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Biomedical subjects

R A Washburn

Publications and source records attributed to R A Washburn.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2000

Descriptive epidemiology of physical activity in African-American women.

OBJECTIVES: We assessed walking for exercise and moderate and strenuous physical activity in relation to both demographic and health-related characteristics among African-American women from various parts of the United States who participate in the Black Women's Health Study. METHODS: The data were collected in 1995 by mail questionnaire from 64,524 U.S. black women aged 21 to 69 years. The 64,101 women who provided data on physical activity are the subjects of the present report. RESULTS: The present study revealed low levels of physical activity among the African-American women: 57% reported an hour or less per week walking for exercise, 18% reported moderate activity, and 61% reported strenuous physical activity. Strenuous physical activity increased with education. Higher levels of walking for exercise and moderate and strenuous activity were associated with higher levels of participation in strenuous exercise in high school. CONCLUSION: Physical activity levels are low in African-American women. Based on the findings of the present study it may be suggested that educational efforts to increase levels of physical activity should start at an early age.

Adult↗
PubMed2000

Reliability and validity issues concerning large-scale surveillance of physical activity.

The BRFSS is our major source of population-based information on physical activity in the United States. The top priority for the immediate future should be to make sure that the information obtained from the BRFSS in its current form is both reliable and valid. As outlined in this report, this task could be completed in relatively short time frame and at reasonable cost in terms of both financial and human resources. The development of an additional module to assess light-to-moderate activity and strength is currently underway with support from the CDC. As suggested in this report, this task may prove to be extremely difficult, or it may be difficult to develop an instrument of this type given the constraints of a population based telephone survey. The current focus on the health benefits of moderate activity and the interest in tracking this type of activity behavior on a population basis as it relates to national physical activity objectives both argue in favor of developing a physical activity assessment instrument that provides a valid and reliable measurement of moderate activity. Given the complexity and uncertainty of this task it is important to develop a procedure that will allow for periodic evaluation of progress and the potential for success to minimize the risk of making a considerable financial investment in an instrument that may be of limited utility.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMed1999

The physical activity scale for the elderly (PASE): evidence for validity.

We assessed the validity of the Physical Activity Scale for the Elderly (PASE) in a sample of sedentary adults (56 men, 134 women, mean age +/- [SD] 66.5+/-5.3 years) who volunteered to participate in a randomized controlled trial on the effect of aerobic conditioning on psychological function. Construct validity was established by correlating PASE scores with physiologic and performance characteristics: peak oxygen uptake, resting heart rate and blood pressure, percent body fat, and balance. The mean PASE scores were higher in men than in women (men = 145.8+/-78.0; women = 123.9+/-66.3, P<0.05), and in those age 55-64 years compared with those age 65 years and over (55-64 = 144.2+/-75.8; 65 and over = 118.9+/-63.9, P<0.05). PASE scores were also significantly higher in those who did not report a chronic health condition (cardiovascular disease, hypertension, cancer, or recent surgery). PASE scores were significantly associated (P<0.05) with peak oxygen uptake (r = 0.20), systolic blood pressure (r = -0.18) and balance score (r = 0.20). No significant associations of PASE score and diastolic blood pressure, resting heart rate, or percent body fat were noted. These results provide additional evidence for the validity of the PASE as a measure of physical activity suitable for use in epidemiology studies on the association of physical activity, health, and physical function in older individuals.

Aged↗
PubMed1999

High density lipoprotein cholesterol in individuals with spinal cord injury: the potential role of physical activity.

STUDY DESIGN/METHODS: Literature review. Papers were selected from a literature search of both the Medline and Current Contents data bases and through extensive cross checking of references from the author's personal files. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the evidence for a reduced level of HDL-C in individuals with spinal cord injury and to discuss physiologic and behavioral factors that may be responsible for the observed reduction, with emphasis on the role of physical activity. RESULTS/CONCLUSIONS: The evidence presented suggests that HDL-C may be lower in persons with SCI; however, the available data should be interpreted cautiously due to lack of control for important confounding factors such as smoking, alcohol consumption and physical activity. Results suggest a potential association between increased physical activity and increased HDL-C in persons with SCI. However, the mode, frequency, intensity and duration of activity and the physiologic mechanism responsible for this association have yet to be clearly elucidated.

Cholesterol, HDL↗
PubMed1999

Physical Activity Scale for the Elderly (PASE): the relationship with activity measured by a portable accelerometer.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to examine the validity of the Physical Activity Scale for the Elderly (PASE) by comparing PASE scores with physical activity assessed by a portable accelerometer. METHODS EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: Correlational-mean activity level over a 3-day period was correlated with PASE scores. SETTING: Physical activity of participants was monitored over 3 days during normal daily activity. PARTICIPANTS: Twenty healthy adult volunteers, 67-80 years of age, participated in this study. MEASURES: Physical activity from 09:00 to 21:00 hours was assessed over 3 consecutive weekdays (Wednesday-Friday) using a Computer Science and Applications, Inc. (CSA) portable accelerometer. Following completion of the 3-day monitoring period physical activity was assessed with the PASE. RESULTS: PASE scores were significantly correlated with average 3-day CSA readings (r = 0.49, p < 0.05) in the total sample and in those over age 70 years (r = 0.64, p < 0.5). CONCLUSIONS: These results add to the literature supporting the validity of the PASE as a measure of physical activity in older individuals.

