Analysis of the Current Situation and Influencing Factors of Physical Activity Among the Elderly in the Community

Objective:To explore the current situation of physical activity among elderly individuals in the community,identify influencing factors,and provide a theoretical basis for improving their physical activity levels in the future.Methods:A questionnaire survey was conducted among 265 elderly community residents using the Physical Activity Scale for the Elderly.Results:The median(p50)score on the Physical Activity Scale for the Elderly was 220.425,indicating a high level of physical activity.There was no statistically significant difference in physical activity levels between genders.Conclusion:Elderly individuals should be supported in actively and scientifically participating in physical activities to mitigate physical function decline and achieve successful aging.

The Use of Exergames for Adaptive Physical Activity among the Elderly

The research program proposed in this study promotes the development of a pilot study for the promotion of physical and motor activities for the elderly, with particular reference to the over 80 years old. The study aims to promote the practice of adapted physical activity for the elderly and proposes the design and development of specific exergames for the promotion of a healthy and active lifestyle among the elderly even when they can not do motor activities in dedicated places such as gyms or specialized centers or adequate natural environments. The project involved elderly people living in the Salerno area who can not do motor activity in a regular way due to cultural, socio-economic, environmental or personal reasons. The identification of the experimental group for the pilot study required a preliminary survey on the levels of autonomy, intellectual efficiency and motor functioning： Instrumental activities of daily living, activities of daily living, short portable mental status questionnaire, clock drawing test, geriatric depression scale （GDS-15） and the short physical performance battery were administered. A specific program of adapted physical activities was planned and realized for 8 months. The study could open interesting perspectives of research that involve interesting results also from a social point of view.

Quantification of the Pain and Physical Burden Experienced during Positioning for Craniocaudal Imaging in Mammography, Evaluated by Measurement of Muscle Activity

Mammography is carried out in a special position, i.e. “an image is taken while the breast is compressed, stretched and kept in a fixed position”. The purpose of this study was to demonstrate quantitatively and qualitatively the physical and psychological burden due to positioning and breast compression during mammography. Muscle activity of each part of the body during positioning for the standard imaging method, to obtain craniocaudal (CC) view images, was measured in 15 adult females using surface EMG. The associated pain was analyzed using visual analogue scale (VAS) scores. During positioning for the CC view, muscle activity was highest in the biceps (24.44 iEMG/s) followed by the trapezius (17.78 iEMG/s) on the imaging side. Muscle activity of the biceps and the sternocleidomastoid on the imaging side showed significant differences compared with pre-imaging activity (biceps P < 0.031, sternocleidomastoid P < 0.005). The pain during mammography was rated as moderate to severe pain (VAS = 3.3 - 6.7) for CC views. As a result, the activities of not only the muscles directly involved in mammography positioning but also those indirectly involved were high as compared with the normal state. Measurement of muscle activity during mammography is expected to be used effectively, such as in the care to reduce pain for the subjects.

Measurement invariance and latent mean differences of the Chinese version physical activity self-efficacy scale across gender and education levels

Background: Self-efficacy has been identified as an important determinant of youth's behavior change including physical activity(PA) participation. However, the dimensionality check of a PA self-efficacy scale has rarely been conducted in China. The current study aims to examine(1) the unidimensionality of a shortened Chinese version of PA self-efficacy scale(S-PASESC);(2) the measurement invariance of S-PASESC across gender and levels of education;(3) the latent factor mean difference between gender and levels of education;(4) the direct effects of self-efficacy on PA by different gender and education levels; and(5) the comparisons of the direct effects of self-efficacy on PA across gender and education levels.Methods: The participants were 5 th through 11 th grade public school students recruited from 7 cities located in different geographic regions of China. The final data include a total of 3003 participants(49.7% boys) who have completed the scales.Results: Confirmatory factor analysis(CFA) test supported the unidimensionality of S-PASESC. The S-PASESC is invariant across gender and 3 levels of education at both configural, full metric, and full scalar levels. Findings from latent mean comparisons showed that boys reported higher PA self-efficacy than girls. Students' perceived PA self-efficacy tend to decrease from elementary to high school. Finally, self-efficacy positively related to PA by groups of different gender and education levels and the relationship between self-efficacy and PA is stronger among middle school boys than girls.Conclusion: Findings suggest S-PASESC is a valid scale for measuring Chinese students' PA self-efficacy.

