Community-dwelling Elderly Women Research Articles

Differences in sarcopenia indices in elderly Japanese women and their relationships with obesity classified according to waist circumference, BMI, and body fat percentage

BackgroundSarcopenic obesity (SO) is defined as a decrease in lean body mass and an increase in body fat mass (BFM) due to aging. Detecting SO in elderly women is important from the perspective of extending healthy life expectancy. While various indices of SO are currently used, there is no global consensus regarding diagnostic criteria for SO. This study aimed to examine the relationship between obesity indices (waist circumference (WC), body mass index (BMI), and body fat percentage (BFP)) and sarcopenia indices (total body muscle mass (TBM), appendicular lean mass (ALM), skeletal mass index (SMI)), and physical function (gait speed (GS), handgrip strength (HGS)).MethodsSubjects were 170 community-dwelling healthy elderly women aged 65–79 years (mean: 72.7 ± 5.78 years) who underwent measurements for WC, BMI, and BFP. A WC of ≥ 90cm was defined as the obese group, BMI was determined as weight (kg) divided by height squared (m2) and a cutoff of ≥ 25 kg/m2 was used to define the obesity group. BFM was measured using the bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) method and BFP was calculated from body weight and a cutoff of ≥ 30% was used to define the obesity group. TBM and ALM (kg) were measured using the BIA method, ALM (kg) was corrected for height (m2) to obtain SMI (kg/m2). Physical function was assessed by GS and HGS, which were measured by the 5-m walk test and a digital grip strength meter, respectively.ResultsWhen obesity was assessed using BMI, WC and BFP, obese individuals had higher TBM, ALM and SMI, and lower GS among the sarcopenia indicators. HGS did not differ significantly between the non-obese and obese groups.ConclusionOur findings suggest HGS is thought to reflect muscle strength without being affected by obesity indices, suggesting that it may be useful in detecting possible sarcopenia in obese individuals.

Comparative analysis of nutritional status among institutionalised and community-dwelling elderly women and its association with mental health status and cognitive function.

Population pyramids are significantly impacted by the global phenomena of ageing. It has been reported that depression and cognitive function have an impact on the nutritional status of older adults. Depression is the most common psychiatric problem in old age, and cognitive deterioration is frequently observed in this age group. This descriptive and comparative study set out to compare the cognitive abilities, nutritional health and depression status of older adults who lived in community settings and in assisted living facilities. A total of 250 older women (125 from institutionalised old age home and 125 from community) participated in a cross-sectional study (residing at Rajarhat, Newtown area). The lengthy version of the Mini Nutritional Assessment tool (MNA®) was used to evaluate the participants' nutritional status. The Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS 30) was used to evaluate the severity of the depression. Using the Folstein Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), cognitive function was assessed. Using SPSS software, the Chi-square, Kruskal-Wallis test, and Spearman's rho correlation coefficient were computed. In the present study, it was observed that only 30.4% of the respondents who are community-dwelling elderly had normal MNA score, whereas 69.6% were at risk of malnutrition or already malnourished. Considering institutionalised elderly it was observed that only 7.2% were normal and 92.8% were malnourished/at risk of malnutrition. Statistically significant association was observed between nutritional status and mental health status (P = 0.00) as well as cognitive function (P = 0.00) among old age home residing elderly. Among the community-dwelling elderly mental health status has significant association with their nutritional status (P = 0.00) and cognitive function (P = 0.00) as well. Community-dwelling elderly were relatively healthy compared to old age home residents. Maintaining the nutritional, cognitive, and mental health of institutionalised and community-dwelling elderly women requires the implementation of physical and cognitive stimulation activities as well as interventions targeted at improving a healthy diet.

Effects of modified long stick exercise on hyperkyphosis, muscle imbalance and balance control in elderly community-dwelling women with hyperkyphosis.

Hyperkyphosis is a condition often seen in older women. This condition causes muscle imbalance in the upper back of the body and impacts balance control. Long stick exercise (LSE) is an exercise programme for the elderly that improves muscle strength and balance control. This research was designed to investigate the effects of a modified LSE on hyperkyphosis, muscle imbalance and balance control in elderly community-dwelling women with hyperkyphosis. Twenty-eight elderly women with hyperkyphosis were divided into experimental and control groups. The experimental group was assigned to practice the modified LSE programme 30-40 minutes/day, 3 days/week, for 12 weeks. Hyperkyphosis, pectoralis minor length, muscle strength, functional reach test (FRT) and timed up and go test (TUG) were obtained at baseline, after 6 weeks and after 12 weeks of exercise. The experimental group demonstrated improved hyperkyphosis, pectoralis minor length, muscle strength, FRT, and TUG after 12 weeks of training. Moreover, the experimental group exhibited significantly greater improvements in all outcomes than the control group (p< 0.05). The modified LSE programme is an alternative exercise that is easy and low-impact for improving hyperkyphosis, muscle imbalance, and balance control in elderly community-dwelling women with hyperkyphosis.

