Predictors of Upper-Extremity Physical Function in Older Adults

Background: Little is known about the influence of habitual participation in physical exercise and diet on upperextremity physical function in older adults. To assess the relationship of general physical exercise and diet to upperextremity physical function and pain intensity in older adults.   Methods: A cohort of 111 patients 50 or older completed a sociodemographic survey, the Rapid Assessment of Physical Activity (RAPA), an 11point ordinal pain intensity scale, a Mediterranean diet questionnaire, and three Patient Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) based questionnaires: Pain Interference to measure inability to engage in activities due to pain, UpperExtremity Physical Function, and Depression. Multivariable linear regression modeling was used to characterize the association of physical activity, diet, depression, and pain interference to pain intensity and upperextremity function. Results: Higher general physical activity was associated with higher PROMIS UpperExtremity Physical Function and lower pain intensity in bivariate analyses. Adherence to the Mediterranean diet did not correlate with PROMIS UpperExtremity Physical Function or pain intensity in bivariate analysis. In multivariable analyses factors associated with higher PROMIS UpperExtremity Physical Function were male sex, nontraumatic diagnosis and PROMIS Pain Interference, with the latter accounting for most of the observed variability (37%). Factors associated with greater pain intensity in multivariable analyses included fewer years of education and higher PROMIS Pain Interference. Conclusions: General physical activity and diet do not seem to be as strongly or directly associated with upperextremity physical function as pain interference.