Objectives: This study examined the associations between childhood motor clumsiness and falls and stumbles in older adults from a lifespan developmental perspective.Methods: A cross-sectional observational study was conducted with 75 community-dwelling older adults aged 65 years and older, recruited from participants in a health event. Childhood motor clumsiness was evaluated using the question “Were you ever told by others that you were clumsy in movement as a child?” Current motor coordination was assessed using eight items related to developmental coordination disorder (DCD). Falls and stumbles, as well as exercise preferences and self-evaluations were also investigated.Results: The mean age of participants was 78.2 ± 6.0 years. Childhood motor clumsiness was reported in 12 participants (16.0%) and showed significant negative correlations with current and past exercise preferences and self-evaluations (r = −0.32 to −0.43). Falls were reported by 45.5% of the Childhood Motor Clumsiness group and 10.7% of the group without childhood clumsiness, while stumbles were reported by 83.3% and 38.2%, respectively. After adjusting for age and gender, difficulty with organization and tidying was independently associated with falls (OR = 2.63, p = 0.04), and difficulty with distance estimation was independently associated with stumbles (OR = 4.03, p = 0.02).Conclusions: Childhood motor clumsiness influences lifelong exercise preferences and self-evaluations, and specific DCD characteristics are associated with fall and stumble risks in older adulthood. These findings suggest fall prevention approaches must be developed through a lifespan developmental perspective.

Objectives: Office workers in the U.S. have the lowest cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) among all occupations, a concern given the association between low CRF and increased risk of cardiovascular disease and all-cause mortality. The prevalence of low CRF and the impact of an unsupervised exercise prescription on CRF among business professionals were determined.Methods: This retrospective analysis utilized data from 65 of 397 self-selected business professionals enrolled in the University of Minnesota’s M-Health Fairview Executive Wellness program. CRF, using VO₂max, was determined in mL/kg/min using the Bruce protocol. Participants were reassessed approximately two years later, but adherence to the exercise program was not. CRF was categorized by age- and sex-adjusted VO₂max percentiles: low (<25th), fair to good (25th–74th), and superior to excellent (≥75th). VO₂max changes were classified as no change (<10%), increase, or decrease (>10%).Results: The participants' mean (SD) age was 50.7 (9.7) years, primarily comprising white males, and most (78%) were never smokers. Nearly two-thirds were overweight and had dyslipidemia; 15% had hypertension, and 27% had prediabetes. Over a mean (SD) 2.13 (1.01) years of follow-up, 69.2% had no change to their CRF, 12.3% decreased, and 18.5% increased compared to the first clinic visit. Among those with a low baseline CRF (n=27), 55.6% remained unchanged, 3.7% declined, and in 40.7% of cases, their CRF improved. In the fair to good CRF group (n = 48), 15% declined, 80% remained the same, and 5% improved. Of those with superior CRF, 22.2% experienced a decline in their CRF level, while 77.8% maintained their level. There were no correlations between the change in VO₂max and the change in anthropometric or metabolic variables.Conclusions: Unsupervised exercise prescriptions did not significantly improve CRF for most participants. However, baseline fitness level influenced outcomes, with those starting at lower CRF levels more likely to improve.

Low back pain (LBP) is a prevalent musculoskeletal issue among youth baseball players, particularly during periods of rapid growth and high training loads. This review examines the intrinsic and extrinsic factors contributing to LBP in young baseball athletes, including biomechanical, physiological, and environmental influences. Additionally, evidence-based prevention and management strategies are discussed to guide coaches, sports medicine professionals, and researchers in developing targeted interventions aimed at reducing injury risk and optimizing athletic performance. Future research should explore long-term effects and intervention efficacy to better inform youth baseball training protocols.

Objectives: Few studies have investigated aging-related changes in muscle strength. The purpose of this study is to measure muscle strength in young and elderly individuals to clarify the differences in aging-related muscle weakness across various muscles.Methods: The subjects consisted of 43 healthy young persons (20.33±0.47 years, 16 males, 27 females) and 38 elderly residents with independent activities of daily living (ADL) (78.34±7.67 years, 18 males, 20 females). Maximal isometric force, measured using a hand-held dynamometer, was expressed as force (N) divided by the body weight (N/kg), and compared between the young and elderly subjects. Furthermore, the elderly subjects’ value (older-to-young ratio (O-Y ratio)) was calculated establishing the mean muscle strength in the young subjects as a reference (100%). The characteristics of aging-related changes were also examined.Results: There were significant differences in muscle strength between the young and elderly subjects for ankle dorsiflexion, knee flexion/extension, hip flexion/extension, shoulder flexion/abduction/internal rotation/external rotation, and elbow flexion. The O-Y ratio for hip extension was the lowest, followed by shoulder external rotation, shoulder internal rotation, shoulder flexion, and hip flexion.Conclusions: Concerning aging-related muscle weakness, that of hip extension was particularly marked. To strengthen ADL motions/physical endurance, the understanding of muscle groups that decrease with aging may be important.