The 7th cervical vertebra wall distance (C7WD) identifies balance control, functional mobility and the risk of multiple falls in elderly community-dwelling women with thoracic hyperkyphosis.

Thoracic hyperkyphosis is common in the elderly, especially in women, and results in impaired balance control, impaired functional mobility and an increased risk of multiple falls. The 7th cervical vertebra wall distance (C7WD) is a practical method for evaluating thoracic hyperkyphosis. This study calculated C7WD cut-off scores that may identify impaired balance control, impaired functional mobility and an increased risk of multiple falls in elderly community-dwelling women with thoracic hyperkyphosis. This study also explored the correlation between C7WD, balance control and functional mobility. Sixty participants were assessed for thoracic hyperkyphosis using the C7WD, balance control using the functional reach test (FRT), functional mobility using the timed up-and-go test (TUG) and a history of falls using their personal information. The data indicated that a C7WD of at least 7.95 cm, 8.1 cm and 8.8 cm had a good to excellent capability of identifying impaired balance control, impaired functional mobility and an increased risk of multiple falls, respectively. The C7WD results were significant and correlated with balance control (rs=-0.68) and functional mobility (rs= 0.41). The C7WD may be utilised as a screening tool for these three impairments in this population.

Age-dependent changes in physical performance in community dwelling elderly women. A cross-sectional study

Aging process is accompanied by a gradual and sustained loss of physical abilities which leads to a progressive muscle weakness with important consequences for daily living especially in women. This study aimed was to analyze the differences by ages in dynamic balance and lower limb strength in community-dwelling women, and secondly to assess the differences in dynamic balance scores and lower limb strength between fallers and non-fallers in community-dwelling women. A total of 1025 community-dwelling women were recruited for the study. The sample were divided into six groups based on age: G1, from 60-65 yrs. (n=282); G2, from 66-70 yrs. (n=178); G3, from 71-75 yrs. (n=108); G4 from 76-80 yrs. (n=397); G5 from 81-85 yrs. (n=51) and G6, from 86-90 yrs. (n=9). The number of falls during the last year were also recorded. Significant differences were found in Sit to stand test (STS) and Timed up and go test (TUG) scores among age groups (p≤0.05). Additionally, poorer scores were found between fallers than non-fallers group (p≤0.05) both in STS and TUG test. Physical fitness performance decline as age group increase, and this decline is more striking after 70 years in community dwelling elderly women. In addition, faller elderly women show poorer scores in TUG and STS than non-fallers, reinforcing the idea that lower limb muscle strength and dynamic balance play an important role in falls in elderly women. Key words: Aging, Functional mobility, Falls, timed up and go, sit to stand

Polypharmacy is differentially associated with 20-year mortality among community-dwelling elderly women and men: The Israel Glucose Intolerance, Obesity and Hypertension cohort study

BackgroundElderly individuals are characterized by multimorbidity and high medication intake, entailing risks for adverse events. We examined the overall and sex-specific association of polypharmacy (≥5 drugs concurrently) with 20-year mortality among community-dwelling older adults. MethodsSurvivors of the longitudinal Israel Study of Glucose Intolerance, Obesity, and Hypertension underwent extensive evaluation during 1999–2004, and were followed-up for all-cause mortality until 2019. Cox regression examined association of polypharmacy with all-cause mortality. ResultsData included 1210 participants (mean baseline age 72.9 ± 7.4 years, 53% females), 50.7% of them died over a median follow-up of 12.8 years. Women received a higher mean number of drugs (4.3 vs 3.5; p < 0.0001), were twice more likely to take vitamins, and had higher comorbidity. Polypharmacy prevalence was 38.3%, and more frequent with age, female sex, European-American origin, sedentary lifestyle and poor self-rated health. Polypharmacy was independently associated with mortality in women only (HR=1.41, 95%CI:1.05–1.89). An interaction was found with sex (p = 0.045). ConclusionsPolypharmacy was more prevalent in older women than men and associated with increased 20-year mortality in women only. Sex-specific adaptation of guidelines for appropriate drug use among community-dwelling older adults is warranted.

