TOTAL AND SPORTS ACTIVITY IN OLDER MEN AND WOMEN - RELATION WITH BODY-FAT DISTRIBUTION

Physical activity is reported to be inversely associated with abdomina l fat in young and middle-aged populations, which may in part explain its beneficial effect on health. However, it is unclear whether this i nverse association exists in older people. The authors investigated th e relation of total and sports activity with fat distribution in a pop ulation-based sample of 1,163 men and 1,154 women aged 55-85 years, re presentative of the Dutch elderly population in 1992-1993. Waist and h ip circumference and their ratio (WHR) were used as indicators of fat distribution, Physical activity of the previous 2 weeks was obtained b y questionnaire, Among men, total physical activity time was negativel y associated with waist (98.3 +/- 0.4 cm in the most active quartile v s. 100.5 +/- 0.4 cm in the least active quartile, p = 0.0001 (mean +/- standard error)) and WHR (0.98 +/- 0.00 vs, 0.99 +/- 0.00, p = 0.005) after adjustment for age, education level, body mass Index, smoking, and season of the year, This association was not observed among women. Men and women who participated in sports activity had a smaller waist and WHR than those who did not. After adjustment, the time spent on s ports activity was negatively associated with waist (p = 0.004 for men and p = 0.07 for women) and WHR (p = 0.03 for men and p = 0.09 for wo men) in both sexes, No relation between total physical activity time a nd body fat distribution was observed among respondents who were not p articipating in any sports activity (p greater than or equal to 0.17), suggesting that performance of activities of low/moderate intensity h as no effect on body fat distribution. No associations with hip circum ference were observed, The results did not change after additional adj ustment for chronic illness. The results of this large-scale study sho w that physical activity, and specifically intensive activity, is nega tively associated with abdominal fat in older people.