Atividade física, comportamento sedentário e fatores associados a aobrevida de idosos

Abstract

In addition to changes in the age structure that have occurred in recent decades, there is also evidence of an increase in the prevalence of unhealthy habits, including physical inactivity and high exposure to sedentary behavior, behaviors that potentiate the deleterious effects of aging and that are associated with the development of disease and premature death. This study aimed to analyze the relationship between physical activity combined with the time of exposure to sedentary behavior and the mortality of elderly people.This is a prospective cohort study, with a sample of 622 individuals aged ≥ 60 years, linked to the Family Health Strategy, in the urban area of Uberaba-MG. The initial data collection was carried out from April to November 2010, when sociodemographic and health information were verified, as well as levels of physical activity and sedentary behavior. Subsequently, death records were verified by year, until December 2019. Data normality was verified using the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test for all analyzed variables. Descriptive statistics procedures were used to identify the sample with frequency distribution, measures of central tendency and dispersion calculations. Chi-square and Mann-Whitney tests were used to compare the association of qualitative and quantitative variables with the mortality outcome. Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate the effects of physical activity and sedentary behavior on mortality risks, and the Kaplan Meier curve for graphic analysis of survival. It was observed that insufficient physical activity was associated with a higher risk of mortality, as well as high exposure to sedentary behavior. Insufficient physical activity combined with high exposure to sedentary behavior had the highest mortality risk of all combinations. The results demonstrated that the high exposure to the behavior potentiates the risks of insufficient Physical Activity for premature death. Actions aimed at increasing PA and reducing the time of exposure to CS are important strategies for increasing survival in this population.