地域在住高齢女性における表情画像観察が脳神経活動に及ぼす影響

地域在住高齢女性における表情画像観察が脳神経活動に及ぼす影響

A Non-Randomized Combined Program of Walking and Low-Load Resistance Exercise Improves Cognitive Function and Cardiometabolic Risk Factors in Community-Dwelling Elderly Women.

Background: This study examines whether changes in cardiometabolic risk factors, functional fitness, and depressive symptoms following a six-month exercise intervention were associated with cognitive function in Korean women aged 65 years and older. Methods: A non-randomized study design was used to compare post-intervention changes in measured variables between control (n = 30) and exercise (n = 30) groups. The exercise intervention consisted of three days of low-load resistance exercise and two days of walking. Cognitive function and depressive symptoms were assessed with the Korean version of the Mini–Mental State Examination and the Korean version of the Geriatric Depression Scale, respectively. Functional fitness was measured using a senior fitness test battery. Results: The exercise group showed a significant improvement in cognitive function (p < 0.001) in conjunction with significant decreases in blood glucose (p = 0.052), triglycerides (p = 0.011), insulin (p = 0.002), tumor necrosis factor-α (p = 0.043), and depressive symptoms (p = 0.006) and an increase in interleukin-10 (p = 0.037), compared with the control group. Multivariate stepwise regression showed that changes in depressive symptoms (p < 0.001), insulin resistance (p < 0.001), and upper body muscle strength (p = 0.003) were positively associated with cognitive function. Conclusion: A six-month exercise intervention consisting of walking and low-load/high-repetition elastic band resistance exercise has the potential to improve cognitive function, as well as physical function and cardiometabolic risk factors, and to decrease depressive symptoms in older women.

Differences in Hip Geometry Between Female Subjects With and Without Acute Hip Fracture: A Cross-Sectional Case-Control Study.

Background and PurposeAlthough it is widely recognized that hip BMD is reduced in patients with hip fracture, the differences in geometrical parameters such as cortical volume and thickness between subjects with and without hip fracture are less well known.Materials and MethodsFive hundred and sixty two community-dwelling elderly women with hip CT scans were included in this cross-sectional study, of whom 236 had an acute hip fracture. 326 age matched women without hip fracture served as controls. MIAF-Femur software was used for the measurement of the intact contralateral femur in patients with hip fracture and the left femur of the controls. Integral and cortical volumes (Vols) of the total hip (TH), femoral head (FH), femoral neck (FN), trochanter (TR) and intertrochanter (IT) were analyzed. In the FH and FN the volumes were further subdivided into superior anterior (SA) and posterior (SP) as well as inferior anterior (IA) and posterior (IP) quadrants. Cortical thickness (CortThick) was determined for all sub volumes of interest (VOIs) listed above.ResultsThe average age of the control and fracture groups was 71.7 and 72.0 years, respectively. The fracture patients had significantly lower CortThick and Vol of all VOIs except for TRVol. In the fracture patients, cortical thickness and volume at the FN were significantly lower in all quadrants except for cortical volume of quadrant SA (p= 0.635). Hip fracture patients had smaller integral FN volume and cross-sectional area (CSA) before and after adjustment of age, height and weight. With respect to hip fracture discrimination, cortical volume performed poorer than cortical thickness across the whole proximal femur. The ratio of Cort/TrabMass (RCTM), a measure of the internal distribution of bone, performed better than cortical thickness in discriminating hip fracture risk. The highest area under curve (AUC) value of 0.805 was obtained for the model that included THCortThick, FHVol, THRCTM and FNCSA.ConclusionThere were substantial differences in total and cortical volume as well as cortical thickness between fractured and unfractured women across the proximal femur. A combination of geometric variables resulted in similar discrimination power for hip fracture risk as aBMD.

