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>

To identify life−related factors causing increased mortality, 2, 769 rural residents aged 29−77 were investigated through a self−administered questionnaire in 1990. Death certificates and migration information were inspected during the 4.5−year follow−up period. Age, obesity, life attitude, job, marital status, drinking and smoking habits, previous or current illness, and frequency of participation in health examinations were checked during the baseline survey. The person−year mortality rate was higher among irregular participants in health examinations than among regular participants both among males and females. From Cox’s multiple regression analysis, factors with a significantly high hazard ratio (HR) for mortality were irregular participation (HR=2.05), increase of age (HR=1.54, for 10 years), previous or current illness (HR=2.44), unemployment (HR=1.95), and living without a spouse (HR=2.61) for males; and for females they were having previous or current illness (HR=15.21) and living without a spouse (HR=2.94). Thus, irregular participation in health examinations, unemployment and aging showed a relationship with a higher mortality only in males. A previous or current illness and living without a spouse were related in both sexes.
participation ; Health ; Illness, NOS ; livin ; g <3>

Having established a facility for elderly people in a familiar neighborhood shopping center where they can mingle with many people, we are offering information and advice to them about health. A system has been created to support independent living of elderly people and encourage them to outdoor activities instead of stay-at-home. A shop was rented in F shopping center, which has many elderly shoppers and a long history. We opened the “SUKOYAKA salon” there in September 2005. In thisPaper, we examined the health promotion functions and roles of the system and described the progress of this project in the first seven months from the opening of the facility to March 2006, and the people who had visited the salon.
Elderly ; livin ; g <3> ; Examination ; month

Hartmannella sp is one of the free-living amoebae that have the ability to infect animal tissues because it has been found in human's nasal mucosa, dog's bronchial and turkey's intestine. Treatment for diseases inflicted by free-living amoebae is difficult because most of them infect and damage the host's tissues, so preventive measures are better to take rather than to cure the diseases. In this study, water taken from several stations namely Kampung Padang, Kampung Besut, Ibu Bekalan Setiu, Kampung Tasik, Kampung Guntung, Kampung Nyatoh, Kampung Penarik and Kampung Mangkok) along Sungai Setiu, Terengganu was examined for the presence of Hartmannella sp. The results of this study indicated that only Ibu Bekalan Setiu station was found positive to have the amoeba. Detail results on the water quality and nutrient contents measured in relation to the distribution of the amoeba at Ibu Bekalan Setiu station are presented and discussed.
g <3> ; seconds ; livin ; Hartmannella ; Ibu

This survey examined the prevalence and intensity of Strongyloides fuelleborni kellyi and other intestinal helminths in children 5 years of age or under living near Kanabea, Papua New Guinea. Of 179 samples, 27% of the children tested positive for Strongyloides, with 81% of these children being a year or less in age. Overall, 68% of the children had one or more infections including Ascaris lumbricoides and hookworm (Necator americanus) as well as Strongyloides. Egg counts in the stools ranged from 100 to 98,300 eggs/ml for Strongyloides, 100 to 59,200 eggs/ml for Ascaris and 100 to 3400 eggs/ml for hookworm. There were significant associations between Strongyloides intensity and weight for age and weight for height such that children with higher intensities had, on average, lower z-scores. Relationships between the prevalence of helminth infections and socioeconomic factors were also observed. Logistic regression models showed that children living farther away from Kanabea (more than 2 hours' walking distance), in smaller households (5 or less people) and with uneducated mothers best predict children with Strongyloides. Two of these variables also predicted the presence of hookworm: maternal education and household size. However, in contrast to Strongyloides, a larger household size (6 or more people) was significantly associated with the presence of hookworm. House type was associated with the prevalence of Ascaris, with children living in houses with tin roofs being less likely to have Ascaris than those living in traditional houses. In addition, maternal education was associated with Ascaris intensity in those children with infection, such that the mean intensities were greater in children of uneducated mothers.
Child ; Strongyloides ; livin ; g <3> ; Hookworms

This paper traces the history and development of health care at Tari up until 1991. It focuses on Tari District Hospital as the hub of district health care and describes conditions for health delivery in the district. Patterns of morbidity and mortality are contrasted between the hospital and the community, using Tari Research Unit data for comparison. Health improvements achieved over the two decades before 1991 are due mainly to curative health care. However, the pattern of disease has changed little. Pneumonia is highly prevalent and is associated with high case fatality rates among infants in hospital. Improvements in health status are only likely if living conditions improve and community-based responses develop. The implementation of a primary health care approach, and specific measures to improve hospital and health service outcomes would also assist. Health services are under severe pressure from population growth coupled with declining budgets, the breakdown in law and order, and the burdens of HIV/AIDS and noncommunicable disease.
Health Care ; Health ; Hospitals ; Community ; livin

The purpose of this study was to clarify the application range and utility of an ADL index for disabled elderly people (Demura et al., 2000), by examining the ADL characteristics of an elderly population when this index was applied to disabled and independent elderly people. Subjects of this study were 697 Japanese institutionalized disabled elderly people and 482 independent elderly people (ID) living at home. Disabled elderly people were classified into four groups based on conditions of use of assisting devices for movement; D1 did not use assisting devices; D2 used a stick or a walker; D3 used a wheelchair; D4 was immobile. From the findings of comparing achievement proportions, ADL score and the distribution of total score among elderly groups, it was suggested that this ADL index can assess gradually from disabled elderly people who cannot move to independent elderly people. Since this index classifies independent elderly people and disabled elderly people with high probability, it can evaluate if elderly people can maintain a functional level needed for independent living, and can recognize the symptoms of disability. Furthermore, this study proposed useful activities to discriminate the functional level for each elderly group. Although it is important to comprehensively assess ADL ability, further use of this ADL index to discriminate the functional level of an elderly population, by making use of these useful activities, is expected.
Elderly ; Activities of Daily Living ; Disabled Persons ; Persons ; livin

The energy expenditure, food consumption and anthropometry of two groups of Hull women are described. The group occupying the highly productive drained margins of the Haeapugua Swamp at Weinani have significantly higher intakes of energy and protein than those at Heli on the Paijaka Plateau. However, both groups of women expend similar amounts of time and energy in agricultural activities. The differences are explained by the contrasting quality of agricultural land at each place. Production per hectare at Heli is only around half of that at Weinani. It is concluded that the nutritional health of Heli women is compromised. This is probably the cause of the significantly lower mean birthweights of children born to women living on the Paijaka Plateau.
Human Females ; Energy, Physics ; Papua New Guinea ; livin ; g <3>

Some of the highest exposures to air pollutants in developing countries occur inside homes where solid biofuel, particularly wood fuel, is used for daily cooking. A relatively high proportion of the world population living in these countries is exposed to increased levels of indoor air pollutants produced by inefficiently burning stoves. Inhalation of these pollutants may have serious consequences, which are highlighted in this paper, for the respiratory health of the people who have been exposed.
Respiratory ; Health ; Papua New Guinea ; livin ; g <3>