Aged↗
PubMed1993

The Physical Activity Scale for the Elderly (PASE): development and evaluation.

A Physical Activity Scale for the Elderly (PASE) was evaluated in a sample of community-dwelling, older adults. Respondents were randomly assigned to complete the PASE by mail or telephone before or after a home visit assessment. Item weights for the PASE were derived by regressing a physical activity principal component score on responses to the PASE. The component score was based on 3-day motion sensor counts, a 3-day physical activity dairy and a global activity self-assessment. Test-retest reliability, assessed over a 3-7 week interval, was 0.75 (95% CI = 0.69-0.80). Reliability for mail administration (r = 0.84) was higher than for telephone administration (r = 0.68). Construct validity was established by correlating PASE scores with health status and physiologic measures. As hypothesized, PASE scores were positively associated with grip strength (r = 0.37), static balance (r = +0.33), leg strength (r = 0.25) and negatively correlated with resting heart rate (r = -0.13), age (r = -0.34) and perceived health status (r = -0.34); and overall Sickness Impact Profile score (r = -0.42). The PASE is a brief, easily scored, reliable and valid instrument for the assessment of physical activity in epidemiologic studies of older people.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMed1992

Leisure time physical activity: are there black/white differences?

BACKGROUND: Behavioral risk factor surveillance survey data collected during 1984 and 1985 in South Carolina were analyzed. METHODS: This article is based on telephone interviews conducted with 2,005 individuals (431 black, 1574 white), mean age, 45.1 years, selected by random-digit dialing. Information on the type, frequency, and duration of leisure time physical activity was used to estimate leisure time energy expenditure (kcal/week) averaged over the previous month. The median level of leisure time energy expenditure differed significantly (all P less than 0.001) by gender (men = 741, women = 421), age (six categories; youngest, 18-29 years = 780; oldest, 70+ = 301), annual household income (four categories; lowest, less than or equal to $10,000 = 300; highest, greater than $35,000 = 870), body mass index (kg/m2, less than or equal to 24.1 = 601, greater than or equal to 30.1 = 180), and race (black = 301, white = 601). RESULTS: Leisure time energy expenditure generally decreased with increasing age and body mass index and increased with increasing levels of education and income among all race/gender groups. Logistic regression analyses revealed that after adjustment for gender (if applicable), age, income, and body mass index, the variable race made a statistically significant contribution to the model, in the total sample (P less than .03) and for women P less than .001), but not for men. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that blacks living in the South, particularly black women, have lower levels of leisure time physical activity compared with their white counterparts after control for several important confounders.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1991

Physical activity behaviors in lower and higher socioeconomic status populations.

Few data on physical activity habits among populations of low socioeconomic status have been published. The authors studied physical activity habits--leisure-time physical activity, job-related physical activity, household physical activity, and walking--among 172 lower socioeconomic status women and 84 lower socioeconomic status men and compared their habits with those of 208 higher socioeconomic status women and 95 higher socioeconomic status men. All subjects resided in the greater Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, area. Data collection occurred throughout 1986. Lower socioeconomic status women, the least active group, averaged 1,536 +/- 1,701 minutes/week (+/- standard deviation) of total physical activity, whereas higher socioeconomic status women, the most active group, averaged 2,079 +/- 1,807 minutes/week (p less than 0.0001). Higher socioeconomic status men averaged 1,952 +/- 1,799 minutes/week, and lower socioeconomic status men averaged 1,948 +/- 1,916 minutes/week. Higher socioeconomic status women spent significantly more time each week in leisure-time physical activity, job-related physical activity, and household physical activity than did lower socioeconomic status women. Lower socioeconomic status men spent significantly more time each week walking and doing household chores, whereas higher socioeconomic status men tended to be more active in leisure-time physical activity. These data suggest important quantitative and qualitative differences in physical activity among population subgroups. In view of the important role of physical activity in promoting physical and mental health, reasons for the differences among groups of varying socioeconomic status must be examined and elucidated.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

Reliability and physiologic correlates of the Harvard Alumni Activity Survey in a general population.

The reliability of the Harvard Alumni Activity Survey (HAAS) and its association with physiologic measures was assessed in a large sample of men and women aged 25-65 years residing in the Boston metropolitan area in 1987. Reliability was estimated by comparing HAAS energy expenditure reports (kcal/week) from two separate interviews conducted 7-12 weeks apart. The test-retest reliability coefficient was 0.58 for the entire sample, but was considerably higher (r = 0.69) for those whose activity patterns had not changed from one interview to the next. HAAS self-reports were compared to two physiologic measures known to be affected by physical activity: high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDLC) and body mass index (BMI). The natural logarithm of weekly HAAS expenditures was positively correlated with HDLC (r = 0.14, p less than 0.01) and negatively correlated with BMI (r = 0.13, p less than 0.01) for all respondents. These statistically significant associations persisted when adjusted for other covariates influencing physiologic status. The reliability coefficients and physiologic correlations for the HAAS in this sample are comparable to those reported for physical activity instruments requiring more intensive data collection and scoring procedures.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

The validity of self-reported exercise-induced sweating as a measure of physical activity.

