Combined impacts of physical activity, dietary variety, and social interaction on incident functional disability in older Japanese adults

Association between dietary diversity and healthy aging: a systematic review

OBJECTIVE

The proportion of older people has been enhanced in the past half-century around the world, consequently leading to the increasing overall prevalence of age-related health conditions. The present study aims to summarize the current evidence regarding the association between dietary diversity (DD) and the components of healthy aging.

METHODS

The databases, including Scopus, PubMed, Web of Science, and Google Scholar, were searched using relevant keywords and without date restrictions up to November 2023. All original articles written in English evaluating the association between DD and healthy aging components were eligible for this systematic review.

RESULTS

Totally, 2728 records were obtained in electronic search databases after removing duplicates and irrelevant studies based on the title and abstract; the full text of the 64 articles was critically screened, and 32 cross-sectional studies and 17 cohort studies were included in this review. Except for two cases, all of these studies (95.9%) reported that high DD was associated with lower cognitive and physical frailties, low sleep disturbance and mental disorders, and good nutritional status among the elderly population.

CONCLUSION

Findings suggest higher DD may contribute to healthy aging through improved nutrient intake and reduced risk of age-related diseases, but heterogeneity in study designs limits conclusive evidence. Enhancing healthy dietary behaviors for older people is suggested to increase their awareness and consequently DD. Further research is needed to confirm these results and the causal relationship.

Association Between the Community Gatherings Places and the Kihon Checklist Score: JAGES Longitudinal Study

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between the number of program types and CGA in community gathering places to gain valid insights into the provision of programs in community gathering places. The study was longitudinal in nature and used prospective cohort data from the Japan Gerontological Evaluation Study. The participants were 8758 older adults recruited from 28 cities and towns. The dependent variable was the CGA using the KCL. The independent variable was the number of program types in community gathering places. The participants were classified under four groups, namely, No Participation, One Type, Two Types, and More Than Three Types. The study performed linear regression analysis. The mean of the KCL scores by the number of types was 3.8 ± 3.3, 3.5 ± 3.0, 3.3 ± 2.9, and 3.2 ± 2.8 points for the four groups, respectively. CGA was better for two and three or more types of program participation. CGA at 3 years was better when the community gathering places implemented two or more types of program.

Associations of eHealth Literacy with Social Activity among Community-Dwelling Older Adults: A Cross-Sectional Study

Older adults who use digital technology are desired to adapt to digitalization and literacy. One required aspect is eHealth literacy, measured with the eHealth Literacy Scale (eHEALS). Many studies on eHealth literacy have used the eHEALS to examine the health behaviors of college students, relatively younger adults, and Internet users. However, the relevance of eHealth literacy to social activity has not yet been studied in older adults. The purposes of this study were to examine the relationship between eHealth literacy and health behaviors and social activities (community, cultural, and sports activities) and to investigate the factors associated with eHEALS scores among community-dwelling older adults. The mean eHEALS score was 12.4 points (SD 8.2), with the majority (73.3%) having the lowest score (the lowest score is 8 points). Males (17.6, SD 10.5) scored significantly higher than females (11.8, SD 7.7). The eHEALS score had a significant relationship with both cultural and community activity. Five factors significantly associated with having the lowest eHEALS score were cultural activity at least once a week, no cultural activity, no community activity, total IADL score, and intellectual activity. These results suggest that eHealth literacy is associated with community activity and cultural activity among older adults.

Utilization of Japanese long-term care-related data including Kaigo-DB: An analysis of current trends and future directions

Despite high expectations from the government and researchers regarding data utilization, comprehensive analysis of long-term care (LTC)-related data use has been limited. This study reviewed the use of LTC-related data, including Kaigo-DB, in Japan after 2020. There was an increase in studies using LTC-related data in Japan between 2020 and 2021, followed by a stabilization period. The national government provided 13.5% of this data (6.5% from Kaigo-DB), while prefectures and municipalities contributed 85.2%, and facilities provided 1.3%. The linked data used in 90.4% of the studies primarily consisted of original questionnaire or interview surveys (34.6%) and medical claims (34.0%). None of the studies based on Kaigo-DB utilized linked data. In terms of study design, cohort studies were the most common (84.6%), followed by descriptive (5.1%), cross-sectional (3.2%), and case-control studies (1.3%). Among the 138 individual-based analytical descriptive studies, the most frequently used LTC-related data as an exposure was LTC services (26.8%), and the most common data used as an outcome was LTC certification or care need level (43.5%), followed by the independence degree of daily living for the older adults with dementia (18.1%). To enhance the use of LTC-related data, especially the valuable national Kaigo-DB, insights can be gleaned from how researchers effectively utilize municipal and prefectural data. Streamlining access to Kaigo-DB and enabling its linkage with other datasets are promising for future research in this field.

