Older Adults’ Objectively Monitored Walking Behaviors and the Factors that Shape Them

2016 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 81-86
Author(s):  
Catrine Tudor-Locke ◽  
Stephanie Broyles
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Chronic Conditions ◽  
Functional Mobility ◽  
Collective Knowledge ◽  
Research Gaps ◽  
Active Lifestyle ◽  
Physically Active ◽  
Healthy Older Adults ◽  
Individual Program ◽  
Apparently Healthy

The focus of a physically active lifestyle for older adults is to preserve functional mobility and delay losses associated with decrepitude in later years. Since ambulation is of utmost importance to older adults’ mobility, the purpose of this nonexhaustive review is to consider older adults’ walking behaviors objectively captured as steps/day and the factors that shape them. Summarized evidence currently indicates that apparently healthy older adults accumulate between 2,000–9,000 steps/day and that older adults living with disabilities and/or chronic conditions average approximately 1,200–8,800 steps/day. The scientific body of objectively monitored knowledge focused on potential individual, program, and contextual factors that shape older adults’ walking behaviors expressed as steps/day (i.e., their ability to and practice of getting “out and about”) is infantile at this time. We provide a simple research agenda to spark scholarly efforts to address research gaps and opportunities in the collective knowledge base.

scholarly journals Physically active lifestyle is associated with attenuation of hippocampal dysfunction in healthy older adults

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tamir Eisenstein ◽  
Nir Giladi ◽  
Talma Hendler ◽  
Ofer Havakuk ◽  
Yulia Lerner
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Recognition Task ◽  
Activity Level ◽  
Memory Encoding ◽  
Hippocampal Function ◽  
Active Lifestyle ◽  
Physically Active ◽  
Healthy Older Adults ◽  
Hippocampal Dysfunction ◽  
Cognitively Intact

Alterations in hippocampal function have been shown in older adults, expressed as changes in hippocampal activity and connectivity. While hippocampal activation during memory demands have been demonstrated to decrease with age, some older individuals present increased activity, or hyperactivity, of the hippocampus which is associated with increased neuropathology and poorer memory function. In addition, lower functional coherence between the hippocampus and core hubs of the default mode network (DMN), namely the posteromedial and medial prefrontal cortices, as well as increased local intrahippocampal connectivity, were also demonstrated in cognitively intact older adults. Aerobic exercise has been shown to elicit neuroprotective effects on hippocampal structure and vasculature in aging, and improvements in maximal aerobic capacity (MAC) have been suggested to mediate these exercise-related effects. However, how these lifestyle factors relate to hippocampal function is not clear. Fifty-two cognitively intact older adults (age 65-80) have been recruited and divided into physically active (n=29) or non-active (n=23) groups based on their aerobic activity lifestyle habits. Participants underwent resting-state as well as task-based fMRI experiments which included an associative memory encoding paradigm followed by a post-scan memory recognition test. In addition, forty-four participants also performed cardiopulmonary exercise tests to evaluate MAC. While both groups demonstrated increased anterior hippocampal activation during memory encoding, physically active lifestyle was associated with significantly lower activity level and higher memory performance in the recognition task. In addition, the physically active group also demonstrated higher functional connectivity of the anterior and posterior hippocampi with the core hubs of the DMN, and lower local intra-hippocampal connectivity within and between hemispheres. MAC was negatively associated with hippocampal activation level and demonstrated positive correlation with hippocampal-DMN connectivity. According to these findings, aerobically active lifestyle may be associated with attenuation of hippocampal dysfunction in cognitively healthy older adults.

scholarly journals Sport Involvement Among Middle-Aged and Older Adults With Arthritis: Motivations and Constraints to Participation

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 405-405
Author(s):  
Megan Janke ◽  
Julie Son ◽  
Jill Naar ◽  
Stephanie West ◽  
Toni Liechty ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Sport Participation ◽  
The United States ◽  
Functional Mobility ◽  
Online Questionnaire ◽  
Physically Active ◽  
Social Wellbeing ◽  
Constraint Negotiation ◽  
Active Leisure ◽  
Physically Active Leisure

