Associations Between Self‐Reported Physical Activity and Physical Performance Measures Over Time in Postmenopausal Women: The Women's Health Initiative

Objectives To examine prospective associations between changes in physical activity (PA) and changes in physical performance measures (PPMs) over 6 years in older women. Design Prospective cohort study. Setting Forty clinical centers in the United States. Participants Women aged 65 and older (mean age 69.8) enrolled in the Women's Health Initiative Clinical Trials with gait speed, timed chair stand, grip strength, and self‐reported recreational PA data assessed at baseline (1993–98) and follow‐up Years 1, 3, and 6 (N = 5,092). Measurements Mixed‐effects linear regression models were used to determine the association between time‐varying PA and change in each PPM. Potential interactions between time‐varying PA and age (