Association between dietary diversity and cognitive impairment in community-dwelling older adults

AIM

The present study aimed to examine whether dietary diversity is associated with cognitive impairment, including mild cognitive impairment (MCI), in community-dwelling older Japanese adults.

METHODS

This cross-sectional study was carried out in a general community setting. MCI and global cognitive impairment (GCI) were assessed using the Mini-Mental State Examination and National Center for Geriatrics and Gerontology-Functional Assessment Tool, which are multicomponent neurocognitive tests that include memory attention, executive function and processing speed. Dietary diversity was assessed using the diet variety score. The diet variety score assessed the 1-week consumption frequency of 10 food groups, and either 0 or 1 point was allocated to each category based on the following responses: (i) "eat almost every day" (1 point); and (ii) "not eaten almost daily" (0 points). Older adults with a diet variety score of ≥3 points were defined as having high dietary diversity.

RESULTS

Data included 8987 older adults (mean age 73.9 ± 5.5 years; men 44.3%). The overall prevalences of MCI and GCI were 17.1% (n = 1538) and 8.4% (n = 753), respectively. The proportion of patients with a high dietary diversity was 69.9% (n = 6286). Multinomial logistic regression analysis revealed high dietary diversity was associated with MCI (OR 0.83, 95% CI 0.73-0.94) and GCI (OR 0.77, 95% CI 0.65-0.92) after adjusting for covariates.

CONCLUSIONS

This study had a large sample size of older Japanese adults, and showed that high dietary diversity was associated with a lower proportion of MCI and GCI among older adults. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2024; 24: 75-81.

Effect of dietary diversity on incident of disability in community-dwelling older adults with sarcopenia: A 40-month follow-up longitudinal study

BACKGROUND

Sarcopenia is a clinical issue in older adults that leads to serious adverse health outcomes, including disability. The present study investigated whether dietary diversity affects the incidence of disability in older adults with sarcopenia.

METHOD

Participants were 759 Japanese older adults with sarcopenia (mean age 77.2 ± 6.0 years; 44.4 % men) who were aged ≥65 years at the time of the examination. Sarcopenia was diagnosed according to the recommendations of the European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People 2. Dietary diversity was assessed using a diet variety score. This diet variety score assessed the one-week consumption frequency of ten food groups, according to the following responses: "eat almost every day" (1 point), or "not eaten almost daily" (0 points). Older adults with a diet variety score of 3 or more points were defined as having high dietary diversity. Incident disability was certified by long-term care insurance (mean follow-up duration 32 months).

RESULTS

The cumulative disability incidence rates in the older adults with low dietary diversity and high dietary diversity were 23.3 % and 16.9 %, respectively. Cox proportional hazards regression analysis revealed high dietary diversity was associated with a lower risk of incident disability in older adults with sarcopenia (hazard ratio 0.66, 95 % confidence interval 0.47-0.92; p = 0.015), after adjusting for covariates.

CONCLUSIONS

This longitudinal study revealed that high dietary diversity is associated with a lower risk of incident disability among sarcopenic Japanese older adults.

Impact of registered dietitian and dental hygienist involvement on functional outcomes in patients with dysphagia: triad of rehabilitation, nutrition, and oral management

PURPOSE

To investigate whether the involvement of both registered dietitians and dental hygienists results in greater improvement in swallowing function and activities of daily living (ADL) in patients with dysphagia undergoing rehabilitation.

METHODS

Of 467 patients enrolled in the Japanese Sarcopenic Dysphagia database, 433 met the study eligibility criteria in a retrospective cohort study. Patients were divided into two groups based on whether or not they received intervention by both registered dietitians and dental hygienists. Outcomes were changes in the Food Intake Level Scale (FILS) and the Barthel Index (BI) at initial and follow-up assessments. Multiple regression analyses adjusted for age, sex, sarcopenia, dwelling, Charlson comorbidity index, malnutrition diagnosed by the Global Leadership Initiative on Malnutrition, and initial FILS or BI were conducted to examine the relationship between the involvement of both registered dietitians and dental hygienists.

RESULTS

The mean age was 80.5 and ± 10.7 years, and 222 were female. Both registered dietitians and dental hygienists were involved in 242 (57%) patients. Median and interquartile range changes in FILS and BI were 1 (0, 2) and 15 (0, 32.5), respectively. In multiple regression analyses, the change in the FILS was significantly higher in the involvement of both registered dietitians and dental hygienists (standardized coefficient = 0.075, P = 0.033), however, the change in the BI was not significantly different between the groups.

