The relationship between dietary variety and frailty in Japanese older adult women during the period of restriction on outings due to COVID-19

Abstract Objective This study investigated the relationship between diet and frailty in community-dwelling older adults during the period of restriction on outings due to COVID-19. A population of 322 women aged 65 years or older living in the community was recruited for the study, of whom 253 were analyzed. Method A mail survey was carried out in May 2020, targeting adults aged 65 years or older. The survey included questions regarding sex, age, height, weight, and social participation. Dietary variety score and frailty score were also calculated. Results Mean age for the 253 participants was 80.0±6.4 years. Dietary variety score and frailty score were significantly correlated under linear regression analysis (β :-0.224, P < 0.001). In multivariate regression analysis, these factors remained significantly correlated in Model 2 , which was adjusted for age (β :-0.229, P < 0.001), and Model 3, which was adjusted for age, BMI, and other confounding factors (β :-0.208, P = 0.001). Conclusion Diet was correlated with frailty in older adults living in the community during the period of restriction on outings due to COVID-19.

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Limitations in Physical Activities and Loneliness: The Role of Guilt for Perceiving Oneself as a Burden

Innovation in Aging ◽

10.1093/geroni/igab046.1763 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. 457-457

Author(s):

María del Sequeros Chaparro ◽

Isabel Cabrera ◽

Carlos Vara-García ◽

José Adrián Fernandes-Pires ◽

Samara Barrera-Caballero ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Regression Analysis ◽

Daily Life ◽

Functional Limitations ◽

Linear Regression Analysis ◽

Physical Activities ◽

Community Dwelling ◽

Gender And Age ◽

The Relationship

Abstract Loneliness is a prevalent problem associated with negative health consequences for older adults, such as greater cognitive decline. Limitations to perform physical activities have been associated with greater loneliness in older adults. This association could be moderated by maladaptive social cognition or feelings, such as guilt associated with perceiving oneself as a burden. The objective of this study was to analyze the moderating effect of guilt associated with perceiving oneself as a burden in the relationship between limitations in physical activities and loneliness. Participants were 195 community-dwelling people 60 years or older not showing explicit cognitive or functional limitations that prevent activities of daily life, but who may present limitations in some physical activities (e.g., walking a kilometer or more). A linear regression analysis was conducted for testing the interaction between limitations in physical activities and guilt for perceiving oneself as a burden in loneliness, controlling for gender and age. The interaction between limitations in physical activities and guilt for perceiving oneself as a burden was the only significant predictor of loneliness and the model explained 18.30% of the variance. Limitations in physical activities influenced loneliness when people have high levels of guilt for perceiving oneself as a burden. This study suggests that guilt for perceiving oneself as a burden may play an important role in the association between limitations in some physical activities and loneliness.

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Association between objectively measured walking steps and sleep in community-dwelling older adults: A prospective cohort study

PLoS ONE ◽

10.1371/journal.pone.0243910 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 15 (12) ◽

pp. e0243910

Author(s):

Noriyuki Kimura ◽

Yasuhiro Aso ◽

Kenichi Yabuuchi ◽

Etsuro Matsubara

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Sleep Disturbances ◽

Linear Regression Analysis ◽

Community Dwelling ◽

Sleep Efficiency ◽

Ageing Society ◽

Sleep Parameters ◽

Objectively Measured ◽

Community Dwelling Older Adults ◽

The Relationship

Physical inactivity and sleep disturbances are major problems in an ageing society. There is increasing evidence that physical activity is associated with sleep quality. However, the association between daily walking steps and sleep remain unclear. This prospective study examined the relationship between objectively measured daily walking steps and sleep parameters in Japanese community-dwelling older adults. In total, 855 community-dwelling individuals aged 65 and above, with an uninterrupted follow-up from August 2015 to March 2016, were enrolled. The participants wore a wristband sensor for an average of 7.8 days every three months. Multiple linear regression analysis was performed to examine the relationship between daily walking steps and sleep parameters, including the total sleep time, sleep efficiency, time awake after sleep onset (WASO), awakening time count during the night, and naptime. The median (interquartile range, IQR) age of the participants was 73 (69–78) years, with 317 (37.1%) men and 538 (62.9%) women. The median (IQR) educational level was 12 (11–12) years, and the median (IQR) Mini-Mental State Examination score was 29 (27–30) points. The number of daily walking steps showed a positive correlation with sleep efficiency and an inverse correlation with WASO, awakening time count, and naptime, after adjusting for covariates and correcting for the false discovery rate (β = 0.098, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.034 to 0.162, p = 0.003; β = −0.107, 95% CI: −0.172 to −0.043, p = 0.001; β = −0.105, 95% CI: −0.17 to −0.04, p = 0.002; and β = −0.31, 95% CI: −0.371 to −0.249, p < 0.001, respectively). Our results can help promote walking as an intervention for preventing sleep disturbances in community-dwelling older adults.