Objectives: Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is considered one of the most prevalent diseases worldwide. The aim of this study was to analyse the risk of developing T2D in a higher education community of Bragança, North-Eastern Portugal.Methods: The observational, cross-sectional and prospective sample comprised 3021 individuals, aged between 18 and 64 years old, of whom 1759 were women (mean age 24.16 ± 8.80 years) and 1263 were men (mean age 23.37 ± 8.70 years). The Finnish Diabetes Risk Score (FINDRISC) questionnaire was employed to estimate the risk of developing T2D over the next 10 years.Results: The results indicated that approximately 37 (1%) participants in the sample exhibited a high risk of developing T2D, 117 (4%) participants exhibited a moderate risk, 660 (22%) participants exhibited a slight risk, and 2206 (73%) participants exhibited a low risk. A higher T2D risk was observed in the staff group in comparison with the other groups (p < 0.001). Furthermore, body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference (WC) were the variables that most contributed to the increased risk of developing T2D (X2 = 1034.5; p < 0.001).Conclusions: In conclusion, the study reported a low T2D risk for the higher education community of Bragança in the Portuguese North-Eastern region. However, the risk of T2D was found to be higher in the staff group than in the student group. The FINDRISK questionnaire may be applied for the early diagnosis of T2D risk factors.

Objectives: With the development of services to improve the daily lives of older adults and the use of Internet of Things technology in healthcare in Japan, there is a growing need to address health literacy, especially among older adults living alone. The current study aims to fill this research gap by assessing the current state of health literacy in this population, and potentially providing guidance for future support strategies.Methods: In this study, 22 older female participants in long-term care preventive services were assessed for health literacy, cognitive function, and activities of daily living using the Household Composition and Basic Demographic Information, the Health Literacy Scale, the Japanese version of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment, and the Occupational Self-Assessment-Short Form.Results: The household composition was 13 older adults living alone and nine living with others. Older adults living alone had significantly lower functional health literacy than those living with others, which affected their ability to understand and apply health information. Difficulties reading health materials were also prevalent in this group, suggesting that visual impairment or a lack of assistive devices may affect their understanding of health information. Considering these specific needs through tailored strategies is essential for helping older adults to adapt to an increasingly digital society.Conclusions: Understanding the current state of functional health literacy among older adults living alone in the community is essential for developing strategies to improve their well-being, prevent isolation, and enable them to make informed decisions about their health.

Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the authenticity for application of Cooper’s 12 min run test (CRT) to predict VO<sub>2max</sub> in male and female boxers in India.Methods: Participants of both sexes (male=70, female=60) were recruited from different boxing clubs in India, and randomly allocated to the study group (male = 40, female = 30) and cross-validation group (male = 30, female = 30). VO<sub>2max</sub> was directly estimated by bicycle exercise with progressive workload followed by expired gas analysis in a Scholander micro-gas analyzer. CRT method was used for indirect prediction of VO<sub>2max</sub>.Results: Predicted VO<sub>2max</sub> (PVO<sub>2max</sub>) and directly measured VO<sub>2max</sub> were found to be significantly (p<0.001) different in the study groups of both sexes, with wide range of limit of agreement between PVO<sub>2max</sub> and VO<sub>2max</sub>. This indicates the inapplicability of existing CRT protocol in the male and female boxers. Simple linear regression was computed owing to existence of significant positive correlation (r = 0.84 and 0.89 in males and females, respectively; p<0.001) between VO<sub>2max</sub> and distance covered in the run test. These newly derived norms depicted insignificant variation between PVO<sub>2max</sub> and VO<sub>2max</sub> in the confirmatory group of both sexes.Conclusions: Modified equations computed in this study for the prediction of cardiorespiratory fitness in terms of VO<sub>2max</sub> by CRT were recommended in male and female Indian boxers.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to compare transversus abdominis muscle thickness and exercise performance before and after foam roller exercise (FRex).Methods: This was a randomized controlled trial (RCT). Twenty-four adult female subjects were randomly divided into two groups: (1) an intervention group that underwent FRex, and (2) a control group that remained in the supine position for the same period. Transversus abdominis muscle thickness, modified Star Excursion Balance Test (mSEBT) score, and degree of back pain experienced during daily work were measured before and after the intervention in each group using a visual analog scale (VAS), and a within-group comparison was conducted for each value. The amount of change before and after the intervention was calculated, and the correlation between each measurement item was examined.Results: Pre-intervention and post-intervention comparisons in the intervention group revealed significantly greater values for transversus abdominis lower fiber thickness and mSEBT scores, and significantly lower values for low back pain after the intervention. A moderate negative correlation was found between changes in lower back pain VAS scores and changes in transversus abdominis lower fiber thickness and mSEBT scores. Moreover, a moderate positive correlation was noted between changes in the transversus abdominis lower fiber thickness and mSEBT scores.Conclusions: These results suggest that FRex may be beneficial for preventing low back pain and improving balance.

