Physical activity level among older adultsover 70 years old and very old adults

What are the hidden shortcomings of balance training research in older adults that prevent its transfer into practice? Scoping review

BACKGROUND

Although a lot of attention is paid to the flaws of balance training research in older adults, the low methodological quality and incomplete reporting of studies still limit the knowledge transfer between research and practice. These known shortcomings are considered also as barriers for creating recommendations for balance training in older adults. Despite the considerable efforts to improve the scientific quality of studies, such recommendations have not yet been formulated to date. Therefore, this scoping review aims (1) to analyze the literature that addresses balance training in older adults, (2) to identify and summarize gaps in the existing literature, and (3) to propose future research on this topic.

METHODS

We focused on studies that evaluated the effect of balance training on balance control in apparently healthy older adults over 60 years of age.

RESULTS

Out of 6910 potentially relevant studies, only 26 met the eligibility criteria. The identified shortcomings were as follows: missing a priori criteria for training session attendance and leisure-time physical activities, insufficiently described exercises and training load, and inappropriately chosen tests.

CONCLUSIONS

Among the shortcomings of the balance training research, the insufficiently described balance training program and inappropriately chosen tests can be considered the most important. For this reason, even with an excellently designed experiment, it is almost impossible for practitioners to apply the results of such studies into practice. Therefore, researchers should pay more attention to possible users of the acquired knowledge, which is more than desirable in the case of exercise programs for older adults.

Clinical-Functional Vulnerability, Functional Capacity, and Falls in Octogenarians with Different Physical Activity Levels-A Cross-Sectional Study

AIM

To compare differences between frailty, functional capacity, and fall prevalence among community-dwelling oldest-old adults regarding their physical activity levels.

METHODS

Two hundred and thirty-nine octogenarians (80+ years) were allocated according to their physical activity as insufficiently active (<150 min week^-1; n = 98; 84.4 ± 3.7 years), active (150 to 300 min week^-1, n = 81, 83.9 ± 3.1 years), and very active (>300 min week^-1, n = 60; 83.8 ± 3.4 years). Frailty (CFVI-20 questionnaire), functional capacity (Five Times Sit-to-Stand Test, Timed Up and Go, Balance, and handgrip strength), fall history, and physical activity were assessed.

RESULTS

The insufficiently active group was the frailest and presented the worst functional performance compared to the other groups. The fall prevalence was higher in the insufficiently active (60.9%) compared to the active (26.4%) and very active (12.7%) groups.

CONCLUSIONS

The group of insufficiently active octogenarians showed the greatest frailty, worst functional capacity, and higher fall prevalence than the active and very active groups. The engagement in physical activity of at least 300 min week^-1 is essential to reverse or minimize the deleterious effects of aging on frailty, functional capacity, and falls in octogenarians.

Intervening factors in the perception of memory decline and life purpose in older adults

Objective: To investigate the relationship between the perception of memory decline and the purpose of life in the elderly.Methods: A cross-sectional study that evaluated 235 older adults living in the city of Maringá, Paraná. A sociodemographic questionnaire, the Life Purpose Scale and the Subjective Cognitive Decline Initiative (SCD-I) were used. Data analysis was conducted using the Kolmogorov-Smirnov, Mann–Whitney “U”, Kruskal-Wallis, and Pearson's Chi-square tests (p < 0.05). Results: The results showed a higher prevalence of women with a perception of memory decline (p = 0.011) and that the elderly with more than three minimum wages had higher scores on the life purpose scale than the elderly with lower income. It was found that the elderly who does not consider that the deterioration of memory affects activities of daily living (ADL) had a greater purpose in life than the elderly who considers that the deterioration of memory impairs their ADL (p = 0.004). Conclusion: female gender seems to be a factor associated with memory decline, while higher monthly income seems to be an intervening factor in the greater purpose of life of the elderly. Not considering that memory loss harms ADLs, it seems to intervene in the best purpose of life.