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Relationship between Sarcopenia and Swallowing Capacity in Community-Dwelling Older Women

Gerontology ◽

10.1159/000511359 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 66 (6) ◽

pp. 549-552

Author(s):

Mizue Suzuki ◽

Yosuke Kimura ◽

Yuhei Otobe ◽

Tomoe Kikuchi ◽

Hiroaki Masuda ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Regression Analysis ◽

Multiple Regression Analysis ◽

Older Women ◽

Multiple Regression ◽

Swallowing Disorders ◽

Community Dwelling ◽

Health Concern ◽

Swallowing Capacity ◽

The Relationship

Background: Swallowing disorders are a serious health concern among older adults. Previous studies reported that sarcopenia may affect swallowing disorders; however, whether sarcopenia is related to the capacity to swallow (measured according to swallowing speed) in community-dwelling older adults is unclear. Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between sarcopenia and swallowing capacity in community-dwelling older women. Methods: This cross-sectional observational study was conducted among community-dwelling older women in Japan. The inclusion criteria were as follows: women aged ≥65 years, with the ability to walk independently, and without dysphagia. The exclusion criterion was a history of stroke or Parkinson’s disease that directly caused dysphagia. The participants were divided into a sarcopenia and a healthy group based on the criteria of the Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia 2019. We measured swallowing speed (mL/s) as the swallowing capacity by conducting a 100-mL water-swallowing test. To assess the relationship between sarcopenia and swallowing capacity, we performed a multiple regression analysis. Results: Two-hundred and sixty participants were enrolled in the study. Their mean age was 82.3 ± 6.9 years, and 61 (23.5%) of them displayed sarcopenia. The mean swallowing speed was 11.5 ± 4.9 mL/s, and 17 women (6.5%) exhibited choking or a wet-hoarse voice. Multiple regression analysis revealed that sarcopenia was related to the swallowing capacity after adjusting for age, the Mini-Mental State Examination, and the number of comorbidities (β = –0.20, 95% CI –3.78 to –0.86, p = 0.002). Conclusions: We found that sarcopenia was related to the swallowing capacity in older women in this study. Future research should clarify whether a similar relationship exists in older men as well as the effect of sarcopenia on the swallowing capacity in older adults over a period of time.

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Poor Acceptance of the Past is Related to Depressive Symptoms in Older Adults

GeroPsych ◽

10.1024/1662-9647/a000227 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 33 (4) ◽

pp. 246-251

Author(s):

Gozde Cetinkol ◽

Gulbahar Bastug ◽

E. Tugba Ozel Kizil

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Regression Analysis ◽

Depressive Symptoms ◽

Death Anxiety ◽

Geriatric Depression ◽

Ego Integrity ◽

The Past ◽

Depressed Group ◽

Total Death ◽

The Relationship

Abstract. Depression in older adults can be explained by Erikson’s theory on the conflict of ego integrity versus hopelessness. The study investigated the relationship between past acceptance, hopelessness, death anxiety, and depressive symptoms in 100 older (≥50 years) adults. The total Beck Hopelessness (BHS), Geriatric Depression (GDS), and Accepting the Past (ACPAST) subscale scores of the depressed group were higher, while the total Death Anxiety (DAS) and Reminiscing the Past (REM) subscale scores of both groups were similar. A regression analysis revealed that the BHS, DAS, and ACPAST predicted the GDS. Past acceptance seems to be important for ego integrity in older adults.

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The Influences of Palindromes in mRNA on Protein Folding Rates

Protein and Peptide Letters ◽

10.2174/0929866526666191014144015 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 27 (4) ◽

pp. 303-312 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Ruifang Li ◽

Hong Li ◽

Sarula Yang ◽

Xue Feng

Keyword(s):

