scholarly journals 73 Exercise Habit is Associated with Lower Fall Risks among Elderly People Living in Urban Areas

2019 ◽  
Vol 48 (Supplement_4) ◽  
pp. iv18-iv27
Author(s):  
Hisayo Yokoyama ◽  
Hitoshi Watanabe ◽  
Kazumi Saito ◽  
Ayane Shibata ◽  
Yuta Suzuki ◽  
...  

Abstract In the present super aged society that has limited financial resources for efficient health care for the elderly population, fall prevention is an urgent issue. The present study examined the relationship between exercise habit and fall risks among elderly people living in an urban area. A total of 1,014 elderly people (age: 65–89 years) living in Osaka City were enrolled in this study and assigned to 5 different age groups. The motor abilities of the participants were evaluated by the Functional Reach Test (FRT) and the Timed Up and Go (TUG) test, with the cutoff value for fall risk set at 25 cm and 13.5 s, respectively. Exercise habit (≤1 h, 1–2 h, or ≥2 h per week), history of recent falls, and anxiety about falling were also assessed using a questionnaire modified from the checklist by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare of Japan. The results of the FRT and TUG tests were increasingly poorer in higher age groups. History of recent falls and anxiety about falling were also more frequent in higher age groups (all p < .05). The prevalence of exercise habits was similar among the age groups. In the age groups >75 years, there was an association between exercise habit and a decrease in fall risks, based on the FRT results (all p < .05). The mean FRT value of the participants with the greatest exercise habit was equivalent to that of the generation 10 years younger with the lowest exercise habit. There was an association between exercise habit and decreased anxiety about falling (p = .003), but not with a history of recent falls. Our results suggest that exercise should be promoted among elderly people living in urban areas to contribute to fall prevention.

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Tomasz Cudejko ◽  
James Gardiner ◽  
Asangaedem Akpan ◽  
Kristiaan D’Août

AbstractPostural and walking instabilities contribute to falls in older adults. Given that shoes affect human locomotor stability and that visual, cognitive and somatosensory systems deteriorate during aging, we aimed to: (1) compare the effects of footwear type on stability and mobility in persons with a history of falls, and (2) determine whether the effect of footwear type on stability is altered by the absence of visual input or by an additional cognitive load. Thirty participants performed standing and walking trials in three footwear conditions, i.e. conventional shoes, minimal shoes, and barefoot. The outcomes were: (1) postural stability (movement of the center of pressure during eyes open/closed), (2) walking stability (Margin of Stability during normal/dual-task walking), (3) mobility (the Timed Up and Go test and the Star Excursion Balance test), and (4) perceptions of the shoes (Monitor Orthopaedic Shoes questionnaire). Participants were more stable during standing and walking in minimal shoes than in conventional shoes, independent of visual or walking condition. Minimal shoes were more beneficial for mobility than conventional shoes and barefoot. This study supports the need for longitudinal studies investigating whether minimal footwear is more beneficial for fall prevention in older people than conventional footwear.


2016 ◽  
Vol 38 (2) ◽  
pp. 129 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mariane Fernandes Ribeiro ◽  
Lislei Jorge Patrizzi ◽  
Vicente de Paula Antunes Teixeira ◽  
Ana Paula Espindula

To evaluate the equilibrium and flexibility of elderly people submitted to a training program involving physical therapy exercises. Six elderly people were selected, average age 69.66 years. Wells’s Bench and the Functional Reach Test (FRT) plus Timed Up and Go Test (TUG) were employed respectively to assess muscle flexibility and balance analysis. Tests were performed before and after the exercise program which consisted of thirty-five 50 min physical therapy group sessions, twice a week, with stretching exercises, gait training, active exercises, postural correction exercises and breathing exercises. Statistical analysis was done with Sigma-Stat® 3.5. Assessments occurred before and after sessions, and the final test was undertaken after 35 sessions. There was a statistically significant increase in the flexibility of the posterior muscle chain. In the TUG test, the group achieved a shorter time after treatment, with statistical significance between tests. There was a statistically significant increase in the average FRT after the sessions. Current study showed better results in the execution of tests evaluated after the program of physiotherapy activities, contributing towards the improvement of muscle flexibility and balance of elderly people. 


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Myeongkyu Kim ◽  
Misoo Chang ◽  
Eunwoo Nam ◽  
Seul Gi Kim ◽  
Sung-il Cho ◽  
...  

