Which Women are Highly Active Over a 12-Year Period? A Prospective Analysis of Data from the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women’s Health

摘要

Abstract Introduction Current Australian physical activity (PA) guidelines encourage adults to accumulate 150–300?min of moderate to vigorous PA each week. Some critics assert that 300?min is unachievable. Objectives The aims of this study were to identify the proportion of younger and mid-aged women who met the 300-min recommendation over a 12-year period, examine how the “highly active” women achieved this level of activity (in terms of walking, moderate activity, and vigorous activity), and to identify the sociodemographic, biological, lifestyle, and work-related determinants of being “highly active”. Methods Younger ( n ?=?7843) and mid-aged ( n ?=?8043) participants in the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women’s Health completed triennial surveys between 2000 and 2013, when their ages were 24.6–36.3 and 52.5–64.5?years, respectively. Self-reported PA was assessed as time spent in walking, moderate activity, and vigorous activity in the previous week; an index of MET.min/week was derived and dichotomized as Results In the younger cohort, the proportion who were highly active decreased from 40% in 2000 to 31% in 2012. High levels of activity were achieved through a combination of walking (39.1–45.1% of total activity) and vigorous PA (41.8–47.7%). In the mid-age cohort, the proportion of women who were highly active increased from 32% in 2001 to 47% in 2013; this was achieved predominantly through walking (55.8–59.7%). In multi-variable models, the highest odds for being in the high PA category (odds ratios [ORs]?≥?1.20; p ? p ? Discussion Our findings clearly indicate that the upper limit of the Australian PA guidelines is achievable for large numbers of women. Factors associated with being highly active were different for younger and mid-age women, but healthy weight, high education, and paid work (full-time in the younger women, part-time in mid-age) were common characteristics of highly active women in both cohorts.