Protein Folding ◽

Regression Analysis ◽

Linear Regression ◽

Linear Regression Analysis ◽

Folding Rate ◽

Folding Rates ◽

Negative Linear Correlation ◽

Protein Folding Rate ◽

The Relationship ◽

Structure Environment

Background: It is currently believed that protein folding rates are influenced by protein structure, environment and temperature, amino acid sequence and so on. We have been working for long to determine whether and in what ways mRNA affects the protein folding rate. A large number of palindromes aroused our attention in our previous research. Whether these palindromes do have important influences on protein folding rates and what’s the mechanism? Very few related studies are focused on these problems. Objective: In this article, our motivation is to find out if palindromes have important influences on protein folding rates and what’s the mechanism. Method: In this article, the parameters of the palindromes were defined and calculated, the linear regression analysis between the values of each parameter and the experimental protein folding rates were done. Furthermore, to compare the results of different kinds of proteins, proteins were classified into the two-state proteins and the multi-state proteins. For the two kinds of proteins, the above linear regression analysis were performed respectively. Results : Protein folding rates were negatively correlated to the palindrome frequencies for all proteins. An extremely significant negative linear correlation appeared in the relationship between palindrome densities and protein folding rates. And the repeatedly used bases by different palindromes simultaneously have an important effect on the relationship between palindrome density and protein folding rate. Conclusion: The palindromes have important influences on protein folding rates, and the repeatedly used bases in different palindromes simultaneously play a key role in influencing the protein folding rates.

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Bidirectional Relationship Between Subjective Age and Frailty: Findings From the NHATS

Innovation in Aging ◽

10.1093/geroni/igaa057.867 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. 271-271

Author(s):

Yuxiao Li ◽

Minhui Liu ◽

Christina Miyawaki ◽

Xiaocao Sun ◽

Tianxue Hou ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Clinical Syndrome ◽

Community Dwelling ◽

Chronological Age ◽

Subjective Age ◽

Bidirectional Relationship ◽

Study Participants ◽

Community Dwelling Older Adults ◽

The Relationship ◽

Hispanic White

Abstract Frailty is a clinical syndrome that becomes increasingly common as people age. Subjective age refers to how young or old individuals experience themselves to be. It is associated with many risk factors of frailty, such as increased depression, worse cognitive function, and poorer psychological wellbeing. In this study, we examined the relationship between subjective age and frailty using the 2011-2015 waves of the National Health and Aging Trends Study. Participants were community-dwelling older adults without frailty in the initial wave (N=1,165). Subjective age was measured by asking participants, “What age do you feel most of the time?” Based on the Fried five phenotypic criteria: exhaustion, unintentional weight loss, low physical activity, slow gait, and weak grip strength, frailty was categorized into robust=0, pre-frail=1 or 2; frail=3 or more criteria met. Participants were, on average, 74.1±6.5 years old, female (52%), and non-Hispanic White (81%). Eighty-five percent of the participants felt younger, and 3% felt older than their chronological age, but 41% of them were pre-frail/frail. Generalized estimating equations revealed that an “older” subjective age predicted a higher likelihood of pre-frailty and frailty (OR, 95%CI= 1.01, 1.01-1.02). In contrast, frailty predicted an “older” subjective age (OR, 95%CI= 2.97, 1.65-5.35) adjusting for demographics and health conditions. These findings suggest a bidirectional relationship between subjective age and frailty. Older people who feel younger than their chronological age are at reduced risk of becoming pre-frail/frail. Intervention programs to delay frailty progression should include strategies that may help older adults perceive a younger subjective age.

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The Effect of Neighborhood Experiences on Positive Mental Health Among Community-Dwelling Older Adults

Innovation in Aging ◽

10.1093/geroni/igaa057.1408 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. 436-436

Author(s):

Daniel R Y Gan ◽

Grand H-L Cheng ◽

Tze Pin Ng ◽

John Chye Fung ◽

Im Sik Cho

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Older Adults ◽

Path Analysis ◽

Linear Regression Analysis ◽

Psychosocial Health ◽

Positive Mental Health ◽

Community Dwelling ◽

Neighborhood Environment ◽

Community Based Interventions ◽

Psychosocial Wellbeing

Abstract Given reduced life spaces, the neighborhood often functions as a social venue for older adults. Yet how these everyday social spaces affect older adults’ psychosocial wellbeing remains largely unknown. Drawing on the GRP-CARE Survey data, this paper examined the relation between neighborhood experiences and positive mental health. Participants were 601 community-dwelling Singaporeans aged 50+ who lived in public housing neighborhoods. Neighborhood experiences were measured using the four-factorial, 16-item OpenX scale (Gan, Fung, Cho, 2019); positive mental health was measured using a six-factorial, 19-item scale (Vaingankar et al., 2011). Both scales have good psychometric properties and had been validated. Path analysis between relevant factors of both scales was conducted using Stata, within a theorized model of causation from neighborhood environment to social factors to psychosocial health. Age, education, ethnicity and sex were controlled for. Multiple linear regression analysis showed a strong, positive association between neighborhood experiences and mental health (p=0.000) even after controlling for personal traits (operationalized as depressive symptoms, GDS) in addition to sociodemographic variables. Path analysis showed that two distinct neighborhood health processes mediated this association. These were (1) the potential for a sense of community in the neighborhood improved emotional support, and (2) having better neighborly friendships improved interpersonal skills. These neighborhood health processes provide us with new lenses to understand older adults’ everyday experiences of their neighborhoods. Community-based interventions to improve older adults’ psychosocial wellbeing may be developed to facilitate these processes. Spatial and programmatic implications will be discussed in relation to age-friendly cities and communities (AFCC).

