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Is Sitting Time Related with Physical Fitness in Spanish Elderly Population? The Exernet Multicenter Study

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The journal of nutrition, health & aging

Abstract

Background

Older adults spend most of their waking hours performing sedentary activities. The influence of these lifestyle patterns on the physical fitness (PF) levels of this population has not yet been sufficiently investigated.

Objective

The aim of the study was to examine whether sedentary behavior (SB) (h•d-1sitting) is associated with PF, and specifically to analyze whether sitting >4 h•d-1 is associated with higher risk of having lower levels of fitness in seniors.

Design

EXERNET multi-center study.

Participants and Settings

A representative sample of 3136 non-institutionalized elderly (aged 72.2+5.3 years), from 6 Regions of Spain were included in the study. Measurements: PF was assessed using 8 different tests from the EXERNET battery. Lifestyle patterns were collected using a validated questionnaire. ANOVA was used to compare the groups according to the hours of sitting. Binary logistic regression was used to calculate the association between the SB and low levels of fitness. Results: For both genders, those who spent sitting >4 h•d-1 had lower levels of balance, agility, walking speed and aerobic endurance (p<0.001). Sedentary men also had less strength of lower extremities (p<0.05), whereas, sedentary women were less flexible in the lower extremities (p<0.001). More than 4 h•d-1 sitting was associated, in men, to higher odds for having low strength (lower extremities), agility, flexibility (lower extremities) and aerobic endurance (p<0.05); and in women, to higher risk of low balance, strength (lower and upper extremities), flexibility (lower extremities), agility, walking speed and aerobic endurance (p<0.05). Conclusions: Seniors that sit >4 h•d-1 have lower levels of fitness and this behavior is related with an increased risk of having low levels of PF in this population.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Health Sciences, University of San Jorge, Zaragoza, Spain

    L. Sagarra-Romero

  2. GENUD Toledo Research Group, University of Castilla-La Mancha, Toledo, Spain

    L. Sagarra-Romero, S. Vila-Maldonado & I. Ara

  3. GENUD Research Group, University of Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain

    G. Vicente-Rodríguez, J. A. Casajús & Alba Gómez-Cabello

  4. Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y Nutrición (CIBERObn), Madrid, Spain

    G. Vicente-Rodríguez, J. A. Casajús & Alba Gómez-Cabello

  5. Instituto Agroalimentario de Aragón (IA2), Zaragoza, Spain

    G. Vicente-Rodríguez, J. A. Casajús & Alba Gómez-Cabello

  6. Faculty of Health and Sport Sciences (FCSD), Department of Physiatry and Nursing, University of Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain

    G. Vicente-Rodríguez

  7. ImFINE Research Group, Departament of Health and Human Performance, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Madrid, Spain

    R. Pedrero-Chamizo & M. González-Gross

  8. CIBER de Fragilidad y Envejecimiento Saludable (CIBERFES), Madrid, Spain

    S. Vila-Maldonado, N. Gusi, I. Ara & Alba Gómez-Cabello

  9. Faculty of Sport Sciences, University of Extremadura, Cáceres, Spain

    N. Gusi

  10. Institute of Biomedicine (IBIOMED), University of León, León, Spain

    J. G. Villa-Vicente

  11. Unit of Sport Medicine, Cabildo of Gran Canaria, Gran Canaria, Spain

    L. Espino

  12. Faculty of Health Sciences. Department of Physiatry and Nursing, University of Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain

    J. A. Casajús

  13. Centro Universitario de la Defensa de Zaragoza, Carretera de Huesca s/n, 50090, Zaragoza, Spain

    Alba Gómez-Cabello

Authors
  1. L. Sagarra-Romero
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  2. G. Vicente-Rodríguez
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  3. R. Pedrero-Chamizo
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  4. S. Vila-Maldonado
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  5. N. Gusi
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  6. J. G. Villa-Vicente
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  7. L. Espino
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  8. M. González-Gross
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  9. J. A. Casajús
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  10. I. Ara
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  11. Alba Gómez-Cabello
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Alba Gómez-Cabello.

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Sagarra-Romero, L., Vicente-Rodríguez, G., Pedrero-Chamizo, R. et al. Is Sitting Time Related with Physical Fitness in Spanish Elderly Population? The Exernet Multicenter Study. J Nutr Health Aging 23, 401–407 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12603-019-1193-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12603-019-1193-y

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