Correlates of Self Rated Health among Elderly Men and Women from Different Social Classes: A Prospective Study

Majority of elderly women experience apprehensions of health and disability especially when they enter 60 plus years. One of the psychological markers of long life is self-rated health which is revealed by western and eastern longitudinal studies on longevous individuals. Self-efficacy beliefs of health as a moderator variable that determine physical wellbeing which in turn leads to mental well-being. Keeping aforementioned in view, data on SRH and its correlates have been identified from a 3-year prospective study carried out on three cohort groups (55-60; 61-65; 66-70). A sample of 480 community dwelling elderly men and women of different social classes (schedule class, schedule tribe &amp; general open category - non-SC &amp; ST groups) were drawn from 50-59(N=160), 60-69(N=160), and 70-79 (N=160) age groups. Multistage random sampling technique was used to draw subjects from rural areas of Chittoor, Kadapa and Nellore districts. Data pertaining to 480 middle aged and elderly men and women over three consecutive years of testing indicate a significant association between self-rated health with self-regulation, state and trait anxiety, anger, social supports, physical and mental activity, health behavior motivation, health behavior practices and stress, Health care implications are discussed.

Age-related changes of body fat and muscle distribution in community-dwelling elderly women

Age-related changes of body fat and muscle distribution in community-dwelling elderly women

Influence of Body Composition on Functional Capacity of Elderly Women with Incidence of Falls

Functional capacity is an important predictor of quality of life and can be affected by changes in body composition in the elderly, resulting from the aging process itself, with loss of bone mass, muscle mass, and changes in the level of body fat. It is important to analyze the influence of these changes on the decrease of strength and, consequently, its relationship with the incidence of falls, an important factor of functional capacity. The objective of this study was to verify the relationship between body composition and functional capacity in community-dwelling elderly women over 65 years old with or without incidence of falls. This is a cross-sectional and analytical study, sample composed of 77 elderly women divided into two groups, according to the history of falls among fallers (n = 23, mean age 73.6 ± 5.15 years) and non-fallers (n = 54, mean age 71.24 ± 4.92 years). Data were collected age, weight, height, functional capacity through the Sit and Stand Test (SST), as well as body composition, anthropometric measurements, skinfolds, and bone diameters were considered. Later, the comparative study between the faller and non-faller groups in relation to body composition with functional capacity was performed by the T-Student and Mann-Whitney tests. The correlation between the variables body composition and functional capacity and BMI was verified by the Pearson and Spearman tests, adopting the value of (p ≤ 0.05) as significance. A significant difference was identified between the values of functional capacity and bone weight in the group of elderly women with an incidence of falls when compared to the non-faller group (p = 0.002). A weak positive relationship was observed between functional capacity and lean mass weight (r = 0.232, p = 0.021), and functional capacity and bone weight (r = 0.343, p = 0.001) in the elderly women in this study. Among the elderly, aged over 65 years old and with an incidence of falls, bone weight had an influence on functional capacity. The variables of body composition, weight, lean mass, and bone weight are related to functional capacity in community-dwelling elderly women aged over 65 years.

Influência da Composição Corporal na Capacidade Funcional em Idosas com Incidência de Quedas

Functional capacity is an important predictor of quality of life and can be affected by changes in body composition in the elderly, resulting from the aging process itself, with loss of bone mass, muscle mass, and changes in the level of body fat. It is important to analyze the influence of these changes on the decrease of strength and, consequently, its relationship with the incidence of falls, an important factor of functional capacity. The objective of this study was to verify the relationship between body composition and functional capacity in community-dwelling elderly women over 65 years old with or without incidence of falls. This is a cross-sectional and analytical study, sample composed of 77 elderly women divided into two groups, according to the history of falls among fallers (n = 23, mean age 73.6 ± 5.15 years) and non-fallers (n = 54, mean age 71.24 ± 4.92 years). Data were collected age, weight, height, functional capacity through the Sit and Stand Test (SST), as well as body composition, anthropometric measurements, skinfolds, and bone diameters were considered. Later, the comparative study between the faller and non-faller groups in relation to body composition with functional capacity was performed by the T-Student and Mann-Whitney tests. The correlation between the variables body composition and functional capacity and BMI was verified by the Pearson and Spearman tests, adopting the value of (p ≤ 0.05) as significance. A significant difference was identified between the values of functional capacity and bone weight in the group of elderly women with an incidence of falls when compared to the non-faller group (p = 0.002). A weak positive relationship was observed between functional capacity and lean mass weight (r = 0.232, p = 0.021), and functional capacity and bone weight (r = 0.343, p = 0.001) in the elderly women in this study. Among the elderly, aged over 65 years old and with an incidence of falls, bone weight had an influence on functional capacity. The variables of body composition, weight, lean mass, and bone weight are related to functional capacity in community-dwelling elderly women aged over 65 years.

