Sedentary Older People Research Articles

Sedentary Behavior and Physical Frailty Among Rural Older Adults in China: The Moderating Effect of Social Isolation

ObjectivesFew studies have explored the mechanisms underlying the relationship between sedentary behavior and physical frailty. The aim of this study was to investigate the moderating effect of social isolation on the association between sedentary behavior and physical frailty among older adults in rural China. DesignCross-sectional study. Setting and ParticipantsData were from 3238 individuals aged ≥60 years from rural areas in China. MethodsBinary logistic regression was used to explore the association between sedentary behavior and physical frailty and the moderating effect of social isolation. ResultsThe prevalence of physical frailty was 18.7% among the older adults, and 17.0% of them were sedentary for ≥8 h/d. Compared with older adults with sedentary behavior for <4 h/d, participants with sedentary behavior for ≥8 h/d were more likely to suffer from physical frailty [odds ratio (OR), 2.26; 95% CI, 1.57–3.27]. We found that social isolation may aggravate this relationship (OR, 3.31; 95% CI, 2.06–5.32), especially for rural older adults who were sedentary for ≥8 h/day. Conclusion and ImplicationsMore sedentary behavior was associated with higher risk of physical frailty, which was especially apparent among older adults with social isolation, suggesting that sedentary older people who experienced social isolation were more vulnerable to physical frailty. Decreasing sedentary behavior in older adults and encouraging them to participate in interactive social activities could help prevent physical frailty.

Timing of objectively-collected physical activity in relation to body weight and metabolic health in sedentary older people: a cross-sectional and prospective analysis.

Little is known about the impact of timing as opposed to frequency and intensity of daily physical activity on metabolic health. Therefore, we assessed the association between accelerometery-based daily timing of physical activity and measures of metabolic health in sedentary older people. Hourly mean physical activity derived from wrist-worn accelerometers over a 6-day period was collected at baseline and after 3 months in sedentary participants from the Active and Healthy Ageing study. A principal component analysis (PCA) was performed to reduce the number of dimensions (e.g. define periods instead of separate hours) of hourly physical activity at baseline and change during follow-up. Cross-sectionally, a multivariable-adjusted linear regression analysis was used to associate the principal components, particularly correlated with increased physical activity in data-driven periods during the day, with body mass index (BMI), fasting glucose and insulin, HbA1c and the homeostatic model assessment for insulin resistance (HOMA-IR). For the longitudinal analyses, we calculated the hourly changes in physical activity and change in metabolic health after follow-up. We included 207 individuals (61.4% male, mean age: 64.8 [SD 2.9], mean BMI: 28.9 [4.7]). Higher physical activity in the early morning was associated with lower fasting glucose (-2.22%, 95% CI: -4.19, -0.40), fasting insulin (-13.54%, 95%CI: -23.49, -4.39), and HOMA-IR (-16.07%, 95%CI: -27.63, -5.65). Higher physical activity in the late afternoon to evening was associated with lower BMI (-2.84%, 95% CI: -4.92, -0.70). Higher physical activity at night was associated with higher BMI (2.86%, 95% CI: 0.90, 4.78), fasting glucose (2.57%, 95% CI: 0.70, 4.30), and HbA1c (2.37%, 95% CI: 1.00, 3.82). Similar results were present in the prospective analysis. Specific physical activity timing patterns were associated with more beneficial metabolic health, suggesting particular time-dependent physical activity interventions might maximise health benefits.

Contrasting performance between physically active and sedentary older people playing exergames.

The increase in life expectancy associated with the increase in chronological age and less active people helps in the appearance of chronic and degenerative diseases. The encouragement of physical exercises contributes to older people abandoning sedentarism and preventing such diseases. Exergame is a promising alternative, for making exercise a pleasurable activity.In this study, we compared the performance of physically active older people with sedentary older people in exergames.Participants were 83 older adults over 65 years of age, of both sexes, divided into 2 physically active older people (AG) and sedentary older people (CG) groups. The participants performed a task through an exergame called “MoviLetrando” that uses the score, number of hits, number of omissions, and an average time of hits as an evaluation. A characterization questionnaire was applied, with information about sex, age, marital status, economic class, self-rated health, time of use of electronic games, a questionnaire on the practice of physical activity, and the Brunel Mood Scale.There was a higher exergame score in AG than in CG (P = .003), in the number of correct answers (P = .012). The number of omissions was lower in AG than in CG (P = .023). The mean time of correct answers was lower in AG than in CG (P = .013). The regression analysis revealed a significant finding F (3, 82) = 11.06, P < .001 and showed a prediction ability of 26.9% (r2 = .269). Three variables remained significantly associated with the score: physical activity was marginally significant (β = .19, P = .06), age (β = −.403, P < .001), depression (β = −.212, P = .028).Physically active older people perform better when compared with the sedentary older people. Age, depression, and physical activity influence the performance in exergame.

Physical activity and chronic diseases among older people in a mid-size city in China: a longitudinal investigation of bipolar effects

BackgroundWhile previous studies have shown that regular physical activity can delay the onset of certain chronic diseases; less is known about the changes in physical activity practices following chronic disease diagnoses. China is experiencing a rapid aging transition, with physical activity an important routine in many older people’s lives. This study utilizes the Health Belief Model to better understand the bidirectional relationships and bipolar effects between physical activity and chronic disease burden in Huainan City, a mid-sized city in China.MethodsLongitudinal health survey data (2010–2015) from annual clinic visits for 3198 older people were obtained from a local hospital, representing 97% of the older population in three contiguous neighborhoods in Huainan City. The chronic diseases studied included obesity, hypertension, diabetes, hyperlipidemia, cardiovascular diseases, liver and biliary system diseases, and poor kidney function. Multilevel logistic regression was used to examine differences in physical activity levels across socio-demographic groups. Cox proportional hazards models were used to examine the impacts of physical activity practice levels on chronic disease onsets. Logistic regression was used to estimate the effects of chronic disease diagnosis on physical activity practice levels.ResultsThe prevalence of chronic diseases increased with increasing age, among men, and those with a lower education. Older people who were physically active experienced a later onset of chronic disease compared to their sedentary counterparts, particularly for obesity and diabetes. Following diagnosis of a chronic disease, physically active older people were more likely to increase their physical activity levels, while sedentary older people were less likely to initiate physical activity, demonstrating bipolar health trajectory effects.ConclusionsHealth disparities among older people may widen as the sedentary experience earlier onsets of chronic diseases and worse health trajectories, compared to physically active people. Future health education communication and programmatic interventions should focus on sedentary and less healthy older populations to encourage healthy aging. These lessons from China may be applied to other countries also experiencing an increasing aging population.

Physical activity in older people – Case studies of how to make change happen

Enhancing physical activity (PA) is recognized as a powerful intervention for the prevention and treatment of chronic diseases and disability in older people. Furthermore, there is an agreement that increased PA in daily life is a key determinant of active and healthy ageing and should be recommended for frail and sedentary older people. Unfortunately, relatively few older people engage in regular PA or stay active in the long term. This article summarizes and discusses PA recommendations for older adults without focussing on specific diseases, presents the main barriers and facilitators for increasing PA levels, and considers the implementation of these recommendations on the basis of the existing evidence. Finally, we provide case studies of PA programmes for older people that were successfully implemented and highlight the current lessons learned.

Can Unconventional Exercise be Helpful in the Treatment, Management and Prevention of Osteosarcopenic Obesity?

Body composition changes occur with aging; bone and muscle mass decrease while fat mass increases. The collective term for these changes is osteosarcopenic obesity. It is known that conventional resistance exercise programs build/maintain lean mass and reduce fat mass. However, unconventional (to Western society/medicine) forms of exercise may be viable for the treatment/prevention of osteosarcopenic obesity. The purpose of this review is to assess relatively unconventional exercises for their efficacy in maintaining/improving bone and muscle mass and reducing fat mass. A literature search for unconventional exercise showed Tai Chi, yoga, Pilates, whole body vibration, electrical stimulation of muscle, and the Alexander Technique were considered alternative/ unconventional. A PubMed and Medline search for human data using combinations and synonyms of osteoporosis, sarcopenia and obesity, and each exercise was then conducted. Tai Chi, yoga, and Pilates, in addition to whole body vibration, electrical stimulation of muscle, and the Alexander Technique are all considered low impact. Tai Chi, yoga, and Pilates not only physically support the body, but also increase balance and quality of life. The devices showed promise in reducing or preventing muscle atrophy in older people that are unable to perform conventional exercises. Any exercise, conventional or otherwise, especially in sedentary older people, at risk of, or diagnosed with osteosarcopenic obesity may be better than none. Exercise prescriptions should suit the patient and the desired outcomes; the patient should not be forced to fit an exercise prescription, so all potential forms of exercise should be considered.

Effect of structured physical activity on prevention of serious fall injuries in adults aged 70-89: randomized clinical trial (LIFE Study)

Objective To test whether a long term, structured physical activity program compared with a health education program reduces the risk of serious fall injuries among sedentary older people with functional...

