Trajectories of physical activity components among community-dwelling older adults.

We investigated how physical activity behaviours in elderly people change over time, with the help of a new classification of activity. This new classification gives a score on duration, intensity, strength, mechanical strain, and turning actions. While physical activity in general will decline with age, we investigated whether this also holds true for these four domains of the new classification.

Multiple trajectories were identified, like stable high, medium, and low, as well as increasing, decreasing trajectories. Two trajectories were defined by mortality status. Shapes of the identified trajectories did differ across components and between men and women.