Abstract Although participation in physical activity is recommended for adults with arthritis, research indicates individuals often stop participating in sports and physically active leisure due to the pain and symptoms associated with arthritis (Wilcox et al., 2006). Examining a group of older adults with arthritis, the present study examines motivations and constraints related to participating in sport and physically active leisure as well as how they negotiate constraints. Data (N=1203) were collected through an online questionnaire of adults aged 50 and older in the United States. This study includes individuals reporting a diagnosis of some form of arthritis (n=288; M age = 64.8, SD = 8.08). Approximately 32% self-reported participation in sport in the past 12 months. Descriptive statistics were conducted to explore motivations and constraints to sport involvement. Regressions were run to determine whether constraints and motivations explained adults’ functional mobility and social wellbeing. The most commonly identified motivation for participation was for health purposes (80.2%). Constraints to participation included not being in good enough shape (51.9%) and not having others their age with whom to participate (47.4%). The most commonly identified constraint negotiation was to budget money (51.4%); this is not surprising since sport participation was perceived as expensive (41.3%). Motivations (p<.01) and constraints (p<.001) significantly predicted functional mobility; constraints significantly predicted some aspects of social wellbeing (i.e., coherence, contribution, actualization; p<.05) while constraint negotiation predicted social acceptance (p<.05) and integration (p<.001). Discussion will include implications and strategies for agencies and professionals who work with adults who have arthritis.

Short-term Effects of Whole-Body Vibration on Functional Mobility and Flexibility in Healthy, Older Adults

2014 ◽  
Vol 37 (2) ◽  
pp. 58-64 ◽  
Author(s):  
Taishi Tsuji ◽  
Naruki Kitano ◽  
Kenji Tsunoda ◽  
Erika Himori ◽  
Tomohiro Okura ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Whole Body Vibration ◽  
Functional Mobility ◽  
Whole Body ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Healthy Older Adults ◽  
Body Vibration ◽  
Short Term Effects

Screening Efficiency of the Revised Physical Activity Readiness Questionnaire in Older Adults

1995 ◽  
Vol 3 (3) ◽  
pp. 299-308 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bradley J. Cardinal ◽  
Marita K. Cardinal
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Expert Panel ◽  
Cohen’S Kappa ◽  
Healthy Older Adults ◽  
Activity Involvement ◽  
Physical Activity Readiness Questionnaire ◽  
Cohen's Kappa ◽  
Screening Efficiency ◽  
Apparently Healthy

The Physical Activity Readiness Questionnaire (PARQ) offers a safe preexercise screening of participants prior to physical activity involvement. However, the measure seems to screen out a relatively high proportion of apparently healthy older adults. In an attempt to improve this situation, an expert panel convened by Fitness Canada worked to revise the measure (rPARQ). The present study compares the number of exclusions resulting from the original and revised PARQ instruments in older adults (84 men, 85 women;Mage 76.5 yrs). The number of participants screened out by the rPARQ decreased significantly (p< .001), from 139 to 105. Agreement between measures was achieved in 78.7% of the participants (Cohen's kappa = .50). In an effort to promote physical activity involvement, researchers and practitioners are encouraged to consider the use of the recently developed rPARQ over the PARQ as a preexercise screening alternative.

scholarly journals An Ontology-Based Framework for a Telehealthcare System to Foster Healthy Nutrition and Active Lifestyle in Older Adults

Electronics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (17) ◽  
pp. 2129
Author(s):  
Daniele Spoladore ◽  
Vera Colombo ◽  
Sara Arlati ◽  
Atieh Mahroo ◽  
Alberto Trombetta ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Diabetes Mellitus ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Chronic Conditions ◽  
Wearable Sensors ◽  
Health Conditions ◽  
Active Lifestyle ◽  
Related Data ◽  
Healthy Nutrition ◽  
Future Work ◽  
Specific Health

In recent years, telehealthcare systems (TSs) have become more and more widespread, as they can contribute to promoting the continuity of care and managing chronic conditions efficiently. Most TSs and nutrition recommendation systems require much information to return appropriate suggestions. This work proposes an ontology-based TS, namely HeNuALs, aimed at fostering a healthy diet and an active lifestyle in older adults with chronic pathologies. The system is built on the formalization of users’ health conditions, which can be obtained by leveraging existing standards. This allows for modeling different pathologies via reusable knowledge, thus limiting the amount of information needed to retrieve nutritional indications from the system. HeNuALs is composed of (1) an ontological layer that stores patients and their data, food and its characteristics, and physical activity-related data, enabling the inference a series of suggestions based on the effects of foods and exercises on specific health conditions; (2) two applications that allow both the patient and the clinicians to access the data (with different permissions) stored in the ontological layer; and (3) a series of wearable sensors that can be used to monitor physical exercise (provided by the patient application) and to ensure patients' safety. HeNuALs inferences have been validated considering two different use cases. The system revealed the ability to determine suggestions for healthy, adequate, or unhealthy dishes for a patient with respiratory disease and for a patient with diabetes mellitus. Future work foresees the extension of the HeNuALs knowledge base by exploiting automatic knowledge retrieval approaches and validation of the whole system with target users.