Objectives: To enhance the confidence of children and adolescents with medical conditions and disabilities to engage in healthy, active lifestyles. Children with medical conditions and disabilities often exhibit more sedentary lifestyles relative to peers and are at increased risk of poor health outcomes. Clinical experience suggests physical activity confidence is an important factor influencing physical activity participation.Methods: This randomized controlled trial evaluates an evidence-based intervention targeting physical activity confidence among children and adolescents with medical conditions and disabilities. Potential participants, 8 to 18 years of age diagnosed with a medical condition or disability, will be screened for adequate physical activity motivation but a lack confidence. Consenting participants (n=128) will be randomized 1:1 to a 12-week in-person or virtual physical activity intervention (24 hours/week total) led by a Registered Kinesiologist or control (assessments only). The intervention will combine physical activity participation with education about physical activity knowledge, goal setting, motivation and self-management. Primary outcomes are self-reported physical activity confidence and motivation at baseline, post-intervention and three months following intervention completion. A secondary outcome will be daily physical activity minutes assessed by accelerometry. A repeated measures mixed model will be used to compare outcomes between the in-person intervention, virtual intervention, and control groups (alpha=0.05).Conclusions: This trial aims to assess the impact of a novel application of behaviour change theory on physical activity confidence among children and adolescents living with medical conditions or disabilities. Increased physical activity confidence, knowledge and skills could enable these youth to lead a more active lifestyle.

Objectives: Low cardiorespiratory fitness, defined as a VO2 max below the 25th percentile for age and sex, is associated with greater body mass index (BMI), blood pressure, and plasma cholesterol values and is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular and metabolic diseases. Given that sedentarism has substantially increased in the U.S. population in the last 20 years and that office workers have the lowest cardiorespiratory fitness of the workforce, we aimed to assess the prevalence of low cardiorespiratory fitness in an corporate wellness program and determine its relationship with associated comorbidities.Methods: For this retrospective observational analysis demographics, height, weight, blood pressure at rest, plasma glucose, lipids, comorbidities, and VO2 max data was extracted from the medical records of 199 participants attending the Executive Health Program at M Health Fairview of the University of Minnesota. Participants were predominantly white, middle-aged men with near-optimal blood pressure values.Results: Participants with low cardiorespiratory fitness had a VO2 max [mean (range) of 28 (19.4 - 36.1) mL/kg/min], and was observed in 33% of all participants. Participants with low cardiorespiratory fitness were more likely to have higher BMI, dyslipidemia and hypertension than those in the excellent to superior category of cardiorespiratory fitness, VO2 max [mean (range) 45.6 (31.8 - 61.2) mL/kg/min]. Prevalence of obesity (17%) was lower than in the general U.S. population, and those who were obese were more likely to be of low cardiorespiratory fitness. Those with low cardiorespiratory fitness had a four fold relative risk of belonging to the group at high risk of cardiovascular and metabolic diseases when compared to those with a fair to superior cardiorespiratory fitness.Conclusions: Low cardiorespiratory fitness identified in a third of all participants, is a modifiable risk factor associated with risk for cardiovascular and metabolic disease, should be evaluated in executive health programs.