The purpose of the present study was to investigate the baseline characteristics related to the participation status in a longitudinal epidemiological study for the elderly. Nine hundred twenty-six self-supporting older adults lived in a local city located southwest in Japan were classified into the following 3 groups; non-participants (NP, n=170), participants for the baseline measurements (PB, n=278), and participants for both the baseline and follow-up measurements after two-years (PBF, n=478). The basic attributes including socioeconomic status, depressive symptoms, cognitive function, sleep quality, fitness, objectively- measured physical activity, habitual behavior, psychosocial characteristics and functional problems in daily life were assessed. Regarding the NP group, data were collected by questionnaire or home visits. According to the results of a multinomial logistic regression analysis adjusted for age, sex and years of education, significant odds ratios which indicate a poor status in most of the assessment items were observed in both the NP and PB groups in comparison to the PBF group. We concluded that sex (female), a higher age, fewer years of education, a cognitive function decline, depressive symptoms, a low fitness level, physical activity and daily living function, and poor psychosocial backgrounds were related to the non-participation and dropouts. These results should be considered in a longitudinal data analysis of the present study, as well as in the design setting of epidemiological studies dealing with physical activity indexes and care risk factors. Furthermore, these findings are also considered to be useful as basic data for such care prevention activities in the community.

A study was conducted to investigate the contribution of physical fitness evaluated by speed at onset of blood lactate accumulation (OBLA-SP), sex hormones and sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) on high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-c) in 12 young male endurance athletes. These athletes has a higher level and wide range of intraindividual variance (44 to 93 mg/dl) for HDL-c. The serum estradiol level was significantly and positively correlated with the level of apoprotein AI (Apo AI), and serum testosterone level was significantly and positively associated with the levels of both HDL3-c and apoprotein All (Apo All) . The SHBG level was positively associated with the levels of both HDL-c and HDL2-c. Age, certain anthropometric parameters such as percentage body fat, body mass index, and body fat distribution evaluated by waist to hip ratio, and physical fitness levels were not associated with HDL-c and other lipids and apoproteins. These results suggest that the HDL-c level in endurance athletes is strongly associated with not only male but also female hormones, and SHBG, being independent of age, body composition and physical fitnesss level.