Long-term effects of the 50+ in motion intervention on physical function and healthcare utilization in older adults with and without osteoarthritis.
4 affiliations
- 1Department of Kinesiology, California State University, Fullerton, USA.
- 2School of Kinesiology, Western University, Canada.
- 3College of Kinesiology, University of Saskatchewan, Canada.
- 4School of Rehabilitation Science, University of Saskatchewan, Canada.
Abstract
Objective
To examine longitudinal changes in physical function and health services utilization (HSU) in older adults with and without osteoarthritis (OA) during and after an exercise intervention.Method
Longitudinal analyses of secondary data from the 50+ in motion intervention (Reeder et al., 2008; Fisher et al., 2018) were performed. Physical activity (PA), functional fitness, physical function, health status, and HSU were compared at baseline, 12 months, and 24 months in participants with and without osteoarthritis. Separate longitudinal generalized estimating equation models were fit for each outcome variable. Missing data was accounted for using pattern mixture modeling. Within-group changes were examined using pairwise contrast analyses with the least significant difference correction for multiple comparisons.Results
Data from 128 participants (61.2 ± 7.3 years; 73.4% were female; 36.7% with OA) were analyzed. Over the study period, the OA group had more GP and specialist visits than the non-OA group while both groups showed similar improvements in cardiovascular endurance, lower body strength and flexibility. No changes were observed in other outcomes.Conclusion
Despite lower baseline scores, participants with OA showed similar improvements in physical function to those without OA. Exercise may trigger pain flares, potentially contributing to higher HSU. Future research should investigate whether PA programs can reduce the need for long-term HSU and higher-cost treatments.
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BibTeX
@article{fisher2026longterm,
title = {{Long-term effects of the 50+ in motion intervention on physical function and healthcare utilization in older adults with and without osteoarthritis.}},
author = {Koren L Fisher and Derek N Pamukoff and Karen E Chad and Elizabeth L Harrison},
journal = {Osteoarthritis and cartilage open},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1016/j.ocarto.2026.100888},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42927091},
note = {CC BY-NC-ND},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Long-term effects of the 50+ in motion intervention on physical function and healthcare utilization in older adults with and without osteoarthritis.
AU - Koren L Fisher
AU - Derek N Pamukoff
AU - Karen E Chad
AU - Elizabeth L Harrison
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/08
JO - Osteoarthritis and cartilage open
DO - 10.1016/j.ocarto.2026.100888
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42927091
AB - Objective To examine longitudinal changes in physical function and health services utilization (HSU) in older adults with and without osteoarthritis (OA) during and after an exercise intervention.Method Longitudinal analyses of secondary data from the 50+ in motion intervention (Reeder et al., 2008; Fisher et al., 2018) were performed. Physical activity (PA), functional fitness, physical function, health status, and HSU were compared at baseline, 12 months, and 24 months in participants with and without osteoarthritis. Separate longitudinal generalized estimating equation models were fit for each outcome variable. Missing data was accounted for using pattern mixture modeling. Within-group changes were examined using pairwise contrast analyses with the least significant difference correction for multiple comparisons.Results Data from 128 participants (61.2 ± 7.3 years; 73.4% were female; 36.7% with OA) were analyzed. Over the study period, the OA group had more GP and specialist visits than the non-OA group while both groups showed similar improvements in cardiovascular endurance, lower body strength and flexibility. No changes were observed in other outcomes.Conclusion Despite lower baseline scores, participants with OA showed similar improvements in physical function to those without OA. Exercise may trigger pain flares, potentially contributing to higher HSU. Future research should investigate whether PA programs can reduce the need for long-term HSU and higher-cost treatments.
SN - 2665-9131
ER -