European Review of Aging and Physical Activity

BACKGROUND: While grip strength (GS) is commonly assessed using a Dynamometer, the Martin Vigorimeter was proposed as an alternative method especially in older adults. However, its reference values for Swiss older adults are missing. We therefore aimed to derive sex- and age-specific GS cut-points for the dominant and non-dominant hand (DH; NDH) using the Martin Vigorimeter. Additionally, we aimed to identify clinically relevant weakness and assess convergent validity with key markers of physical function and sarcopenia in generally healthy Swiss older adults...

BACKGROUND: Accidental falls are one of the greatest threats to older adults' health and well-being. The risk of falling can be significantly reduced with strength and balance interventions. However, there needs to be further knowledge into how older adults can be supported to achieve a maintained exercise behaviour. Therefore, the aim of this study was to explore factors that enabled older adults to maintain their exercise during a 1-year self-managed digital fall prevention exercise intervention...

BACKGROUND: Changes in neuromuscular ability in middle age (MA) may lead to deterioration of postural control. The aim of this study was to investigate the anticipatory response of the peroneus longus muscle (PL) to landing after a single-leg drop-jump (SLDJ), and its postural response after an unexpected leg-drop in MA and young adults. A second aim was to investigate the influence of neuromuscular training on PL postural responses in both age groups. METHODS: Twenty-six healthy MA (55...

OBJECTIVE: To identify and analyze the components applied in interventions using physical activity (PA) monitoring in geriatric patients and determine their feasibility and applicability. METHODS: A systematic search in six databases (PubMed, Embase, SPORTDiscus, CINAHL, Web of Science, and GeroLit) was conducted to identify studies reporting interventions that included the application of a PA monitor in adults aged ≥ 60 years with a clinical diagnosis...

BACKGROUND: The relationship between manual dexterity and cognitive function among older adults is well known; however, few studies have focused on manual dexterity training that confirms cognitive load of training in older adults through functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) and verifies the effect of training. This study examined the effects of home-based manual dexterity training on cognitive function in older adults using a digital trail-making peg test device combining two conventional assessment tools namely, the peg and trail-making tests...

BACKGROUND: To determine the effectiveness and therapeutic validity of physiotherapeutic exercise after total and unicompartmental knee arthroplasty for osteoarthritis. It was hypothesized that interventions of high therapeutic validity result in superior functional recovery after total and unicompartmental knee arthroplasty versus interventions of low therapeutic validity. METHODS: A systematic review incorporating a comprehensive database search of five major databases relevant to the topic was conducted...

Preserving functional health and quality-of-life in old age is a major goal and global challenge in public health. The high rate of sedentary behavior that is characteristic of the older adult population exacerbates impairments of physiological and structural systems that are typically seen in the aging process. Achieving an understanding of the profound influence of physical activity on all aspects of health in old age is the driving force behind the emergence of "physical activity in old age" as a growing area of research...

BACKGROUND: Although the number of older women living alone (OWLA) has risen steadily in aging societies, and research has been conducted on depression and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) among older adults, research is scarce on the health behaviors of OWLA, including their sleep, physical activity, and sedentary behaviors. Hence, we aimed to identify factors related to depression and HRQoL among this subset of the population, focusing on their health behaviors, using Andersen's model as a research framework...

BACKGROUND: High-sensitivity cardiac troponin T (hs-cTnT) and N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) are biomarkers of myocardial infarction and heart failure, respectively, and indicate cardiovascular risk. Since low physical activity (PA) and sedentary behavior (SB) are also associated with higher cardiovascular risk, and this association could be a consequence of higher levels of cardiac biomarkers, we examined the association of device-measured movement behaviors with hs-cTnT and NT-proBNP in older men and women without major cardiovascular disease (CVD)...

BACKGROUND: Physical activity (PA) changes throughout an individual's life, but the association between such changes and cancer risk seems to be overlooked in the literature. Thus, this study aimed to examine the association between the trajectories of PA frequency and cancer incidence among middle-aged Korean adults. METHODS: A total of 1,476,335 eligible participants (992,151 men and 484,184 women) aged ≥40 years from the National Health Insurance Service cohort (2002-2018) were included...

