The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationships of fundamental physical fitness (FPF) and health-conditions, activities of daily living, and food habits in elderly women.
A total of 338 women aged 60 to 89 years were the subjects for this study. Fourteen tests were selected from 4 physical fitness domains of muscle function, joint function (flexibility), neuromuscular function and lung function, considering the validity, safety and convenience of tests. To measure the above-stated living conditions, a questionnaire consisting of 30 items was constructed. Principal component analysis was applied to the correlation matrix, which was calculated from physical fitness variables. The first principal component could be interpreted as the FPF factor, since it correlated significantly with all physical fitness variables and showed the greatest contribution (about 36%) to total variance. Statistical techniques of contingency coefficient and theory of quantification I were used to determine the influence of the above-stated living conditions to FPF.
It was inferred that each living condition influences FPF as a composite factor, and the elements of exercise habit, the existence of the trouble caused by past disease and injury, bedtime and age have greater influence on the decline of FPF. Fundamental physical fitness showed a decreasing trend with age, but the continuous exercise enforcement on one day or more a week, seemed to be effective in postponing the decline of FPF related to age. Further, it was inferred that influence of each living condition to FPF differs in the 60 and 70 age levels.

Objectives: This study aimed to determine the activity groupings reflecting functional characteristics required in daily life for the institutionalized dependent females in the old-old elderly group, by examining the interrelationships of activities based on actual achievement characteristics. Methods: The participants were 697 dependent elderly living at welfare institutions in Japan and 344 old-old females were used for analysis. Factor analysis, based on Promax with the Kaiser Normalization method, was conducted using 74 activities of daily living (ADL) items to determine activity groups. Furthermore, whether each activity group could be classified into sub-groups was confirmed by applying factor analysis to the activities consisting of each activity group. Results: Four activity groups of lower extremity activities, manual activities, changing and holding posture activities, and upper extremity and dexterous manual activities were interpreted. Except for the manual activity group, these activity groups were classified into two sub-groups. Conclusions: These activity groupings were characterized by similarities of the body parts used in achievement and the difficulty of activity. The activity groupings obtained in this study are considered to be useful in ADL assessment focusing on evaluating functional characteristics of the dependent elderly.
Elderly ; Old episode ; Manuals ; livin ; g <3>

Age and gender differences in ADL ability were investigated using 568 Japanese partially dependent older people (PD, Mean age=82.2 ±7.76 years) living in welfare institutions. The subjects were asked about 17 ADL items representing 7 ADL domains by the professional staff working at subjects’ institutions. Each item was assessed by a dichotomous scale of “possible” or “impossible”. Item proportions of “possible” response were calculated for gender and age groups (60s, 70s, 80s and 90s). Two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) using the arcsine transformation method indicated no gender differences. Significant decreases in ADL ability with aging were found in 13 of the 17 items. The dependency of ADL in the PD significantly increases with aging, and there is no significant difference in this trend between men and women. The dependency of more difficult activities using lower limb increase from the 70s, and independency of low-difficult activities such as manual activities, feeding and changing posture while lying is maintained until the 80s and over.
Activities of Daily Living ; Ability ; Gender ; PUPILLARY DISTANCE ; age differences

A study was performed to examine sex and age differences in physique and physical fitness and the sex differences in the change of these parameters with age, and to clarify the relationship between the amount of exercise and fundamental physical fitness in 326 healthy elderly individuals over 60 years of age.
A total of 22 variables consisting of 9 items concerning body linearity, quantitative growth, circumference growth and posture, and 13 items representing 4 domains (muscular, joint, neural, and cardiorespiratory functions) were selected. The exercise performance index (EPI) was calculated as the product of frequency and duration (yr) of exercise. The sex and age differences in physique and physical fitness were examined using two-way ANOVA (sex × age group) . Post hoc tests using Ryan's procedure were carried out when the main effect of these factors proved significant. To examine the characteristics of changes in physique and physical fitness with age, Pearson's correlation coefficient was calculated, and linear regression analysis [test item was the dependent variable (X) and age was the independent variable (Y) ] was applied. Then significant differences in the regression coefficient and intercept between males and females were examined. Furthermore, curved-line regression analysis was executed for the above variables. Applying principal component analysis for 13 physical fitness items, the first principal component was interpreted as fundamental physical fitness for performance, and the above analysis was applied to the fundamental physical fitness score (FPS) . To examine the relationship between EPI and FPS, the difference in FPS among the three EPI groups was examined using analysis of co-variance (ANCOVA) with age as the co-variable.
The main findings of this study can be summarized as follows.
1. With regard to physique, males showed greater body linearity, and females had more skinfold. Sex differences in circumference growth were not as significant as those in body linearity and quantitative growth. Changes in physique with age were greater in females than in males, the change becoming obvious in individuals over 80 years of age.
2. With regard to physical fitness, males had superior muscular function and vital capacity, while females outperformed males in standing-reach. However, there was little sex difference in neural function. The trend for deterioration in physical fitness with age differed between the sexes among 4 domains of physical fitness. For example, in males muscular, neural, and joint functions deterioration significantly with age, while in females, all physical fitness variable did so. In addition, the age-related trends of deterioration in muscular function (grip strength and vertical jump), cardiorespiratory function (duration of breath-holding and vital capacity), and neural function (stepping) were differed between the sexes.
3. The FPS was higher in males than in females. However, FPS decreased significantly with age in both sexes.
4. It was inferred that among active and healthy elderly males and females who exercised regularly, FPS was not influenced by EPI.

OBJECTIVESThis study aimed to determine the activity groupings reflecting functional characteristics required in daily life for the institutionalized dependent females in the old-old elderly group, by examining the interrelationships of activities based on actual achievement characteristics.

METHODSThe participants were 697 dependent elderly living at welfare institutions in Japan and 344 old-old females were used for analysis. Factor analysis, based on Promax with the Kaiser Normalization method, was conducted using 74 activities of daily living (ADL) items to determine activity groups. Furthermore, whether each activity group could be classified into sub-groups was confirmed by applying factor analysis to the activities consisting of each activity group.

RESULTSFour activity groups of lower extremity activities, manual activities, changing and holding posture activities, and upper extremity and dexterous manual activities were interpreted. Except for the manual activity group, these activity groups were classified into two sub-groups.

CONCLUSIONSThese activity groupings were characterized by similarities of the body parts used in achievement and the difficulty of activity. The activity groupings obtained in this study are considered to be useful in ADL assessment focusing on evaluating functional characteristics of the dependent elderly.