This document discusses measuring physical activity across the adult lifespan. It notes that physical activity levels change with age and the population is aging. There is a need for accurate measures of physical activity throughout the lifespan, such as using accelerometers and cloud technology to analyze large datasets. Current accelerometer algorithms still need development for use in older adults to allow for comparable physical activity data across all age groups. Future directions could include using real-time accelerometer data to guide clinical care for patients.

1. Measuring physical activity across the
adult lifecourse
Work funded by:

2. Overview
• PA changes
with age
• More older
people
Need accurate
measures of PA
across the life course
• Accelerometer
• Cloud technology
Large data sets with
scalable space and
custom analytics

3. The ageing population
Christenson K.et al.Lancet 2009 3; 374(9696): 1196–1208
Until 1920s:
Improvements in infant and
childhood survival combating
of infectious diseases at young
ages
Since 1950s:
Improvements in clinical care

4. The demographic shift
Number of people 2005
(red projected line)
Number of people 2025
(blue, projected line)
Vaupel L. Nature Insight. 2010 Data from Human Mortality Databases
The population of Germany by age in a
single year.

5. Physical activity and ageing
“Ageing is inevitable and cannot be stopped,
however many aspects of ageing are
malleable to what we do to ourselves how
our behaviours are accumulated”
Ageing seen at the cell and tissue level
Metabolic and hormonal changes
Immunological changes
Loss of neurological tissue, bone, skeletal
muscle mass.
Circadian dysregulation
Kirkwood T. Great British Science Festival.
Newcastle University Newcastle upon Tyne. 2013

6. How ageing makes us move differently
A contour plot of intra-stride change in inter-joint coordination [i.e., median Rt(s)] for a young
person (A) and a healthy older person (B). Red contours represent strong inter-joint
coordination coupling [i.e., large median Rt(s)] more pronounced in the pre-swing of the
younger person compared with the older person. SL, same leg; OL, opposite l
Espen A. F. Ilene. Journal of Applied Physiology Vol. 117 no. 2, 189-198 2014

7.  Metabolic control
Proprioception
 Insulin sensitivity
 Physical function
Chronic diseaseA loss of ADL’s and IADL
Cognitive decline
 Energy expenditure
 Basal metabolic rate
Inflammatory factors
Sarcopenia
 Immunity
 Bone mineral density

8. Jerry N Morris 1956
Life course research from epidemiology
Epidemiological
1948 Framingham Heart study
1950’s Seminal work of JN Morris et al
1960’s Whitehall I Study (>n=18,000 civil servants) conducted over 10
years
1970’s NHANES (National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey)
1980’s Whitehall II Study, (n=10,308 civil servants aged 35 to 55)
1992 EPIC-Norfolk study (n=30,000)
Since 2000
-AUSDiab
-Hertfordshire cohort study
-English Longitudinal Study for Ageing
-UKBiobank (n=500,000)
>100’s publications documenting the hazards of an inactive lifestyle and
benefits of an active lifestyle.

9. King AC, Haskell WL, Taylor CB, Kraemer HC, DeBusk RF. Group vs.
home-based exercise training in healthy older men and women: a
community-based clinical trial. JAMA 1991;266:1535–42.
Minimum 15 mins physical activity per day?

10. The International
Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ)
Cost effective
Easy to implement
Standardised
Can compare data globally
Limitations:
Tested in adults 18 to 69 years old but is often used with
younger adolescents or older adults.
Recall bias
Social desirability
Correlations between self-report and direct measures were
generally low-to-moderate and ranged from -0.71 to 0.96.
Prince et al. International Journal of Behavioural Nutrition and Physical Activity
2008, 5:56
Bauman A et al. Journal of Physical Activity and Health, 2009, 6(Suppl 1), S5–
S8

11. History of accelerometery
Cavagna et al 1979
published the first activiy
monitor
Montoye 1983 estimated
energy expenditure of six
daily activities using a
mechanical switch system
to give ‘count’.
Subsequently commercial
monitors use ‘counts’
External work in walking. J. Appl. Physiol. I 8 (I )F

12. Inconsistent use of accelerometer methods in
older adults results in incomparable data
• MVPA ranged from 4-80mins/day
• Sedentary time 62-85% of the day

13. The move toward raw accelerometry
Used in :
UKBiobank (n=250,000)
Whitehall II (n=3,975)
Newcastle 85+ (n=357)
Pelotas Birth Cohort (n=8,974)
Most commonly used to estimate time
spent in activity intensity zones:
• Light
• Moderate
• Moderate to vigorous PA (MVPA)
Mike Catt Professor of
Translational Research

14. Current advances in algorithm development
Published analyses in children, young and middle aged adults but still
required for older adults
– Esliger et al – validated at both wrists, 49.9yrs
– Phillips et al – validated wrist/waist in 44 children age 8-14yrs
– Hildebrand- validated wrist/waist 9 yrs and 24yrs
– Shaeffer et al- validated wrist/hip 22 children aged 9-11yrs
– Innerd et al - validated wrist/waist/chest/ankle in young and older adults
– 15 adults aged 29 yrs 15 adults aged 66yrs.
• cut-points for older adults
• Wrist and waist less comparable at higher intensity activity
Innerd et al (unpublished data) 2016
Esliger at al 2012 Med Sci inSport & EX
Scheaffer at al 2012 Med Sci inSport & EX
Phillips et al 2012 J Sp Ex Sci
Hildebrand at al 2014 Med Sci inSport & EX

15. Overview
• Pa changes
with age
• More older
people
Need suitable
methods for use
across the life course
• Accelerometer
• Cloud technology
Large data sets with
scalable space and
custom analytics

16. Future directions:
Real time data to guide clinical care pathways
Patient
Clinician
Researcher

17. Measuring physical activity across the
adult lifecourse
Work funded by: