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- Title
The Effect of Walking on Lower Body Disability among Older Blacks and Whites.
- Authors
Clark, Daniel O.
- Abstract
Objectives. This study investigated the association between regular physical activity and risk of or increase in lower body disability in older, community-dwelling Blacks and Whites. Methods. The present study used the 1984 to 1990 Longitudinal Study on Aging, which included 413 Black and 3428 White self-respondents 70 years of age or older. Discrete-time hazard models provided estimates of the effects of self-reported walking frequency and regular exercise on lower body disability among Black and White self-respondents. Results. Whites who reported walking 4 to 7 days per week at baseline vs those who reported never walking 1 mile (1.6 km) or more experienced a one-third lower risk of increased disability. Blacks who reported walking 4 to 7 days per week experienced a two-thirds lower risk. Walking 4 to 7 days per week reduced the risk of disability onset by 50% to 80% on all five disability items within the Black sample and by 50% on two items within the White sample. Conclusions. Among older Blacks, walking 4 to 7 days per week had a greater protective effect against lower body decline than any of the other factors, including age and chronic conditions.
- Subjects
LEG; DISABILITIES; AFRICAN Americans; WHITE people; OLDER people
- Publication
American Journal of Public Health, 1996, Vol 86, Issue 1, p57
- ISSN
0090-0036
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.2105/AJPH.86.1.57