Oral Presentation Australian and New Zealand Society for Geriatric Medicine Annual Scientific Meeting 2025

Healthy ageing: Relationship between falls, physical function and physical activity from mid-life (120104)

Venisa Wing S Kwok 1 , Saman Khalatbari-Soltani 1 , Xenia DoljaGore 2 , Julie Byles 2 , Juliana S Oliveira 1 , Cathie Sherrington 1
  1. University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW, Australia
  2. University of Newcastle , Newcastle , NSW

Aims: To examine patterns and bi-directional relationships between physical activity(PA) and physical function, and PA and falls.

 

Methods: Data of the 1946-51 born women (n=13,714) from the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health. Women self-reported PA, physical function (Short-Form 36 physical functioning subscale) and falls every 3-year period from 1996 (mean age:48 years) to 2019. Lagged generalised estimating equations using 3-year intervals examined bi-directional prospective associations between PA and falls, and PA and physical function.

 

Results: Nearly two-thirds of women had at least a fall and half (50%) reported physical function limitation in at least one survey. Women who reported injurious falls had lower odds of undertaking subsequent PA (OR1-150min:0.87, 95%CI 0.80-0.96; OR150-<300min: 0.87 95%CI 0.79-0.96). Women who reported physical function limitation had higher odds of undertaking PA less than the recommended level (OR0min:3.32, 95%CI 3.1-3.5; OR1-150min:1.42, 95%CI 1.33-1.51), but lower odds of undertaking PA ≥300 minutes/week.

 

Participation in the recommended level of PA (OR150-<300min:0.87, 95%CI 0.79-0.96) or above (OR≥300min:0.85, 95%CI 0.78-0.93) was associated with a reduced risk of subsequent injurious falls, compared to women with no PA. Women who reported no PA (OR3.3, 95% CI 3.08-3.53) or <150 minutes/week (OR:1.44, 95%CI 1.36-1.54) had higher odds of developing physical function limitation in the next three years, compared with women who reached the recommended level of PA.

 

Conclusions: The bidirectional prospective associations found between PA and falls, and PA and physical function highlight the importance of programs to ameliorate the cycle of physical inactivity and physical function limitation and falls.