Shintaido in the elderly: The new way for physical and psychological health

The research aims to investigate the effects of a Shintaido practice in terms of physical and psychological functioning in a group of elderly. Forty seniors, of both gender, with a mean age of (69 ± 6) years, self-sufficient and without highly invalidating diseases participated in the study. The experimental group (EG) attended the Shintaido physical training of 20 weeks (1 hour per session, twice a week), while the control group (CG) maintained his usual routine. The exercise protocol included specific activities of joint mobility, balance and breathing. At the begin and at the end of intervention were administered to both groups the following validated instruments: 1) One-leg Stance test for the measure of monopodalic static balance;2) 6-Minutes Walking test for the endurance assessment;3) Self-Efficacy Perception in Physical Activity (APEF) questionnaire for the self- efficacy evaluation. Data were treated with the not-parametric test for paired and unpaired samples, the Spearman correlation and the linear regression. The results show that: 1) the EG improves the endurance in walking and the monopodalic balance as well as his self-efficacy after the Shintaido program;2) there are strong associations among Shintaido physical activity and physical/psychological variables;3) there is a mediating effect of walking endurance between the participation to Shintaido training and the self-efficacy. The results suggest that a well structured Shintaido training can help to maintain a good level of physical and psychological functioning in old people.

Cultural Adaptation and Psychometric Evaluation of Physical Activity Social Cognitive Scales for Brazilian Adolescents

SCT （social cognitive theory） provides a useful framework to explain why people acquire and maintain PA （physical activity） behaviors among adolescents. This study aimed to adapt modernized Australian social cognitive scales of PA to the Portuguese language and evaluate their factorial and convergent validity and reliability. The adapted scales were tested in an adolescent sample from low-income communities in the city of Sao Paulo, Brazil （n = 173; 56.1% male）. Confirmatory factor analysis was employed to examine model-fit for each scale. The scales were assessed against self-report measures of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity for convergent validity. Reliability properties （ICC （lntra class confidence） and Cronbach＇s Alpha） were also determined. Each social cognitive scale represented a statistically sound measure： fit indices indicated each model to be adequate-to-exact fit to the data; significant correlations between most scales and either light, moderate or vigorous intensity PA behavior demonstrated good convergent validity; internal consistency was acceptable-to-good （α = 0.51-0.80）; rank order repeatability was acceptable-to-strong （ICC = 0.62-0.92）. Adapted social cognitive scales for physical activity for use among adolescents in the Brazilian context showed acceptable reliability and validity properties and may be useful to identify potential social cognitive correlates of PA, mediators of PA behavior change and the testing of theoretical models of SCT.

The Impact of a Pet, in This Case a Dog, on Physical Activity, Independence, Social Contacts, Health and Quality of Life of Elderly People

In a rural area near Munich, 52 persons aged 65 years and older were interviewed in person about health and social life circumstances. Findings: Dog owners take significantly longer walks than people who do not own dogs, averaging more than 120 minutes daily (p < 0.0001). On average, people who do not own a dog walked 38 minutes, cat owners 17 minutes. 94% of the dog owners were active daily compared to 14% of those who do not own a dog. Dog owners go to the doctor on average 5.3 times per year, people who do not own a dog 7.8 times. There was no difference between the two groups in regard to the use of medication. 80% would not move to a residential home for the elderly because of the dog, and 87% would want to take the dog along. 50% of the dog owners and 41% of those who do not own a dog had on average more than 3 contacts with other people, 6% of the dog owners and 23% of those who do not own a dog had less than one contact per day. 19% of the dog owners and 36% of those who do not own a dog would describe themselves as reserved in dealings with people. 71% stated that the dog had been very useful to help them overcome the loss of a person close to them. The W-5 [Wellbeing Five score] for dog owners was an average value of 75%, for those who did not own a dog 71%. Depression was uniformly distributed in both groups. The BMIs in both groups were similar. There was no correlation to the length of the daily walk.

