OBJECTIVEThe purpose of this study was to clarify the relationships among fall risk, physical activity habits, and ADL capability in a community-dwelling Japanese elderly population.

METHODSThe subjects were 1,407 Japanese aged 65 or older (604 males, 803 females). Fall risk was evaluated using the Falling Assessment Chart of Suzuki et al. (2003). Physical activity habits such as the frequency of leaving the house, the use of transportation, the frequency of physical exercise, and interests were evaluated. ADL capability was evaluated using the Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Gerontology Index of Competence.

RESULTSApproximately 25% of the subjects had a high fall risk (score of 5 or more). Fall risk increased with age and ADL capability decreased with age. The group with a low fall risk (score<5) had a significantly higher ADL capability than the group with a high fall risk (score≥5). From results of two-way ANCOVA (gender×physical activity habits) with age as the covariate, the fall risk of people who regularly go on leaving the house, exercise, and have interests tended to be low. Further more, the relationships between the scores and physical activity habits were examined by two-way ANCOVA with age and ADL capability as the covariates. There were significant differences in the frequency of leaving the house, and elderly persons who leaved regularly the house, had a low fall risk.

CONCLUSIONSThis study showed that fall risk is closely related to ADL capability, and that the frequency of leaving the house is very important for reducing fall risk.

OBJECTIVEIn this study, we examined the characteristics of depression determination using four representative self-rating depression scales (Geriatric Depression Scale, GDS; Self-rating Depression Scale, SDS; Center for Epidermiologic Studies Depression Scale, CES-D; and Carroll Rating Scale, CRS) applied to Japanese community-dwelling elderly.

METHODSSubjects were 563 community-dwelling independent elderly living in twelve prefectures (330 males, 68,9±6.3 yr; 233 females, 68.1±5.8 yr).

RESULTSDepression rates determined using SDS (45.8%) and CES-D (68.6%) were higher than those determined using GDS (5.7%) and CRS (14.7%). Although correlations of depression scale scores among the four scales were significant and comparable (r: 0.61 (GDS vs. SDS, p<0.01) to 0.78 (SDS vs. CES-D, p<0.01)), the agreement in depression determination varied among scales (kappa coefficients: 0.05 (GDS vs. CES-D, p>0.05) to 0.46 (SDS vs. CES-D, p<0.01)).

CONCLUSIONSSimilarities in depression determination were found between GDS and CRS, and between CES-D and SDS. Depression rates determined on the basis of cut-off point for each scale were higher for CES-D and SDS than for GDS and CRS. Depression determination using a four-point rating scale may overestimate a slightly depressive symptom, compared with that using a two-point scale.

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>

Purpose: The present study aimed to determine the problems of the Japanese version of the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression (CES-D) scale when applied to Japanese independent community-dwelling elderly focusing on its factor structure. Methods: The subjects were 1791 community-dwelling independent elderly aged 60 and over (848 males and 943 females). This study used the Japanese version of the CES-D scale to assess depression in the elderly. Results: From the results of an exploratory factor analysis, the four factors of somatic symptoms, depression affect, positive affect and relation with others were interpreted. These factors were the same as those in the previous study, but the items making up each subscale differed. Therefore, the construct validity of each subscale was not necessarily assured. In the confirmatory factor analysis, goodness-of-fit was high for both the first and second-order factor models. In examining the validity by Akaike's information criterion (AIC), the second-order factor model assuming depression as a higher-order factor among the four factors was a better fit than the first-order factor model. Although the reliability of each subscale was not sufficient, adequate reliability was assured in the total scale. Conclusion: An assessment of depression using the Japanese version of the CES-D scale should be conducted using the total score, while a re-examination of items making up each subscale is needed.
Japanese language ; 2-Chloroethyl 2-(4-1,1-dimethylethyl) phenoxy-1 methylethyl ester ; Upper case dee ; Elderly ; Cancer patients and suicide and depression

OBJECTThe purposes of this study were to investigate the actual status in subjective symptoms of fatigue (SSF) and lifestyles of young male students living in two different life spheres of the Tokyo metropolitan area and a rural area, and to find, regional differences in these characteristics and relations between SSF and lifestyles in school life.

METHODSA questionnaire regarding SSF and lifestyle was administered to 412 healthy male students (16-18 yr) attending the two National Colleges of Technology located in the Tokyo metropolitan area (MA) and a local city (LC). Statistical techniques such as a chi-square test and Hayashi's Quantification Theory I analysis were used to examine relations between SSF and lifestyles.

RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONA significant difference was found only in "feeling of physical disintegration,", and the MA group was higher than the LC group. The MA students showed shorter sleeping hours and earlier awaken time compared with LC students. In the relations between SSF and lifestyles, sleeping habit was an important factor significantly relating to SSF in both groups. Paying attention to good sleeping habits is an important countermeasure for preventing SSF in the male students.