Abstract BackgroundFalling is one of the leading causes of injury among elderly populations. As the population over 65 years old increases, medical costs due to falling will also increase. Urban and rural areas have different fall characteristics, and research into these differences is lacking.MethodsA survey was conducted on 2,012 people over 60 years old between September 1, 2015 to October 12, 2015. Guro-gu (Seoul), Yeongdeungpo-gu (Seoul), and Jung-gu (Daegu) were classified as urban areas and included 1,205 of the study participants. Dalseong-gun (Daegu) and Yangpyeong-gun (Gyeonggi-do) were categorized as rural areas and included 807 participants. Several region characteristics, including population density, were considered to distinguish between urban and rural areas. The survey included questions about fall history, cause, season and time of recent falls, and external conditions associated with recent falls, like floor or ground material and shoe types.ResultsRural respondents were older than urban respondents (p<0.001) but did not differ significantly in gender proportion (p=0.082). Fall history over the past year was not different between the two regions (p=0.693), but lifetime fall history was greater among rural respondents (p<0.001). Only 5.1% of all respondents had undergone fall-prevention education. A slippery floor was the most common cause of falls in both regions, but there was a significant difference in pattern of fall causes (p<0.001). Falls were more frequent in the summer, spring, and the afternoon in urban areas, and in the summer, autumn, and the morning in rural areas. Cement and asphalt were the most common ground materials at the time of falls in both regions, but rural respondents had higher fall rates when walking on soil and when wearing slippers.ConclusionsA fall-prevention program that reflects the characteristics and differences of falls in urban and rural areas should be developed and used to effectively prevent falling among elderly people.


2016 ◽  
Vol 17 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Dorota Sadowska ◽  
Margareta Gumny ◽  
Wiesław Osiński

AbstractThe study aim was to analyse the relationships between the results of the Timed Up and Go (TUG) test and the Functional Reach Test (FRT), and the temporal and spatial gait parameters determined with the GAITRite system.The study included 60 healthy, physically active elderly people aged 70.4 ± 5.1 years. The participants’ functional fitness was evaluated with the TUG and FRT, and their temporal and spatial gait parameters – with the GAITRite system.The TUG results correlated inversely with the step length (Basic temporal and spatial parameters of gait at the preferred speed, i.e. velocity, step length, stance time, single support time, swing time, and double support time, explain up to 43% of the TUG outcome variance and 26% of the FRT results variance.


Author(s):  
María Consuelo Company-Sancho ◽  
Emma Alonso-Poncelas ◽  
Manuel Rich-Ruiz ◽  
María Ángeles Cidoncha-Moreno ◽  
Ana Gonzalez-Pisano ◽  
...  

Fall prevention is a key priority in healthcare policies. Multicomponent exercises reduce the risk of falls. The purpose of this study is to describe the relationship between functional performance and falls after following the Otago multicomponent exercise programme and previous falls. A prospective multi-centre intervention study was performed on 498 patients aged over 65 in primary care, with or without a history of previous falls. Sociodemographic, anthropometric and functionality data were collected. The primary outcome was the occurrence of falls; functional performance was measured using the Tinetti, Short Physical Performance Battery and Timed Up and Go tests. Among the patients, 29.7% referred to previous falls. There was a statistically significant (p < 0.001) increase in falls at 6 months (10.1%) and at 12 months (7.6%) among participants with previous falls in the baseline assessment compared to those without. In addition, the existence of previous falls could be considered a risk factor at 6 and 12 months (OR =2.37, p = 0.002, and OR = 1.76, p = 0.046, respectively). With regard to balance and gait, differences between the groups were observed at 6 months in the Tinetti score (p < 0.001) and in the baseline assessment Timed Up and Go score (p < 0.044). Multicomponent exercises improve the fall rate, balance and gait in older people, although this improvement is less in people with previous falls. Earlier intervention and tailoring of exercises in patients with previous falls could help improve outcomes.


2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (01) ◽  
pp. 39-45
Author(s):  
Suad Shallal Shahatha

This study was carried out to investigate the epidemiology of Giardia lamblia parasites in patients who visited some of the hospitals in Anbar province, which included (Fallujah Teaching Hospital, Ramadi Teaching Hospital, Ramadi Teaching Hospital for Women and Children and Hit Hospital) during by examining 864 stool samples in a direct examination method, The results revealed the infection rate was 41.7 % and the percentage of infection among males 47.8% is higher than that of females 35.4% with significant differences (p≤0.05). The age groups (1-9) years recorded the highest rates 55.4% and the lowest rate 13.6% in the age group (40-49) years. The highest rate of infection was 62.5% during the month of June, while the month of October was the lowest rate 5% and significant differences. The incidence rate in rural areas was 50.6% higher than in the urban areas 32.5%. The study also included the effect of Teucrium polium L. on the parasite in the culture media HSP-1, the concentrations of 0.5-3 mg / mL significantly affected Giardia, it was noted whenever the greater the concentration, the greater the effect during different treatment periods (1-4) days, as the highest concentration 3 mg/ml killed all Giardia parasites on the fourth day of treatment.