BACKGROUND: Deployment of geriatric care would be more sustainable if we could limit geriatric co-management to older hip fracture patients who benefit most from it. We assumed that riding a bicycle is a proxy of good health and hypothesized that older patients with a hip fracture due to a bicycle accident have a more favorable prognosis than patients whose hip fracture was caused by another type of accident. METHODS: Retrospective cohort study of hip fracture patients ≥ 70 years admitted to hospital...

The objective of this systematic review is to identify motion analysis parameters measured during challenging walking tasks which can predict fall risk in the older population. Numerous studies have attempted to predict fall risk from the motion analysis of standing balance or steady walking. However, most falls do not occur during steady gait but occur due to challenging centre of mass displacements or environmental hazards resulting in slipping, tripping or falls on stairs. We conducted a systematic review of motion analysis parameters during stair climbing, perturbed walking and obstacle crossing, predictive of fall risk in healthy older adults...

BACKGROUND: Traditional meta-analyses with pairwise direct comparison revealed that a variety of exercise-based training interventions can prevent falls in community-dwelling older adults. This network meta-analysis adds value by comparing and ranking different exercise training strategies based on their effects on fall risk reductions determined by analysis of direct and indirect comparisons. METHODS: The studies included in this network meta-analysis were identified through a comprehensive search in five biomedical databases (PubMed, SportDiscus, CINAHL, Web of Science and EMBASE)...

BACKGROUND: The ability to walk is an important indicator of general health and mobility deficits have wide-ranging economic implications. We undertook a systematic review to elucidate the impact of walking parameters on health care costs.  METHODS: Publications reporting on associations between health care costs and walking parameters were identified by a systematic literature search in MEDLINE, Embase, and manual reference screening, following the PRISMA reporting guidelines. First, titles and abstracts were screened by two independent reviewers followed by a review of the full articles if they met the inclusion criteria...

BACKGROUND: The spread of the coronavirus in spring 2020 led to a lockdown of physical activity (PA) offers. The aim of this study was to investigate how PA, as well as general and mental health, in community-dwelling older adults were affected by the COVID-19 restrictions in Norway. METHODS: Invitation to participate in the study was sent via Facebook and the Norwegian Pensioners' Association. Inclusion criteria were being ≥ 65 years old and living at home...

INTRODUCTION: Aging is accompanied by changes in muscle mass, strength and loss of sensory, visual and auditive functions. However, these changes do not occur linearly, most spatiotemporal gait parameters change with aging. Age simulation suits have been invented to give young people an impression of the implications of being older and may be a useful tool in the scientific setting for gerontology research to validate any study concept before it becomes a pilot study. The rationale behind this study was to investigate the effects of an age simulation suit on gait parameters in young healthy adults and to compare the altered gait with healthy older, community-dwelling citizens...

BACKGROUND: Mild cognitive impairment often precedes dementia. The purpose of this analysis was to estimate the population attributable fraction for physical activity in Colombia, which is the reduction in cases that would occur if all participants were physically active. METHODS: The sample included 20,174 men and women aged 70.04 ± 7.68 years (mean ± SD) from the National Survey of Health, Wellbeing and Ageing. Trained interviewers administered a shorter version of the mini-mental state examination and mild cognitive impairment was defined as a score of 12 or less out of 19...

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

BACKGROUND: Physical inactivity and sedentary behavior are modifiable risk factors for chronic disease and all-cause mortality that may have been negatively impacted by the COVID-19 shutdowns. METHODS: Accelerometry data was retrospectively collected from 332 permanent pacemaker (PPM) and 244 implantable cardiac defibrillation (ICD) patients for 6 time points: March 15-May 15, 2020 (pandemic period), January 1-March 14, 2020, October 1-December 31, 2019, March 15-May 15, 2019, January 1-March 14, 2019, and October 1-December 31, 2018...

No abstract text is available yet for this article.