Postural control during one-leg stance in active and sedentary older people

Physical inactivity and aging are functional disability factors for older individuals, causing loss of balance and increasing the risk of falls. The purpose of this study was to compare the balance of physically independent older individuals, both participants and non-participants in a regular exercise program. Fifty six physically independent older participants were divided into G1ACTIVE = 28 individuals who participate in a regular exercise program and G2SEDENTARY = 28 individuals who did not participate in any physical exercise program. All participants underwent an eyes-open during one-leg balance test on a force platform. The postural oscillation parameters included center of pressure (COP); sway mean velocity and frequency of COP oscillations. G2 SEDENTARY showed higher postural instability than G1ACTIVE. Significant differences were observed for the main balance parameters. The results of this study support the concept that participation in regular physical activity is beneficial for postural balance of older individuals.

Leisure‐time physical activities for community older people with chronic diseases

(1) To explore the types and three components (frequency, duration and caloric expenditure) of leisure-time physical activity in community older people with chronic diseases. (2) To identify leisure-time physical activity-related factors in these community older people. Previous research has focused primarily on measuring the actual physiological or psychological benefits of exercise or leisure-time physical activity, little is known about the factors that determine the frequency, intensity and duration of exercise or leisure-time physical activity. The identification of reliable predictors of the various components of leisure-time physical activity will enable healthcare providers to intervene and change the patterns of leisure-time physical activity in the sedentary older people more effectively. A cross-sectional design was used for this study. Participants were recruited from the Xinyi District in Taipei, Taiwan. A total of 206 older people were recruited and were asked to complete three questionnaires during a face-to-face interview with a researcher at the activity setting. The results showed that walking leisurely was the most frequent leisure-time physical activity for participants. The age, gender, living arrangement, affective feeling and environmental control were significant variables of leisure-time physical activity. The study constructs accounted for moderate amounts of variance (22% for leisure-time physical activity frequency, 27% for leisure-time physical activity duration and 24% for leisure-time physical activity caloric expenditure). This study also showed that different variables play different influential roles in the different components of LTPA. An effective intervention strategy for improving leisure-time physical activity of older people may involve tailoring the type, format, intensity, frequency and duration of a physical activity according to an individual's needs. This study described some environmental barriers to LTPA and recommended an increase in the accessibility to LTPA areas.

Exercise, Physical Function and Health Perceptions of Older People

Summary Fifty-five predominantly sedentary older people (age range 65-87) were recruited to take part in a ten-week community-based exercise programme designed to improve physical function. Primary outcome measures were endurance walking, natural walking speed, chair rise time, standing balance, grip strength, back flexibility and shoulder flexibility. The effects of the exercise programme on self-perceived health status were also assessed using repeated applications of the Short Form-36 questionnaire. Fifty-five control subjects matched on sex, age and physical activity were also sent SF-36 questionnaires but did not take part in functional testing or group exercise activity. At the end of the ten-week programme, all physical function measures except shoulder flexibility were significantly improved (p

Aging Skeletal Muscle

The mass of many weight-bearing muscles declines in old rats, secondary to the atrophy of fibers, particularly of type IIb, with relatively little loss of muscle fibers during most of the adult life span. In humans, muscle atrophy is the result of a combination of progressive fiber loss and fiber atrophy. In both species, the proportion of histochemically determined fiber types is relatively stable across the adult portion of the life span. The loss of strength in old age is predominantly accounted for by reduced muscle mass in humans and rats. Resistance training leads to increased muscle mass and strength in old humans and rats, primarily by increasing fiber CSA. Muscle capillarity is unchanged in old rats but decreases in old dogs. Apparently, capillarity declines in truly sedentary older people. Endurance training enhances capillarity, and old rats and humans can attain levels of capillarity comparable to their active young counterparts, even when performing considerably less exercise. Blood flow during contractile activity is reduced in male rats and humans but not in old female rats or dogs. Oxidative capacity declines in many muscles of sedentary old rats and humans. With endurance training, old individuals from both species attain levels of muscle oxidative capacity quite similar to those in identically training young individuals. Muscle insulin-stimulated glucose transport is enhanced in rats after a bout of exercise, regardless of age. Endurance training elevates muscle GLUT-4 levels in young and middle-aged, but not old, rats, perhaps because the old rats trained at slower treadmill speeds. Middle-aged (47-62 yr) men and women can substantially increase muscle GLUT-4 with relatively brief (12-14 wk) endurance training; older humans (> 70-80 yr) have not been studied. Endurance training leads to reduced LDH activity without altering PFK or phosphorylase in old rats and humans. Muscle glycogen depletion, CP depletion, and lactate accumulation during contractile activity are exaggerated in old rats, apparently secondary to reduced muscle oxidative capacity and blood flow. Resting muscle glycogen concentration is diminished in older humans, probably in part because of a more sedentary lifestyle. Although several months of endurance training raises muscle glycogen concentration in older people, it does not restore it to youthful levels. Endurance training can greatly improve endurance in old age, at least in part by the same mechanism originally described in youth, i.e., an increase in muscle oxidative capacity, which contributes to reduced glycogen depletion.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)