The relationship of older adults' activities and body mass index

Objectives: To investigate the relationship between Body Mass Index (BMI) and older adults' hours of participation in 31 activities. Methods: Descriptive statistics are presented for the relationships between BMI and sociodemographics, health behaviors, and health characteristics. Linear regression was used to model the number of hours of participation in each activity. Results: The hypothesis that being overweight or obese is associated with older adults' activities was supported. For example, compared to those of normal weight, obese older adults spend fewer hours walking, exercising, praying and meditating, house cleaning, and engaging in personal grooming. And, compared to normal weight older adults, obese older adults spend a greater number of hours watching television. Discussion: These results substantiate prior findings of a negative relationship between physical activity and excess weight, and the lack of a relationship between social activity and BMI.