OBJECTIVESThe purpose of this study was to quantitatively and qualitatively examine a gender difference of subjective symptoms of fatigue (SSF) in healthy students.

METHODSThe subjective fatigue scale for young adults (SFS-Y) consisted of the following 6 subscales: concentration thinking difficulty, languor, reduced activation, reduced motivation, drowsiness and feeling of physical disintegration. The SFS-Y was administered to 5,435 students aged 15 to 20 yr. Student's t test was used to examine quantitative gender differences for items and factor scores. The qualitative gender difference was examined by comparing factor structures obtained from confirmatory factor analysis. A similarity in the factor structure was evaluated from: 1) interpreted factor names, 2) factor loadings, 3) degree of fit, and 4) congruence coefficient.

RESULTSA complaint of SSF shows gender differences, but the difference is not remarkable. The factor structure of SSF in males and females is suggested to be the same, because six factors with the same name were interpreted in both groups and the similarity of factor structure was very high.

CONCLUSIONThere are some qualitative gender differences in SFS, but no qualitative gender differences in factor structure.

PURPOSEThe present study aimed to determine the problems of the Japanese version of the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression (CES-D) scale when applied to Japanese independent community-dwelling elderly focusing on its factor structure.

METHODSThe subjects were 1791 community-dwelling independent elderly aged 60 and over (848 males and 943 females). This study used the Japanese version of the CES-D scale to assess depression in the elderly.

RESULTSFrom the results of an exploratory factor analysis, the four factors of somatic symptoms, depression affect, positive affect and relation with others were interpreted.These factors were the same as those in the previous study, but the items making up each subscale differed. Therefore, the construct validity of each subscale was not necessarily assured. In the confirmatory factor analysis, goodness-offit was high for both the first and second-order factor models. In examining the validity by Akaike's information criterion (AIC), the second-order factor model assuming depression as a higher-order factor among the four factors was a better fit than the first-order factor model. Although the reliability of each subscale was not sufficient, adequate reliability was assured in the total scale.

CONCLUSIONAn assessment of depression using the Japanese version of the CES-D scale should be conducted using the total score, while a re-examination of items making up each subscale is needed.

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.

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between physical fitness and ability to coordinate exertion of force (ACEF) in 82 healthy middle and old-aged people aged 54 to 78 years (male 41, female 41), and to examine its sex differences. The ACEF test was conducted with the subject fitting the exertion value of grip strength to a changing demand value appearing on the display of a personal computer. The variable estimating ACEF was the total sum of the differences between the demand value and the produced strength value. The physical fitness items measured were : grip strength, shoulder arm strength (push and pull), vertical jump, vital capacity, foot balance with eyes open, trunk flexion, trunk rotation, whole body reaction time, finger tapping, and stepping. To clarify the relationship between the ACEF and physical fitness, multiple regression analysis was used after age-controlled partial correlations were computed. No sex difference was found in nervous function based on the exertion of maximal ability, but there was with the ACEF based on the exertion of sub-maximal strength. Also the relationship between the ACEF and age differed in men and women. The tests of nervous function and grip strength had little relation to the ACEF test. Each physical fitness factor and the fundamental physical fitness had low relation to the ACEF. It was inferred that ability measured by the ACEF test differs from that measured by general physical fitness tests based on the exertion of maximal ability. It is necessary to examine the relationship between the ACEF test and a similar test based on the exertion of sub-maximal strength.

The aim of this study was to clarify the relationship between physical fitness elements in healthy older adults, considering the differences between gender and between age. Subjects were 1042 active and non-injured people aged from 60 years to under 90 years. The subjects were classified into two different age groups of under 75 years group and 75 years and over group. A total of 11 variables representing four physical fitness elements (muscular, joint, neural, and respiratory functions) were selected through examination of safety and validity. Two-way ANOVA was used to examine gender and age differences in each physical fitness element. Pearson's correlation coefficient and partial correlation coefficient excluding age factor were calculated for each gender and age group.
As a result of examining the relationship among physical fitness elements, the correlation coefficients within variables consisting of the following each function, muscular function, joint function and agility of extremities, were significant in both age groups, and these tendencies were consistent in both gender groups. Similarly, significant correlation coefficients between standing-reach and muscular function variables, and between trunk twist and foot balance with eyes open and reaction time were found in the under 75 years group, but not in the over 75 years group. On the other hand, different tendencies between genders were found in the relationship between the muscular function variables and trunk twist and foot balance with eyes open, and between the reaction time and stepping and muscular function variables. As the relationships among physical fitness elements tended to decline in the over 75 years group, it is inferred that this tendency is influenced by the change with aging of physical fitness characteristics and environmental factors around the older adults.