Oral Function Affect Health-Related Quality of Life in Community-Dwelling Elderly Women?

Oral Function Affect Health-Related Quality of Life in Community-Dwelling Elderly Women?

Phase angle as a screening method for sarcopenia in community-dwelling older adults

ABSTRACT Objective We investigated the utility of the phase angle as a screening tool for sarcopenia. Methods We performed a cross-sectional study that included 169 active community-dwelling elderly women. The phase angle was determined using tetrapolar bioelectrical impedance, and sarcopenia was diagnosed based on skeletal muscle mass, muscle strength, and physical performance using bioelectrical impedance analysis, a handheld dynamometer, and the gait speed test, respectively. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was performed to investigate the role of the phase angle as a predictor of sarcopenia. Results The prevalence of sarcopenia was 12.4%. The median phase angle was 5.30°; elderly women with sarcopenia had lower phase angles than those without sarcopenia (p=0.006). The phase angle cutoff for the detection of sarcopenia was ?5.15°, with an area under the curve of 0.685, sensitivity 81.0%, specificity 60.8%, and accuracy 63.31%. Elderly women with a low phase angle show a high risk of presenting with reduced muscle mass. Conclusions The phase angle was shown to be a useful screening tool in elderly women with sarcopenia.

Association of Social Networks with Health-Related Quality of Life and Physical Functioning in Community Dwelling Elderly Women – A Pilot Study

Background: Social network is the web of relationships that surrounds an individual, social isolationoccur when social network breaks down, stronger and closer social ties represent social resources intimes of need, reduce a sense of isolation, and increase the mental and physical function. A considerableamount of evidence has consistently demonstrated the benefit of social networking for health, emotionaland physical well-being. The purpose of this study is to find out the relationship of social network withquality of life, health and physical functioning.Objective of The Study: To estimate the relationship between social networks with health-relatedquality of life and physical functioning.Methodology: In this cross sectional Pilot study,30 women aged 65 years and older who wereselected conveniently and assessed using Lubben social network scale-6(LSNS-6) for social networkparticipation, WHO General Health Questionnaire for Health related quality of life (WHOQOL-BREF),Timed Up and Go (TUG) test for mobility and Functional Reach Test (FRT) for balance.Result: Pearson’s correlation coefficient was calculated between the parameters, a very highlysignificant positive correlation was found between Social Networks (LSNS-6) and WHOQOL-BREF 4Domains (p˂0.001). Among 4 domains Domain-1 and Domain-4 correlation were having very strongpositive correlation with a correlation coefficient r= 0.900, r= 0.863 respectively and Domain-2 (r=0.700), Domain-3 (r= 0.600) were having strong correlation. Along with that there exists a highlysignificant moderate positive correlation of LSNS-6 with balance (p=.012, r= .452) and a very highlysignificant strong negative correlation with mobility (p= 0.000, r= -0.630).Conclusion: The study showed that in elderly, health related quality of life is associated with bettersocial networks. Analysis of relationship between social networks with balance and mobility showedbetter the social networks higher the balance and mobility.

Gynecological aspects as a component of comprehensive geriatric assessment: A study of self-rated symptoms of pelvic organ prolapse among community-dwelling elderly women in Japan

ObjectivesDespite the reported ‘male-female health-survival paradox’, no components of the comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA) routinely used in the field of geriatrics focus on female-specific symptoms. To investigate the impact of gynecological factors among elderly women, we noted the gynecological history and examined the association between self-rated symptoms of pelvic organ prolapse (POP) and CGA. Study designThis community-based, cross-sectional study in Japan included 164 community-dwelling women aged ≥75 years. Main outcome measuresThe main outcome measures were the Pelvic Organ Prolapse Distress Inventory-6 (POPDI-6), activities of daily living (ADL), and Timed Up and Go (TUG) test. Self-rated symptoms of POP were assessed using POPDI-6, and the participants were dichotomized into POPDI-6 >0 (symptom group) and POPDI-6 = 0 (no-symptom group). Several components of the CGA were compared between the groups with and without symptoms of POP and the association with POPDI-6 score was analyzed by multiple logistic regression analysis. ResultsCompared with the no-symptom group, the symptom group had significantly longer TUG test time (≥13.5 s) (P = 0.024) and difficulty in basic ADL (score <21) (P = 0.02). In multiple logistic regression analysis, basic ADL <21 and TUG time ≥13.5 s were significantly associated with POPDI-6 >0 (odds ratio [OR] = 2.78; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.10–7.06 and OR = 3.45; 95% CI = 1.01–1.24). ConclusionsSelf-rated POP symptoms were associated with CGA components among community-dwelling elderly women. Evaluating POP symptoms as part of the CGA could be meaningful for improving physical and psychological health in elderly women.

