EXERCISE PROFILE AND SUBSEQUENT MORTALITY IN AN ELDERLY AUSTRALIAN POPULATION

Although the importance of exercise as a public health issue is increa singly recognised, little attention has been paid to exercise in very old people. We examined exercise patterns in 1788 subjects aged 70 yea rs and over who were participating in the Australian Longitudinal Stud y of Ageing. In the two weeks before interview, 39 per cent of subject s had taken no exercise and only four per cent had exercised vigorousl y. When compared with those who took no exercise, exercisers were more likely to be male and younger, to self-report better health, to be fo rmer smokers and regular alcohol users. Mortality rates at two years f ollow-up were inversely related to the level of exercise at baseline. This research indicates that exercise is important for the very old as well as younger groups.