The Application of Theoretical Models in the Studies of Physical Activity Behaviors of the Elderly in China

By using the method of literature review, this paper introduces the popular theoretical models which have shown to better explain physical activity behaviors at a certain degree, summarizes the dominating theoretical models in the studies of physical activity behaviors of the elderly in China. In addition, shortcomings and future prospects are pointed out at the end.

Health benefits of traditional Chinese sports and physical activity for older adults: A systematic review of evidence

Background: Traditional Chinese sports and physical activities(PAs) have a long history and are practiced by millions of Chinese. However,relatively few systematic reviews of the scientific evidence for their health benefits, especially for older Chinese adults, have been undertaken.Evidence acquisition: Between January and March 2016, a systematic search was conducted using the CNKI and Pub Med databases to identify studies published between 2000 and 2015. Studies were selected for review if they were designed specifically to evaluate the health benefits of traditional Chinese sports and PAs in adults aged 50 years and older in the Mainland of China. The studies included observational, uncontrolled,and randomized and controlled designs. Papers published without an English title or abstract were excluded.Evidence synthesis: The initial search identified a total of 229 studies. After removing duplicates and studies that did not meet the inclusion/exclusion criteria, 95 studies were selected for review. Special attention was given to studies of the most commonly practiced activities: Tai Ji Quan,Qigong, and Yangko exercises. A positive association between these types of exercise and health benefits was noted for healthy older adults and those with chronic diseases. Evidence on other types of activities was less clear due to the limited number of studies conducted.Conclusion: There is promising evidence that traditional Chinese sports and PAs provide many health benefits for older Chinese adults. While additional scientifically rigorous research is warranted, promoting these traditional and culturally-based sports and PAs as forms of behavioral medicine in primary and secondary prevention of diseases among the aging Chinese population will help fulfill an urgent public health need.

Development and evaluation of the health belief model scale for exercise

Objectives:This study was aimed to develop a health belief model scale for exercise among Chinese residents to describe the relationships between health beliefs and exercise for promoting residents to adopt or maintain exercise programs.Methods:Participants were from two projects,Project 1 with 3833 participants and Project 2 with 7319 participants.A pool of 21 items was developed based on a small-scale qualitative study about health beliefs of exercise and literature.Internal consistency and construct validity of the scale were evaluated with Cronbach'sαcoefficient,exploratory factor analysis(EFA),confirmatory factor analysis(CFA)and second-order confirmatory factor analysis.Results:A final version of 18 items loaded on six factors which could explain 60.30-%of variance was observed after EFA.The internal consistency of the final version with 18 items performed in Project 1 was acceptable(0.609).The reliability of the six subscales was good with Cronbach'sαcoefficient of 0.628,0.713,0.628,0.801,0.676 and 0.838 for perceived benefits,perceived objective barriers,perceived subjective barriers,self-efficacy,perceived severity and cues to action,respectively.CFA and second-order CFA indicated a good fit to data.Conclusions:The Health Belief Model Scale for Exercise(HBMS-E)is a valid and reliable instrument to assess health beliefs of exercise among residents in China.Understanding the health beliefs of exercise will help health professionals to develop effective interventions for health and evaluate the effectiveness.