P4-171: DEMENTIA PATIENTS ARE MORE SEDENTARY AND LESS PHYSICALLY ACTIVE THAN AGE- AND SEX-MATCHED COGNITIVELY HEALTHY OLDER ADULTS

2006 ◽  
Vol 14 (7S_Part_28) ◽  
pp. P1504-P1505
Author(s):  
Esther G.A. Karssemeijer ◽  
Yvonne A.W. Hartman ◽  
Lisanne E.A.M. van Diepen ◽  
Marcel G.M. Olde Rikkert ◽  
Dick H.J. Thijssen
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Physically Active ◽  
Healthy Older Adults ◽  
Dementia Patients ◽  
Age And Sex

scholarly journals A Systematic Review on the Cognitive Benefits and Neurophysiological Correlates of Exergaming in Healthy Older Adults

2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (5) ◽  
pp. 734 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert Stojan ◽  
Claudia Voelcker-Rehage
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Cognitive Functions ◽  
Cognitive Outcomes ◽  
Cochrane Library ◽  
Video Gaming ◽  
Physically Active ◽  
Healthy Older Adults ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Cognitive Benefits

Human aging is associated with structural and functional brain deteriorations and a corresponding cognitive decline. Exergaming (i.e., physically active video-gaming) has been supposed to attenuate age-related brain deteriorations and may even improve cognitive functions in healthy older adults. Effects of exergaming, however, vary largely across studies. Moreover, the underlying neurophysiological mechanisms by which exergaming may affect cognitive and brain function are still poorly understood. Therefore, we systematically reviewed the effects of exergame interventions on cognitive outcomes and neurophysiological correlates in healthy older adults (>60 years). After screening 2709 studies (Cochrane Library, PsycINFO, Pubmed, Scopus), we found 15 eligible studies, four of which comprised neurophysiological measures. Most studies reported within group improvements in exergamers and favorable interaction effects compared to passive controls. Fewer studies found superior effects of exergaming over physically active control groups and, if so, solely for executive functions. Regarding individual cognitive domains, results showed no consistence. Positive effects on neurophysiological outcomes were present in all respective studies. In summary, exergaming seems to be equally or slightly more effective than other physical interventions on cognitive functions in healthy older adults. Tailored interventions using well-considered exergames and intervention designs, however, may result in more distinct effects on cognitive functions.

German senior citizens’ capabilities for physical activity: a qualitative study

2018 ◽  
Vol 34 (6) ◽  
pp. 1117-1129 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexandra Sauter ◽  
Janina Curbach ◽  
Jana Rueter ◽  
Verena Lindacher ◽  
Julika Loss
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Social Interactions ◽  
Capability Approach ◽  
Senior Citizens ◽  
Close Contact ◽  
Individual Factors ◽  
Active Lifestyle ◽  
Physically Active ◽  
Health Promoting ◽  
Active Lifestyles

Abstract Sen’s capability approach (CA) has found its way into health promotion over the last few years. The approach takes both individual factors as well as social and environmental conditions into account and therefore appears to have great potential to explore opportunities for (‘capabilities’) and barriers to active lifestyles. Thus, our objective in this study was to investigate which capabilities senior citizens perceive to have available to them in order to be physically active. In Southern Germany, we conducted 26 semi-standardized interviews with senior citizens aged 66–97, as well as 9 interviews with key persons who have close contact to senior citizens in their work life. We identified 11 capabilities which the interviewees considered as important in leading an active lifestyle. They could be grouped into four domains: (1) individual resources, (2) social interactions and norms, (3) living conditions and (4) organizational environment. Results highlight the need for health-promoting interventions that widen the range of capabilities on social and environmental levels in a way that individuals can freely choose to be as physically active as they like. The results make clear that interventions should not only target and involve older adults themselves, but also their families, nursing home staff or community representatives, because these groups are important in shaping older adults’ capabilities for an active lifestyle.

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