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Relationship between Oral Hypofunction and Sarcopenia in Community-Dwelling Older Adults: The Otassha Study

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph18126666 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 18 (12) ◽

pp. 6666

Author(s):

Yoshihiro Kugimiya ◽

Masanori Iwasaki ◽

Yuki Ohara ◽

Keiko Motokawa ◽

Ayako Edahiro ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Logistic Regression ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Albumin Level ◽

Community Dwelling ◽

Tongue Pressure ◽

Swallowing Function ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Community Dwelling Older Adults ◽

The Relationship

Oral hypofunction, resulting from a combined decrease in multiple oral functions, may affect systemic-condition deterioration; however, few studies have examined the association between oral hypofunction and general health among older adults. In this cross-sectional study, we examined the relationship between oral hypofunction and sarcopenia in community-dwelling older adults. We included 878 adults (268 men and 610 women, mean age 76.5 ± 8.3 years). Tongue coating index, oral moisture, occlusal force, oral diadochokinesis (/pa/,/ta/,/ka/), tongue pressure, mas-ticatory function, and swallowing function were evaluated as indicators of oral hypofunction. Grip strength, gait speed, and skeletal muscle mass index were measured as diagnostic sarcopenia parameters. The association between oral hypofunction and sarcopenia was examined via logistic regression using sarcopenia as the dependent variable. Oral hypofunction prevalence was 50.5% overall, 40.3% in men, and 54.9% in women. The prevalence of sarcopenia was 18.6% overall, 9.7% in men, and 22.5% in women. A logistic regression showed oral hypofunction, age, body mass index, higher-level functional capacity, and serum albumin level were significantly associated with sarcopenia. Sarcopenia occurred at an increased frequency in patients diagnosed with oral hypofunction (odds ratio: 1.59, 95% confidence interval: 1.02–2.47); accordingly, oral hypofunction appears to be significantly associated with sarcopenia.

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Prospective Associations of Physical Frailty With Future Falls and Fear of Falling: A 48-Month Cohort Study

Physical Therapy ◽

10.1093/ptj/pzab059 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

K Makino ◽

S Lee ◽

S Bae ◽

I Chiba ◽

K Harada ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Cohort Study ◽

Fear Of Falling ◽

Community Dwelling ◽

Cardiovascular Health Study ◽

Physical Frailty ◽

Frailty Status ◽

Community Dwelling Older Adults ◽

The Relationship

Abstract Objective The present study aimed to examine the prospective associations of physical frailty with future falls and fear of falling (FOF) among community-dwelling older adults. Methods A prospective cohort study with a 48-month follow-up was conducted in a Japanese community. Participants were 2469 community-dwelling older adults aged 65 years or older who completed baseline and follow-up assessments at intervals of 48±2 months. Primary outcomes were recent falls (defined as at least one fall within the past year) and FOF (determined by response to “Are you afraid of falling?”) at follow-up survey. Physical frailty, operationalized by the frailty phenotype (slowness, weakness, exhaustion, weight loss, and low activity) based on the criteria of the Japanese version of the Cardiovascular Health Study (J-CHS), was also assessed as a predictor of future falls and FOF. Results Multivariate logistic regression showed that pre-frailty or frailty increase the risk of not only future falls (OR: 1.57; 95%CI = 1.20-2.05) but also FOF (OR: 1.33; 95%CI = 1.05-1.69). In addition, the relationship between baseline frailty status and future falls remained significant after adjusting for baseline FOF (OR: 1.55; 95%CI = 1.19-2.02), and the relationship between baseline frailty status and future FOF also remained significant after adjusting for baseline falls (OR: 1.32; 95%CI = 1.04-1.68). Conclusions Frailty status may predict future falls and FOF among community-dwelling older adults. Strategies to prevent frailty may be beneficial to prevent not only future falls but also future FOF in a community setting. Impact Falls and FOF have a close relationship but a different clinical meaning. Older adults with physical frailty may require monitoring as high-risk not only for falls but also for FOF.

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