The Mediating Effect of Resilience on the Relationship between Depression and Ego-Integrity in Community-Dwelling Elderly Women

The Mediating Effect of Resilience on the Relationship between Depression and Ego-Integrity in Community-Dwelling Elderly Women

Impact of premature natural menopause on body composition and physical function in elderly women: A Korean frailty and aging cohort study.

Induced premature menopause accelerates the rate of body composition changes (decrease in skeletal muscle mass and increase in fat mass) and deteriorating physical function. However, few studies have focused on the impact of premature natural menopause. This study aimed to investigate the impact of age at natural menopause (ANM) on body composition and physical function in elderly women.Using data from the Korean Frailty and Aging Cohort Study, 765 community-dwelling elderly women aged 70 to 85 years who experienced natural menopause were recruited in this study. Body composition was measured using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Physical function was evaluated by grip strength, the timed up and go test (TUG), and the short physical performance battery (SPPB). Participants were categorized into 4 groups according to their ANM: <40 (premature natural menopause, PNM), 40 to 44 (early natural menopause, ENM), 45 to 54 (normal menopause, NM), and ≥55 (late menopause, LM) years.There were no significant differences in the body composition parameters, such as the appendicular skeletal muscle mass index (PNM: 5.90 ± 0.90 vs ENM: 5.91 ± 0.70 vs NM: 5.85 ± 0.73 vs LM: 5.90 ± 0.75, kg/m2, P = .75) and trunk fat mass index (PNM: 19.4 ± 3.9 vs ENM: 19.9 ± 4.4 vs NM: 19.9 ± 3.9 vs LM: 20.0 ± 3.8, %, P = .87) between the groups. In the physical function evaluation, there was no significant difference between the groups in grip strength (PNM: 19.8 ± 0.6 vs ENM: 20.3 ± 0.4 vs NM: 20.6 ± 0.2 vs LM: 20.6 ± 0.4, kg, P = .53). However, in the TUG (PNM: 11.8 ± 0.4 vs ENM: 10.3 ± 0.3 vs NM: 10.6 ± 0.1 vs LM: 10.2 ± 0.3, seconds, P < .01) and SPPB (PNM: 10.0 ± 0.2 vs ENM: 10.5 ± 0.2 vs NM: 10.6 ± 0.1 vs LM: 10.8 ± 0.2, points, P < .05), the PNM group showed significantly lower values than the other groups did. There was no difference in physical function between the groups except the PNM.Premature natural menopause did not affect the body composition in elderly women but was associated with physical function deterioration. Therefore, more attention should be paid to the prevention of the physical function deterioration caused by premature natural menopause in elderly women.

Lower dietary variety is associated with worse sleep quality in community-dwelling elderly Japanese women.

Sleep disturbance is a common health problem in the elderly population. We examined the association between dietary variety and subjective sleep quality in community-dwelling elderly Japanese women. This cross-sectional study recruited 160 community-dwelling elderly women aged ≥65 years. Subjective sleep quality and dietary variety were assessed by Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and dietary variety score (DVS), respectively. DVS was calculated from the eating frequency of 10 food groups. Sleep disturbance was defined as PSQI score of ≥6. The DVS in subjects with sleep disturbance was significantly lower than that of those without the disturbance (4.1±2.1 vs 5.3±2.1, p<0.01). In the multivariable regression model, the PSQI score was negatively correlated with the DVS score in age-adjusted model (standardized coefficient; -0.234, p<0.01). In the further adjusted model that included depression levels, the negative association between PSQI score and DVS score was retained (standardized coefficient; -0.211, p<0.05). Among 10 food groups comprising DVS, the eating frequency of soybean and soybean products was the determinant of sleep disturbance in the stepwise liner regression analysis. In the further model that contained DVS, DVS was the independent determinant of sleep disturbance, while the eating frequency of soybean and soybean products was excluded. A worse sleep quality was associated with lower DVS in elderly Japanese women. Diet comprising various food groups was better for sleep quality than consuming only a particular food in the elderly.