1992 ◽  
Vol 31 (3) ◽  
pp. 325-328
Author(s):  
Ziaul Haque

Modem economic factors and forces are rapidly transforming the world into a single society and economy in which the migration of people at the national and international levels plays an important role. Pakistan, as a modem nation, has characteristically been deeply influenced by such migrations, both national and international. The first great exodus occurred in 1947 when over eight million Indian Muslims migrated from different parts of India to Pakistan. Thus, from the very beginning mass population movements and migrations have been woven into Pakistan's social fabric through its history, culture and religion. These migrations have greatly influenced the form and substance of the national economy, the contours of the political system, patterns of urbanisation and the physiognomy of the overall culture and history of the country. The recent political divide of Sindh on rural/Sindhi, and urban/non-Sindhi, ethnic and linguistic lines is the direct result of these earlier settlements of these migrants in the urban areas of Sindh.


1990 ◽  
Vol 22 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 139-144 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Iwai ◽  
Y. Oshino ◽  
T. Tsukada

Although the ratio of sewer systems to population in Japan has been improving in recent years, the construction of sewer systems in small communities such as farming or fishing villages, etc. had lagged behind that of urban areas. However, construction of small-scale sewer systems in farming and fishing villages has been actively carried out in recent years. This report explains the history of the promotion of small-scale sewer systems, why submerged filter beds are being employed in many cases, and introduces the design, operation and maintenance of representative waste-water treatment plants in farming and fishing villages which incorporate de-nitrogen and dephosphorization.


Stanovnistvo ◽  
1999 ◽  
Vol 37 (1-4) ◽  
pp. 73-92
Author(s):  
Jelena Antonovic

Mass migration to urban areas constitutes the basic direct factor of the decline in rural population of Yugoslavia in the second half of the 20th century. Due to the characteristic migration patterns by age and sex, they have had a substantial impact on the change in age structure of rural population towards rapid demographic ageing. By inducing decline in fertility and an increase in mortality, the newly formed age structure is increasingly becoming one of the basic factors to further decline in population, or even the major factor to rural depopulation in the majority of regions. The paper analyzes changes in age structure of rural population in the FR of Yugoslavia and across its republics and provinces during the period from 1961 to 1991. The conditions prevailing during the last census (1991) are particularly highlighted. The author points to distinct differences in ageing of urban versus rural populations, and considerable regional differences at the achieved level of demographic age. Based on the main demographic age indicators (the share of five-year and larger age groups, average age, ageing index and movement in major age-specific contingents), the author concludes that the process of population ageing had taken place in both rural and urban populations, but was more intensive in villages (higher share of the aged, higher index of ageing and higher average age) during the period under review. The author points to distinct ageing of rural population in all republics and provinces. It was most prominent in central Serbia and Vojvodina, while being quite slow in Kosovo and Metohia and recorded mainly in between the last two censuses (1981-1991). Likewise, Kosovo and Metohia constitute the only major region of Yugoslavia in which rural population in 1991 is still demographically younger than the population in urban settlements. Rural versus urban population ageing was much more intensive in other major regions of the country, both from the base and from the apex of the age pyramid. In view of the minimal differences in fertility and mortality levels by type of settlement (particularly in central Serbia and Vojvodina), the author argues that the inherited age structure constitutes the main cause of rapid acceleration in rural population ageing in low fertility regions.


2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hossein Estiri ◽  
Zachary H. Strasser ◽  
Jeffy G. Klann ◽  
Pourandokht Naseri ◽  
Kavishwar B. Wagholikar ◽  
...  

AbstractThis study aims to predict death after COVID-19 using only the past medical information routinely collected in electronic health records (EHRs) and to understand the differences in risk factors across age groups. Combining computational methods and clinical expertise, we curated clusters that represent 46 clinical conditions as potential risk factors for death after a COVID-19 infection. We trained age-stratified generalized linear models (GLMs) with component-wise gradient boosting to predict the probability of death based on what we know from the patients before they contracted the virus. Despite only relying on previously documented demographics and comorbidities, our models demonstrated similar performance to other prognostic models that require an assortment of symptoms, laboratory values, and images at the time of diagnosis or during the course of the illness. In general, we found age as the most important predictor of mortality in COVID-19 patients. A history of pneumonia, which is rarely asked in typical epidemiology studies, was one of the most important risk factors for predicting COVID-19 mortality. A history of diabetes with complications and cancer (breast and prostate) were notable risk factors for patients between the ages of 45 and 65 years. In patients aged 65–85 years, diseases that affect the pulmonary system, including interstitial lung disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung cancer, and a smoking history, were important for predicting mortality. The ability to compute precise individual-level risk scores exclusively based on the EHR is crucial for effectively allocating and distributing resources, such as prioritizing vaccination among the general population.


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