CONCLUSION

The involvement of both registered dietitians and dental hygienists improved swallowing function, but not ADL. Triad of rehabilitation, nutrition, and oral management may be useful for patients with dysphagia.

Association between dietary patterns and subjective and objective measures of physical activity among Japanese adults aged 85 years and older: a cross-sectional study

A healthy diet and regular physical activity (PA) are delineated as healthy behaviours. Their implementation is associated with better health outcomes and improved quality of life. There is less evidence of a relationship between dietary patterns (DP) and PA, especially in adults aged ≥ 85. Hence, this cross-sectional study investigates the association between DP and PA in people of this age group, using the data from The Kawasaki Aging and Well-Being Project. Brief-type self-administered diet history questionnaire was used to estimate the intake of fifty-eight types of food. After energy adjustment, principal component analysis was performed to identify DP. PA was measured objectively using an accelerometer and subjectively using a questionnaire validated for this age group. Thousand participants (median age: 86·9 years, men: 49·9 %) were included in the analysis. Three major DP (DP1 'various foods', DP2 'red meats and coffee', DP3 'bread and processed meats') were identified. DP1 'various foods' was similar to DP previously named 'healthy' or 'prudent' and showed a positive association with PA time (PAT) as measured by accelerometer (B, 6·25; 95 % CI 0·13, 12·37) and relatively shorter sedentary behaviour (SB) time. DP2 'red meats and coffee' and DP3 'bread and processed meats' were negatively associated with PAT and positively associated with SB time. This study observed the relationship between diet and PA behaviours in adults aged ≥ 85, with healthier and more food-diverse DP associated with longer PAT and relatively unhealthy DP with shorter PAT.

Modifiable healthy behaviours and incident disability in older adults: Analysis of combined data from two cohort studies in Japan

Healthy behaviours reduce the risk of incident disability; however, their components require further consideration. Specifically, little evidence exists on healthy behaviours that comprise modifiable factors, including social aspects, and their effects on those who do not engage in them. This study aimed to examine the association between engaging in healthy behaviours with modifiable factors and incident disability among community-dwelling older adults; as well as identify factors associated with nonengagement in healthy behaviours. We analysed data obtained from 1357 older adults aged 65 years and more without disabilities at baseline. The outcome was incident disability, which was defined based on the long-term care insurance certification in Japan. This study included regular exercise (≥1 day/week), favourable eating habits (≥4 dietary variety score), and social participation (engaging in two or more social activities) as components of healthy behaviours. We used the Cox proportional hazards model to calculate hazard ratios (HR) for incident disabilities. The proportion of those who satisfied all healthy behaviours was 21 %. During the follow-up period (median: 6.3 years), 282 incident disabilities were confirmed. Compared to those who engaged in one healthy behaviour, those who satisfied all healthy behaviours showed a 31 % (95 % confidence interval: 0.48, 0.98) lower HR of incident disability after adjusting for covariates. Current smoking and depressive mood were associated with non-engagement in healthy behaviours. This study found that having physically and socially active lifestyles and favourable eating habits are effective in reducing the risk of incident disability. Meanwhile, several older adults lack the components of a healthy lifestyle. Approaches that focus on multiple healthy behaviours are necessary to enhance the benefits of healthy lifestyles.

Activity diversity is associated with the prevention of frailty in community-dwelling older adults: The Otassha Study

Introduction

A prior study showed an association between diversity in daily activities (type, frequency, evenness) and frailty in older adults. However, the causality of this relationship is unclear. Therefore, this study aimed to clarify the relationship between activity diversity and frailty through a 2-year longitudinal study conducted among community-dwelling older adults.

Methods

We evaluated data from the 2018 and 2020 waves of the Otassha Study. Frailty was assessed using the Cardiovascular Health Study criteria, with pre-frail and frail participants defined as frail and the other participants categorized into the robust group. We enrolled a total of 207 participants who were not frail at baseline. Activity type, frequency, and evenness scores were calculated using an Activity Diversity Questionnaire. The association between each activity diversity score and the incidence of frailty was evaluated using logistic regression modeling (each diversity score was entered the model after Z-transformation).

Results

Of the 207 enrolled participants (median age, 73 years; age range, 65-91 years; 60.4% women), 64 (30.9%) had incident frailty during the follow-up period. A logistic regression analysis adjusting for sociodemographic and psychosomatic factors revealed odds ratios for activity type and evenness scores of 0.64 and 0.61, respectively (P < 0.05). These factors were significantly associated with the incidence of frailty.

