of the health benefits of low-intensity physical activity, exploring and measuring such activities in this population is highly relevant. The aim of this study was to visualize and describe older people's physical activity patterns in daily life using a time-geographic approach in combination with the estimation of metabolic equivalents (METS). To exemplify the new method, a sample of nine retired men (65⁻82 years old, mean age 76.4 ± 5.8) with no homecare services from the municipality was recruited. In order to enable a visual analysis of the physical activity patterns in daily life, we developed the VISUAL-PA software, which is a visual analysis tool that includes METS to account for intensity and enables the analysis of distinct types and domains of physical activity. The VISUAL-PA software creates graphic outputs of physical activity patterns that enable the identification, visualization, and analysis of distinct types and intensities of physical activity in addition to sedentary behavior. The use of VISUAL-PA can contribute to a broader understanding of the complexity in physical activity patterns among older adults in terms of dimensions such as activity patterns and habits, domains, and intensity level. To strengthen the public health strategies that promote health and an active lifestyle, additional knowledge about physical activity patterns is necessary. Moreover, the visualization of physical activity can enable reflections on and awareness of activity habits and preferences, and thus facilitate behavior changes in older individuals.
规律的体育活动与老年人的身心机能相关，促进体育活动有可能大幅减少机能衰退并改善幸福感。尽管如此，与休闲时间的体育活动和锻炼相比，通过参与日常生活中的功能性活动来研究体育活动商数，在老年人群体中传统上受到的关注有限。鉴于低强度体育活动对健康有益的证据不断积累，在这一人群中探索和衡量此类活动具有高度相关性。本研究的目的是结合代谢当量（METS）的估算，采用时间地理学方法来可视化和描述老年人在日常生活中的体育活动模式。为了举例说明这种新方法，我们招募了9名没有市政家庭护理服务的退休男性（年龄在65至82岁之间，平均年龄76.4±5.8岁）。为了能够对日常生活中的体育活动模式进行可视化分析，我们开发了VISUAL-PA软件，这是一种可视化分析工具，它包括代谢当量以考虑强度，并能够分析不同类型和领域的体育活动。VISUAL-PA软件创建体育活动模式的图形输出，除了久坐行为外，还能识别、可视化和分析不同类型和强度的体育活动。使用VISUAL-PA有助于从活动模式和习惯、领域以及强度水平等维度更广泛地理解老年人体育活动模式的复杂性。为了加强促进健康和积极生活方式的公共卫生策略，有必要获取更多关于体育活动模式的知识。此外，体育活动的可视化能够促使人们反思并意识到活动习惯和偏好，从而促进老年人的行为改变。