Physical functioning: The mediating effect on ADLs and vitality in elderly living in residential care facilities. “Act on ageing”: A pilot study

The present study aims at verifying whether participation in a physical activity programme has positive effects on the daily life autonomy and vitality of elderly people living in residential care facilities by the mediation of their physical well- being. Fifty-one institutionalised individuals took part in the study. The control group included 11 people (84.26, ± 7.4 years), whereas the experimental group was made up of 40 people (85 ± 6.6 years). The experimental group was involved in a physical activity programme twice a week. The 36-Item Short Form Health Survey Questionnaire, the Activities of Daily Living Scale, and the Tinetti Test were administered to the participants. The linear regression method as well as Sobel’s formula were used for the analysis. The results show that participation in a physical activity programme has positive effects on autonomy in bathing and on the participants’ sense of vitality due to the mediation of physical functioning. These results confirm the importance of physical activity for the elderly populations living in residential care facilities.

Scoping review: obese elderly women with breast cancer and physical activity/exercise

Objective:Obesity and breast cancer(BC)are diseases of concern,especially within the context of an aging population.This scoping review is aimed at mapping out the literature on the subject of elderly women(EW)with breast cancer,obesity and physical activity/exercise(PAE)to identify gaps in the present extant literature,and to suggest directions for future research.Data sources:A total of four articles were finalized from an initial 2905 articles found via searches on the Annals of Internal Medicine by American College of Physicians(ACP)^(TM),BioMed Central(BMC)^(TM),BMJ Journals^(TM),Journal of the American Medical Association(JAMA)^(TM),PubMed^(TM),SAGE^(TM),ScienceDirect^(TM),SpringerLink(e-journals)^(TM),Taylor and Francis Online^(TM),and Wiley Online Library^(TM) databases.Methods:Recognized structural frameworks for scoping reviews were utilized to guide the methodology and technical aspects of this paper.Data extraction was conducted via a charting table.Results:Research gaps identified include a paucity in research on the subject of obesity and breast cancer among elderly women;there is a limitation of the types of methodologies used in the research on this subject indicating vast opportunities for future studies using different methodologies;lack of use of the alternative types of physical activity and exercise such as Tai Chi,Qigong and Yoga;lack of focus on the older elderly population;and areas of social support from family and friends for obese elderly with breast cancer to engage in physical activity and exercise.Conclusion:Future research would address the urgent need within academia to address the research gap of PAE and EWBC.Such research should use a diverse range of both quantitative and qualitative research methodologies,while including eastern exercise regimens such as Tai Chi,Qigong and Yoga as a means of studying PAE among EWBC.Additionally,future research may focus on the“old elderly”as a demographic group of study as well as how social support may encourage PAE among EWBC.

Development of ethical dilemma scale Japanese nurse faced physical restraints to elderly patients with dementia

Purpose: This study aimed to develop an ethical dilemma scale for nurses faced with the use of physical restraint when caring for elderly patients with dementia. Methods: We used a previously established 20-item dilemma scale. The objective and method of the study were explained to the head of nursing at 17 selected hospitals, and 121 nurses working in the general wards of 14 hospitals (excluding emergency department wards of psychiatry, pediatrics, obstetrics, outpatients, operating rooms and intensive care units) who agreed to participate were enrolled in 2000. Seventy-six nurses from one of the hospitals were selected after eight years (2008) to provide a comparison. Ethical considerations: The study was conducted with the approval of the ethics committee at Meiji University of Integrative Medicine. Results and discussion: Four factors were compared between 2000 and 2008: “execution of treatment and security”, “characteristic features in nursing of elderly patients with dementia”, “cooperative relationship in nursing”, and “priorities in nursing”. The cumulative contribution ratio was 65.3% (KMO = 0.77, p = 0.000) in 2000 and 72.5% (KMO = 0.78, p = 0.000) in 2008. Therefore, the scale dilemma nurse faced physical restraints to elderly patients with dementia in Japan was developed 4 facoters from 17-delremmas items of 20 items.