Discussion

Activity type and evenness (except frequency) within daily activities were predictors of frailty during 2 years of follow-up. Engagement in diverse activities appears to be more effective in preventing frailty than does engagement in a few activities.

Bidirectional association between functional disability and multimorbidity among middle-aged and older adults in Thailand

Objectives

The purpose of this study was to assess the bidirectional association between multimorbidity (MM) and functional disability among middle-aged and older adults in a longitudinal study in Thailand.

Methods

We analyzed longitudinal data of participants aged 45 years and older from two consecutive waves (in 2015 and 2017) of the Health, Aging, and Retirement in Thailand (HART). Functional disability was assessed with a 4-item activity of daily living (ADL) scale. Logistic regression analysis was conducted to assess the association between baseline functional disability and incident MM (≥2), and baseline morbidity and incident functional disability.

Results

The results indicate that a total of 1,716 individuals without morbidity at baseline and 3,529 without functional disability at baseline were included. At follow-up, 16.7 and 20.0% of functional disability cases and 7.1 and 3.6% of nonfunctional disability cases developed 2 morbidities and 3 or more morbidities, respectively, and 6.6% of MM cases and 4.0% of non-MM cases developed a functional disability. In the final logistic regression model adjusted for education, income, age, marital status, sex, smoking tobacco, body mass index (BMI), alcohol use, physical activity, and social engagement, functional disability at baseline was positively associated with incident MM (≥2) (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]: 2.58, 95% CI: 1.42-4.72), and MM (≥3) at baseline was positively associated with incident functional disability (aOR: 1.97, 95% CI: 1.13-3.43).

Conclusion

Multimorbidity and functional disability were bidirectionally associated.

Relationship between Dietary Patterns and Subjectively Measured Physical Activity in Japanese Individuals 85 Years and Older: A Cross-Sectional Study

High-quality diets and regular physical activity (PA) are considered healthy behaviors (HBs). HBs are associated with many health outcomes and are expected to improve quality of life. Although implementing HBs is important, the relationship between dietary patterns (DPs) and PA has not been well investigated, especially among those aged ≥ 85. This study used data from the Tokyo Oldest Old survey on Total Health study to examine the relationship between DPs and PA in a cross-sectional study. The dietary survey used the brief self-administered diet history questionnaire to estimate the intake of 58 foods. After energy adjustment, principal component analysis was performed to identify major DPs. A validated questionnaire was used to evaluate PA, and linear regression analysis was used to investigate the association between DPs and PA, considering confounders. A total of 519 participants were included. Three major DPs (‘Various plant foods’, ‘Fish and mushrooms’, ‘Cooked rice and miso soup’) were identified. ‘Various plant foods’ was similar to DPs previously named ‘Healthy’ or ‘Prudent’, and its trend was positively associated with higher PA. This study observed the implementation of HBs even among those aged ≥ 85, suggesting that a trend toward a healthier diet is associated with higher PA.

Behavior changes and functional capacity Physical, social, and dietary behavioral changes during the COVID-19 crisis and their effects on functional capacity in older adults

Background

This two-year follow-up study aimed to identify factors associated with unhealthy behaviors during the COVID-19 pandemic and examine their impact on functional capacity in older adults.

Methods

Altogether, 536 adults aged ≥65 years participated in this study. The frequency of going out, exercise habits, face-to-face and non-face-to-face interactions, social participation, and eating habits were examined as behavioral factors before and after the first declaration of a state of emergency in Japan. Functional capacity was assessed using the Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Gerontology Index of Competence.

Results

Using latent class analysis considering changes in the six behaviors, the participants were divided into healthy (n = 289) and unhealthy (n = 247) behavior groups. The male sex was associated with 2.36 times higher odds, diabetes with 2.19 times higher odds, depressive mood with 1.83 times higher odds, poor subjective economic status with 2.62 times higher odds, and living alone with 44% lower odds of being unhealthy. The unhealthy behavior group showed significantly decreased functional capacity (B =−1.56 [−1.98, −1.14]) than the healthy behavior group. For each behavior, negative changes in going out (B =−0.99 [−1.60, −0.37]), face-to-face interaction (B =−0.65 [−1.16, −0.13]), and non-face-to-face interactions (B =−0.80 [−1.36, −0.25]) were associated with a decline in functional capacity.

Conclusion

Our results showed four factors associated with engaging in unhealthy lifestyle behaviors and how behavioral changes affect functional capacity decline during the COVID-19 pandemic, which will help to develop public health approaches