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Importance: Women often experience physiological and functional changes in their health during midlife. Identifying women who have clinically important improvements in physical health and function and evaluating the factors associated with these improvements can identify intervention targets at midlife., Objective: To identify factors associated with improvements in physical health and function among women during midlife., Design, Setting, and Participants: Participants were part of the Study of Women's Health Across the Nation (SWAN), a diverse cohort of US women early in midlife, and followed up annually for up to 21 years between 1996 and 2017. Analyses were based on visit 8 (2004-2006) through visit 15 (2015-2017). Statistical analysis was conducted from October 2021 to March 2023., Exposures: Sociodemographic indicators, health status measures, and comorbidities measured at visit 8., Main Outcomes and Measures: The main outcome was a clinically important (≥5 points) improvement in the physical component score (PCS) of the 36-item Short-Form Health Survey between visit 8 and visit 15., Results: Of the 1807 women (at visit 8: mean [SD] age, 54.5 [2.7] years; 898 [50%] White participants) in SWAN who qualified for analysis, 265 (15%) experienced a clinically important improvement in PCS over a median of 11.1 years (IQR, 10.9-11.4 years). Factors associated with improvement in PCS included no financial strain (odds ratio [OR], 1.73; 95% CI, 1.18-2.52), no sleep disturbances (OR, 1.43; 95% CI, 1.05-1.96), no osteoarthritis (OR, 1.42; 95% CI, 1.01-1.99), and having a higher physical activity score (OR, 1.17; 95% CI, 1.00-1.37) as assessed at visit 8. Women who had a higher PCS at visit 8 (OR, 0.84; 95% CI, 0.83-0.86), who had a higher body mass index (OR, 0.95; 95% CI, 0.93-0.97), or who were taking more medications (OR, 0.93; 95% CI, 0.88-0.98) had lower odds of an improved PCS., Conclusions and Relevance: This cohort study of women in midlife suggests that approximately 15% of women experienced clinically important improvements in health and function over an 11-year period. Several potentially modifiable factors associated with improvements may inform women of variables to target for future interventions.

To determine the cross-sectional associations of accelerometer-measured time spent in physical activity intensity categories (sedentary, low and high light intensity, or moderate to vigorous intensity physical activity (MVPA) with physical performance outcomes [stair climb ascent, 40 foot walk test, and short physical performance battery (SPPB)] in older women and examine differences by race/ethnicity. Data were from 1,256 Study of Women's Health Across the Nation (SWAN) participants [aged 64.9 (2.7) years at Visit 15 (2015-16); 54.1% non-White]. Three sets of adjusted multivariable linear or logistic regression models were built to test the study objectives using the backward elimination approach to identify relevant covariates. In the full analytic sample, a 10 min increment in MVPA was related to faster performance on the stair climb [β = -0.023 (95% CI: -0.04, -0.005) seconds] and 40 foot walk test [β = -0.066 (95% CI: -0.133, -0.038) seconds], and a 9% lower odds [OR: 0.91; 95% CI: 0.87, 0.96; p = 0.004] of limitations based on the SPPB. Statistically significant differences by race/ethnicity were found for the stair climb ascent time as MVPA was associated with better performance for White, Chinese, and Japanese participants while high light intensity physical activity, but not MVPA, was deemed beneficial in Black women. Findings from the isotemporal substitution models were consistent. Findings further support the importance of MVPA on physical performance outcomes in older women. Further research is needed to examine the complex associations between physical (in)activity and physical performance outcomes by race/ethnicity to provide more targeted recommendations., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2021 The Author(s).)

The present study evaluated the effect of limited range of motion (ROM) variable resistance training on full ROM strength development. Twenty-eight men and 31 women were randomly assigned to one of the three training groups (A, B, AB) or a control group (C). A, B, and AB performed variable resistance bilateral knee extension exercise 2 (N = 25) or 3 (N = 19) d.wk-1 for 10 wk with an amount of weight that allowed one set of 7-10 repetitions. Group A trained in a ROM limited to 120 degrees to 60 degrees of knee flexion. Group B trained in a ROM limited to 60 degrees to 0 degrees of knee flexion. Group AB trained full ROM. Prior to and immediately following training, isometric knee extension strength was evaluated at 9 degrees, 20 degrees, 35 degrees, 50 degrees, 65 degrees, 80 degrees, 95 degrees, and 110 degrees of knee flexion with a Nautilus knee extension tensiometer. Reliability coefficients for repeated measurements of isometric strength at multiple joint angles were high (r = 0.86-0.95, P less than 0.01; SEE = 23.1-37.2 N.m). Compared to the control group, all training groups improved in isometric strength (P less than 0.01 at each angle tested except for group A at 9 degrees and 20 degrees of knee flexion and group B at 95 degrees of flexion. Isometric strength gains for group AB were similar throughout the full ROM. Isometric strength gains for the limited ROM trained groups were greater in the trained ROM than in the untrained ROM (P less than 0.01).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)