Quality of life, nutritional status, physical activity, and their interrelationships of elderly living on an underpopulated island in Japan

Abstract

Background: The objectives of this study were to assess the quality of life (QOL), nutritional and health status, physical fitness and daily physical activity level (PAL) of elderly residents living on a remote island in Japan and to reveal factors associated with QOL scores and PAL.Methods: This was a cross‐sectional study that targeted elderly residents dwelling on an island whose population is aging and rapidly decreasing. Fifty‐two subjects (20 men and 32 women; mean age, 74 years) were evaluated for anthropometry (nutritional status), blood pressure (health status) and handgrip strength (physical fitness). QOL was investigated using the World Health Organization‐QOL questionnaire. In addition, 24‐h acceleration monitoring was conducted in eight subjects on 3 consecutive days to determine PAL.Results: Women tended to be obese compared with men (BMI, 25.6 vs 23.6 kg/m2, P < 0.05). Of the four QOL domains, the score for “social relationships” was significantly higher in women. Significant correlations were found between handgrip strength and QOL scores. A significant negative relationship was found between BMI and PAL (rs =−0.90, P < 0.005). In contrast, a positive association was observed between handgrip strength and PAL (rs = 0.77, P < 0.05).Conclusion: The results suggest that social communication is an important factor for a high QOL of women in the remote island society. The results of the correlation analyses suggest that walking, maintaining an ideal body weight and promoting physical fitness have important roles in maintaining and increasing PAL in the elderly.