Activity, Gait, and Efficacy (AGE) in Older Women

描述（由申请人提供）：虽然有研究调查了非裔美国人的身体活动率和非裔美国人的总体残疾率，但很少有研究调查了老年黑人的身体活动、身体功能和健康状况之间的关系。鉴于与白人相比，非裔美国人的体育活动率要低得多，因此，更详细地研究体育活动对这一人群健康状况的影响程度，并确定那些调节这种关系的参数，是很重要的。老年妇女，特别是非洲裔美国老年妇女的体育活动水平极低，这使她们的发病率和死亡率都很高。本研究采用社会认知框架来研究150名白人和150名黑人老年妇女（60-80岁）的身体活动模式、期望、平衡、步态和健康状况之间的纵向关系。基于初步研究，我们提出身体活动水平影响期望（功效和结果），通过对平衡和步态的影响影响整体健康状况。此外，我们认为跌倒恐惧受到效能预期的影响，并对平衡有直接影响。潜在增长曲线策略将被用来检验两年期间模型结构的发展变化。此外，在研究期间，这些变量变化之间的关系将使我们能够得出结论，这些参数在老年黑人和白人妇女的身体活动与健康状况之间的关系中所起的作用。只有当我们能够可靠地确定这种关系模式时，我们才能有效地制定和促进公共卫生议程和计划，以最大限度地提高所有老年人的健康、功能和福祉。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Although studies have investigated rates of physical activity in African Americans and the overall rates of disability in African Americans, few studies have examined the relationship between physical activity, physical function, and health status in older black adults. Given much lower rates of physical activity in African Americans as compared to whites, it is important to examine in greater detail the extent to which physical activity differentially influences health status in this population and to identify those parameters that mediate this relationship. Levels of physical activity in older women, and particularly older African American women, are extremely poor putting them at elevated risk of morbidity and mortality. This proposal employs a social cognitive framework to examine the longitudinal relationships among physical activity patterns, expectations, balance, gait, and health status in 150 white and 150 black older (age 60-80 years) women. Based upon preliminary studies, we propose that levels of physical activity influence expectations (efficacy and outcome) which influence overall health status through their effects on balance and gait. Additionally, we propose that fear of falling is influenced by efficacy expectations and also has a direct effect on balance. Latent growth curve strategies will be employed to examine developmental change in the model constructs over a two year period. Additionally, the relationships among changes in these variables over the study period will allow conclusions to be drawn relative to the roles played by parameters mediating the relationship between physical activity and health status in older black and white women. Only when we can reliably identify such patterns of relationships will we be effectively able to prescribe and promote public health agendas and programs to maximize health, function, and well-being in all older adults.