Impact of physical activity on the prevalence of hypertension among the older adults in Beijing communities

This study aims to evaluate the impact of physical activity (PA) on the prevalence of hypertension among older adults in Beijing community. As economy growing rapidly in China, the occurrence of hypertension increases among older people in China as well. Epidemiological studies have shown that physical activity may significantly related to lower risk of hypertension. Taking PA maybe an instructive factor to reduce the risk of being hypertensive. We randomly selected Beijing community residents aged 65 and above (n = 400), collected data comprising level of PA (low, moderate, high), blood pressure, and a host of potentially confounding variables indicated by the literature. Five logistic regression models adjusted for different modifiers were used to estimate the association between hypertension and PA. The prevalence of hypertension was 96.88%, 78.57% and 73.66% among subjects with low, moderate and high level of PA respectively. Lower diastolic BP was observed for elder people with higher level of PA (p<0.01). We observed a strong and statistically significant association between moderate (OR=0.09, 95% CI: 0.01 to 0.74) or high (OR=0.08, 95% CI: 0.01 to 0.57) level of PA and lower risk of hypertension (p < 0.05). PA is a protective factor for hypertension among older Beijing people, which suggests elderly people be encouraged to actively engage in PA, if body conditions permit.

Exergames： neuroplastic hypothesis about cognitive improvement and biological effects on physical function of institutionalized older persons

Exergames can be considered a dual task because the games are performed by a man-videogame interface, requiring cognitive and motor functions simultaneously. Although the literature has shown improvements of cognitive and physical functions due to exergames, the intrinsic mechanisms involved in these functional changes have still not been elucidated. The aims of the present study were（1） to demonstrate the known biological mechanisms of physical exercise regarding muscle adaptation and establish a relationship with exergames; and（2） to present a neurobiological hypothesis about the neuroplastic effects of exergames on the cognitive function of institutionalized older persons. These hypotheses are discussed.

The Relationship among Stress Response, Weight Management, and Physical Exercise in Japanese University Students

The aim of the present study was to investigate the relationship between stress response, gender, weight management, and physical exercise among Japanese university students. The participants were 411 university students （169 males, 242 females）. All participants completed the Stress Response Scale and the European Health and Behavior Survey. T-test results showed that scores of females were consistently higher than those of males （P 〈 0.05）. In the chi-square test, the proportion of females managing their weight （75.3%） was significantly higher than that of males （42.9%）. In multiple regression analysis, the group managing their weight showed a higher stress score, and the group doing physical exercise showed a lower stress score. These results show that weight management through physical exercise reduces mental stress, making it the most beneficial method of weight management for the mental and physical wellbeing of youths.

A Comprehensive Overview of Active and Healthy Aging: Incorporating Education and Physical Activity

Elderly individuals are adults who are often treated like children and,even worse,as numbers.Physical and mental degeneration is to some extent an inevitable occurrence.The problem that is not yet solved by biology and medicine lies in the acceleration of decay and the severity of certain pathologies.There is a relationship between the health of the elderly and their previous lifestyles,current social conditions,network of emotional relationships,and their personality structure.The organization and culture of society,still shaped by the principles of modernity,are the second major obstacle to the well-being of the elderly.On the one hand,the elderly face difficulties due to the organization of cities,transportation,housing structures,services,and families.On the other hand,the elderly’s condition is hindered by mental images,prejudices,ethical principles,cultural stereotypes,or by a social organization and culture modelled on the healthy,productive,reproductive adult male inserted into a family unit.The aim of this essay is reviewing the literature on AHA(active and healthy ageing),analyse the theoretical models and definitions,explore related normative terms and concepts,and create a comprehensive thematic overview of what constitutes AHA’s dimensions,attributes,antecedents,and consequences.

