Contribution of house and garden work to the association between physical activity and well-being in young, mid-aged and older women. Issue 12 (30th August 2012)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Peeters, Geeske; van Gellecum, Yolanda R; van Uffelen, Jannique G Z; Burton, Nicola W; Brown, Wendy J
• Is Part Of: British journal of sports medicine. Volume 48:Issue 12(2014)
• Page Start: 996
• Page End: 1001
• Publication Date: 2012-08-30
• Subjects: Physical activity measurement -- Epidemiology; Sports medicine -- Periodicals; 617.1027
• DOI: 10.1136/bjsports-2012-091103
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0306-3674

Abstract

Abstract : Objective: Although physical activity occurs in leisure, transport, occupational and domestic domains of life, the contribution of house and garden work (HGW) to the association between total physical activity and well-being is not clear. The aim was to describe the contribution of HGW to total physical activity (TPA) in association with well-being in younger, mid-aged and older women. Design: Younger (25–30 years), mid-aged (50–55 years) and older (76–81 years) participants in the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health completed a mailed survey with questions about leisure, transport and house and garden activities. Well-being was assessed using the physical and mental components scores of the SF-36. Cross-sectional associations between the physical activity variables and well-being were modelled using General Additive Modelling. Results: Correlations between HGW and leisure/transport activity (LTA) were low (r<0.3, p<0.001). Positive curvilinear associations were found between LTA and physical and mental well-being in all three cohorts, and between HGW and physical and mental well-being in mid-aged and older women. In the younger women, an inverse relationship was found between HGW and well-being. When HGW and LTA were summed (TPA), the associations between TPA and well-being were attenuated compared with those for LTA alone and well-being. Conclusions: In mid-aged and older women, relationships between HGW and well-being were similar to, but weaker than seen for LTA and well-being. In young women, well-being declined with increasing HGW. Summing HGW to LTA led to attenuated relationships, suggesting that domains of physical activity should not be summed when studying relationships with well-being.