The validity of self-reported hours in which one engages in activities strenuous enough to produce sweating was assessed as a measure of physical activity. Respondents were 732 randomly selected adults between the ages of 25 and 65 years from the Boston, Massachusetts, metropolitan area who participated in a field trial of health risk appraisal instruments in 1987. A total of 68% of the men and 57% of the women in the sample were involved in sweat-inducing activities at least once per week. The correlation between the natural logarithm of reported sweat hours per week and energy expenditure measured by the Harvard Alumni Activity Survey was 0.39. Following a logarithmic transformation and adjustment for age and sex, sweat hours was significantly correlated with high density lipoprotein cholesterol (r = 0.11, p less than 0.05). However, these associations were not as strong as those found for the age- and sex-adjusted log of the Harvard Alumni Activity Survey score (r = 0.19 and r = -0.15 for high density lipoprotein cholesterol and body mass index (weight (kg)/height(m)2), respectively) and are considerably weaker than those reported in other studies using sweat episodes (days per week on which sweating occurred) as an indicator of physical activity. These results suggest that the utility of self-reported sweat hours may be limited to distinguishing active from inactive subjects in epidemiologic surveys.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

Physical activity, stress, and type A behavior in blacks.

We assessed the relationship between potential risk factors for coronary heart disease, including type A behavior, leisure time physical activity, and stress in a young black adult population. The study population consisted of 192 black college freshmen at the University of Pittsburgh. The mean age of male subjects was 18.4; the mean age of female subjects was 18.5 years. No significant sex differences were noted for body mass index, type A behavior, stress, or physical activity levels. For both men and women, type A (Framingham) was positively correlated with stress. Only among women was there a positive association between type A (Bortner) and physical activity.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1989

Environmental temperature and mortality from acute myocardial infarction.

Mortality from acute myocardial infarction (MI) over the 5 year period 1982-1987 in Brown County, Wisconsin, was analyzed to assess the relationship with environmental temperature. Deaths occurring on the day of and the day following a significant snowfall as well as deaths occurring in health care facilities were eliminated from consideration because the focus was upon temperature, not snowfall or events within a hospital. These criteria resulted in the inclusion of 1,802 days and 926 cases of acute MI. The mean temperature on the day of death was obtained from climatological data and were grouped into six categories covering a range of temperatures from less than -17.8 degrees C (0 degrees F) to 16.1 degrees C (61 degrees F). The number of deaths in each category was tabulated. The effect of temperature, sex, and age were analyzed by regression analysis. The results indicated a linear increase in mortality as mean daily temperature decreased over the temperature range. The inverse temperature effect was most pronounced in males over the age of 60. These results indicate that cold temperatures appear to be associated with an increased mortality from myocardial infarction.

Aged↗
PubMed1989

The objective assessment of physical activity in an occupationally active group.

Thirty-five male United States postal carriers, mean age (+/-SD) 46.1 +/- 11.4 years, mean distance walked on the job 5.3 +/- 3.3 miles day-1, participated in this study to determine the efficacy of two movement sensors for the assessment of daily physical activity. Subjects wore both a Large Scale Integrated Activity Monitor (LSI) and a Caltrac portable accelerometer on a belt for 3 days (2 work days, 1 non-work day) for 2 separate trials separated by a 3 month interval. Both monitors indicated similar mean levels of physical activity over the 2 work days with a significant decrease on the non-work day. Test-retest reliability within one trial over the 2 work days (LSI, r = 0.64; Caltrac, r = 0.58) and and between 2 trials (LSI, r = 0.58, Caltrac, r = 0.57), were similar for both monitors. The mean values for the LSI and Caltrac over the 2 trials were highly related (r = 0.75). Analysis of variance indicated a high percentage of the total variance in physical activity was accounted for by interindividual differences for both monitors (LSI = 77.4%, Caltrac = 77.7%). These results suggest that both the LSI and the Caltrac provide a reliable index of physical activity and can detect inter-individual differences in activity level in occupationally active individuals.

Adult↗
PubMed1987

Behavioral factors and blood pressure in black college students.

The relationship of behavioral factors and resting blood pressure was assessed in a random sample of 192 young middle class black adults. Framingham Type A behavior was positively associated with diastolic blood pressure (r = 0.17, p less than 0.05) among the women. Also, anger-in and trait anxiety were positively correlated with diastolic blood pressure for the women, r = 0.20, p less than 0.05 and r = +0.28 and p less than 0.01, respectively. After control for body mass index, trait anxiety and anger-in remained independent predictors of diastolic blood pressure among the women. For men, marijuana use was positively associated with blood pressure. Marijuana use was an independent predictor for systolic blood pressure after adjusting for body mass index among the males. The present study demonstrated a sex difference related to behavioral factors and blood pressure in young middle class blacks.

Adult↗