Observational studyBritish journal of sports medicine2014
Taking up physical activity in later life and healthy ageing: the English longitudinal study of ageing.
Observational study in British journal of sports medicine, 2014. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 141 papers, 12 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
141 citing papers in PubMed, 12 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Functional social support and physical activity in community-dwelling older adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis.BMC public health · 2026Pooled it
- Wearable Activity Tracker-Based Interventions for Physical Activity, Body Composition, and Physical Function Among Community-Dwelling Older Adults: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.Journal of medical Internet research · 2025Pooled it
- Integrating natural non-pharmaceutical therapies into medical tourism: a dynamic health portrait-driven model for proactive older adult health and public health services.Frontiers in public health · 2025Pooled it
- Middle-aged and older adults' acceptance of mobile nutrition and fitness apps: A systematic mixed studies review.PloS one · 2022Pooled it
- Ageing rate of older adults affects the factors associated with, and the determinants of malnutrition in the community: a systematic review and narrative synthesis.BMC geriatrics · 2021Pooled it
- Pooled it
- The impact of behavioral interventions on cognitive function in healthy older adults: A systematic review.Ageing research reviews · 2019Pooled it
- A life fulfilled: positively influencing physical activity in older adults - a systematic review and meta-ethnography.BMC public health · 2019Pooled it
- Associations of smoking and alcohol consumption with healthy ageing: a systematic review and meta-analysis of longitudinal studies.BMJ open · 2018Pooled it
- Effects of Exergaming in People with Dementia: Results of a Systematic Literature Review.Journal of Alzheimer's disease : JAD · 2018Pooled it
- Impact of universal interventions on social inequalities in physical activity among older adults: an equity-focused systematic review.The international journal of behavioral nutrition and physical activity · 2017Pooled it
- Pooled it
- Trial
- What do older women want from a physical activity program? Stakeholder consultation to optimise design and recruitment for the Active Women over 50 trial.BMC public health · 2024Trial
- Effect of 5 years of exercise training on the cardiovascular risk profile of older adults: the Generation 100 randomized trial.European heart journal · 2022Trial
- Cost-effectiveness of a programme to address sedentary behaviour in older adults: results from the SITLESS RCT.European journal of public health · 2022Trial
- Impact of Activity Tracker Usage in Combination with a Physical Activity Intervention on Physical and Cognitive Parameters in Healthy Adults Aged 60+: A Randomized Controlled Trial.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2022Trial
- A Randomized Controlled Trial of Adherence to a 24-Month Home-Based Physical Activity Program and the Health Benefits for Older Adults at Risk of Alzheimer's Disease: The AIBL Active-Study.Journal of Alzheimer's disease : JAD · 2019Trial
- Exercise patterns in older adults instructed to follow moderate- or high-intensity exercise protocol - the generation 100 study.BMC geriatrics · 2018Trial
- Evaluation of a Computer-Tailored Healthy Ageing Intervention to Promote Physical Activity among Single Older Adults with a Chronic Disease.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2018Trial
81 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
3 authors.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundPhysical activity is associated with improved overall health in those people who survive to older ages, otherwise conceptualised as healthy ageing. Previous studies have examined the effects of mid-life physical activity on healthy ageing, but not the effects of taking up activity later in life. We examined the association between physical activity and healthy ageing over 8 years of follow-up.
methodsParticipants were 3454 initially disease-free men and women (aged 63.7 ± 8.9 years at baseline) from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing, a prospective study of community dwelling older adults. Self-reported physical activity was assessed at baseline (2002-2003) and through follow-up. Healthy ageing, assessed at 8 years of follow-up (2010-2011), was defined as those participants who survived without developing major chronic disease, depressive symptoms, physical or cognitive impairment.
resultsAt follow-up, 19.3% of the sample was defined as healthy ageing. In comparison with inactive participants, moderate (OR, 2.67, 95% CI 1.95 to 3.64), or vigorous activity (3.53, 2.54 to 4.89) at least once a week was associated with healthy ageing, after adjustment for age, sex, smoking, alcohol, marital status and wealth. Becoming active (multivariate adjusted, 3.37, 1.67 to 6.78) or remaining active (7.68, 4.18 to 14.09) was associated with healthy ageing in comparison with remaining inactive over follow-up.
conclusionsSustained physical activity in older age is associated with improved overall health. Significant health benefits were even seen among participants who became physically active relatively late in life.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.