Evaluation of the Functional Capacity of a Group of Patients Aged over 65 Years: A Cross-Sectional Study at the YaoundéCentral Hospital

Background: The functional capacity of elderly patients decreases with age due to a combination of age-related decline in physiologic functions and chronic diseases. A severe decrease leads to an inability to carry out activities of daily living leading to a loss of autonomy and increased dependence. The aim of this study was to evaluate the functional capacity of the elderly followed at the Yaoundé Central Hospital. Methods: We carried out a non-probabilistic consecutive sampling of elderly patients that consulted in Yaoundé Central Hospital during a five-month’ period. Data was taken concerning their chronic conditions, use of medication, and presence of depressive symptoms (evaluated using the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) questionnaire). The presence of any cognitive impairment was evaluated using the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE). Cardiac ultrasonography and electrocardiograms were done to evaluate the cardiac morphology and physiology. Their functional capacity was assessed with the WHO Global Physical Activity Questionnaire and the six-minute walk test. A self-paced step test was equally done to estimate the maximum oxygen consumption during aerobic exercise. We carried out aunivariate, and then multivariate analyses to identify factors associated with an altered functional status. Statistical analysis was performed using the SPSS software 23.0. The threshold of significance was set at 0.05. Results: 66 participants were included (35 women) with a median age of 70 (IQR: 67 - 75) years. Among them, 39.4% were found to have an altered functional capacity, about 87.8% had at least one chronic condition and 47% had two or more. The most prevalent chronic condition was hypertension (71.2%) followed by heart failure (24.2%) and osteoarthritis (12.1%). Mild depressive symptoms were present in 1.5% of our study population. The factors associated with an altered functional capacity include age ≥ 75 years (OR = 2.9 p heart failure (OR: 3.2, p ), osteoarthritis (OR: 5.1, p ), and poor gait and balance (OR: 3.7, p ). Conclusion: There is a high prevalence of altered functional capacity among elderly patients consulting at the Yaoundé Central Hospital. Heart failure, osteoarthritis, and an increased risk of falls are associated with an altered functional capacity.

孕期身体活动障碍量表的汉化及信效度检验

目的汉化孕期身体活动障碍量表,并检验其信效度,为准确评估孕期身体活动障碍提供参考。方法运用Brislin翻译模型对孕期身体活动障碍量表进行翻译、回译和文化调适,形成中文版孕期身体活动障碍量表。采用便利抽样法,于2023年6-8月对南京市某三级甲等妇产医院的418名孕妇进行调查,评价量表的信效度。结果中文版孕期身体活动障碍量表包括与怀孕有关的个人内部障碍、与怀孕无关的个人内部障碍、人际关系障碍和环境障碍4个维度,共29个条目。该量表条目水平的内容效度指数为0.833~1.000,量表水平的内容效度指数为0.931。探索性因子分析提取出4个公因子,累计方差贡献率为68.383%。验证性因子分析显示模型适配度良好,χ^(2)/df=2.859,RMSEA=0.067,RMR=0.048,NFI=0.904,GFI=0.848,IFI=0.935,TLI=0.928,CFI=0.935。该量表的Cronbach′sα系数为0.947,重测信度为0.768。结论中文版孕期身体活动障碍量表具有良好的信效度,可作为评估孕期身体活动障碍的有效工具。

社区老年高血压患者体力活动现状及其影响因素研究

目的 :评价社区老年高血压患者体力活动水平及分析其体力活动的影响因素。方法 :采用国际体力活动问卷对社区老年高血压患者体力活动状况进行测量,采用Logistic回归分析其体力活动的影响因素。结果 :老年男性高血压患者在休闲活动能量消耗方面高于女性,女性在家务劳动能量消耗方面高于男性,比较有统计学差异。48.1%的老年患者为低体力活动,38.2%为中度体力活动,13.7%为高度体力活动。Logistic回归分析显示年龄、体质指数、有无心脑血管并发症、健康自我评价对老年高血压患者体力活动有影响。结论 :我国社区老年高血压患者体力活动水平不理想,医护人员应该采取积极措施改善他们体力活动状况,预防和控制高血压并发症发生与发展。