| 1. |
- von Heideken Wågert, Petra, 1977-
(författare)
-
Health, physical ability, falls and morale in very old people: the Umeå 85+ Study
- 2006
-
Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The very old, aged 80 years and over, is the fastest growing age group today, and the demands for healthcare and services will be even higher in the future. It is, therefore, of great importance to advance our knowledge about this group. The main purpose of this thesis was to describe living conditions and health, with a special focus on physical ability, falls and morale, in women and men in three different age groups of very old people in northern Sweden. Half the population aged 85, and the total population aged 90 and ≥95 (-103) in the municipality of Umeå were selected for participation (n=348) in this population-based cross-sectional study, entitled the Umeå 85+ Study. Structured interviews and assessments were performed with the participants in their homes, and data were also collected from next-of-kins, caregivers and medical charts. Cognition was screened for using the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), depressive symptoms using the Geriatric Depression Scale-15 (GDS-15), and nutritional status using the Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA). Activities of Daily Living (ADL) were assessed using the Staircase of ADL (including the Katz Index of ADL) and morale using the Philadelphia Geriatric Center Morale Scale (PGCMS). Participants also rated their own health and answered a questionnaire about symptoms. Physical ability was assessed using a gait speed test over 2.4 meters (8 feet), three consecutive chair stands, and the Berg Balance Scale (BBS). A follow-up study for falls was performed during a period of six months with fall calendars and telephone calls. The very old people in this northern population have more depression, hypertension and hip fractures, as well as a higher consumption of drugs than comparable, more southern populations. In general, younger participants had lower rates of diagnoses and prescribed drugs, were less dependent in ADL and other functional variables than older participants, and men had lower rates of diagnoses and reported symptoms than women. However, there were no age or sex differences in self-rated health or morale, which were both rated as good by the majority of the participants. There was a wide range of physical ability among these very old people, especially in women, where an age-related decline was seen. The results also demonstrate that men had greater physical ability than women. The BBS had no floor or ceiling effects in the present sample. In contrast, a large proportion was unable to perform the gait speed and chair stands test, resulting in a floor effect for the timed performances, especially in women. Falling is a major public health problem in very old people. From the results of the present study, it could be predicted that every seventh participant and every third of the people who did fall would suffer a fracture over a period of one year. The independent explanatory risk factors for time to first fall in this sample of very old people were dependency in personal (P-) ADL but not bedridden, thyroid disorders, treatment with Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs) and occurrence of fall/s in the preceding year. These factors should all be considered in fall prevention programmes. The morale of very old people was found in this study to be rather high, with similar scores among age groups and sexes. The most important factors for high morale were the absence of depressive symptoms, living in ordinary housing, having previously had a stroke and yet still living in ordinary housing, not feeling lonely and having few symptoms. The PGCMS seems applicable in the evaluation of morale in very old people. In conclusion, there were wide variations in health status and physical ability in this northern population of very old people. Women had poorer health and physical ability than men. Falls and fractures were common and serious health problems. Morale seemed to be high, despite the fact that a large proportion of the participants suffered from many diseases and functional decline.
|
|
| 2. |
- Littbrand, Håkan, 1966-, et al.
(författare)
-
A high-intensity functional weight-bearing exercise program for older people dependent in activities of daily living and living in residential care facilities : evaluation of the applicability with focus on cognitive function
- 2006
-
Ingår i: Physical Therapy. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 0031-9023 .- 1538-6724. ; 86:4, s. 489-498
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Knowledge concerning the applicability and the effect of high-intensity exercise programs is very limited for older people with severe cognitive and physical impairments. The primary aim of this study was to evaluate the applicability of a high-intensity functional weight-bearing exercise program among older people who are dependent in activities of daily living and living in residential care facilities. A second aim was to analyze whether cognitive function was associated with the applicability of the program. SUBJECTS: The subjects were 91 older people (mean age=85.3 years, SD=6.1, range=68-100) who were dependent in personal activities of daily living and randomly assigned to participate in an exercise intervention. Their mean score for the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) was 17.5 (SD=5.0, range=10-29). METHODS: A high-intensity functional weight-bearing exercise program was performed in groups of 3 to 7 participants who were supervised by physical therapists. There were 29 exercise sessions over 13 weeks. Attendance, intensity of lower-limb strength and balance exercises, and occurrence and seriousness of adverse events were the outcome variables in evaluating the applicability of the program. RESULTS: The median attendance rate was 76%. Lower-limb strength exercises with high intensity were performed in a median of 53% of the attended exercise sessions, and balance exercises with high intensity were performed in a median of 73% of the attended exercise sessions. The median rate of sessions with adverse events was 5%. All except 2 adverse events were assessed as minor and temporary, and none led to manifest injury or disease. No significant differences were observed in applicability when comparing participants with dementia and participants without dementia. In addition, there was no significant correlation between applicability and the MMSE score. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: The results suggest that a high-intensity functional weight-bearing exercise program is applicable for use, regardless of cognitive function, among older people who are dependent in activities of daily living, living in residential care facilities, and have an MMSE score of 10 or higher.
|
|
| 3. |
|
|
| 4. |
- Rosendahl, Erik, et al.
(författare)
-
High-intensity functional exercise program and protein-enriched energy supplement for older persons dependent in activities of daily living : a randomised controlled trial
- 2006
-
Ingår i: Australian Journal of Physiotherapy. - 0004-9514. ; 52:2, s. 105-113
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The aims of this randomised controlled trial were to determine if a high-intensity functional exercise program improves balance, gait ability, and lower-limb strength in older persons dependent in activities of daily living and if an intake of protein-enriched energy supplement immediately after the exercises increases the effects of the training. One hundred and ninety-one older persons dependent in activities of daily living, living in residential care facilities, and with a Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) score of ? 10 participated. They were randomised to a high-intensity functional exercise program or a control activity, which included 29 sessions over 3 months, as well as to protein-enriched energy supplement or placebo. Berg Balance Scale, self-paced and maximum gait speed, and one-repetition maximum in lower-limb strength were followed-up at three and six months and analysed by 2 x 2 factorial ANCOVA, using the intention-to-treat principle. At three months, the exercise group had improved significantly in self-paced gait speed compared with the control group (mean difference 0.04 m/s, p = 0.02). At six months, there were significant improvements favouring the exercise group for Berg Balance Scale (1.9 points, p = 0.05), self-paced gait speed (0.05 m/s, p = 0.009), and lower-limb strength (10.8 kg, p = 0.03). No interaction effects were seen between the exercise and nutrition interventions. In conclusion, a high-intensity functional exercise program has positive long-term effects in balance, gait ability, and lower-limb strength for older persons dependent in activities of daily living. An intake of protein-enriched energy supplement immediately after the exercises does not appear to increase the effects of the training.
|
|
| 5. |
- Arnadottir, Solveig A, 1968-, et al.
(författare)
-
Are rural older Icelanders less physically active than those living in urban areas? : a population-based study
- 2009
-
Ingår i: Scandinavian Journal of Public Health. - : SAGE Publications. - 1403-4948 .- 1651-1905. ; 37:4, s. 409-417
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BACKGROUND: Older people in rural areas have been labelled as physically inactive on the basis of leisure-time physical activity research. However, more research is needed to understand the total physical activity pattern in older adults, considering all domains of physical activity, including leisure, work, and domestic life. AIMS: We hypothesised that: (a) total physical activity would be the same for older people in urban and rural areas; and (b) urban and rural residency, along with gender and age, would be associated with differences in domain-specific physical activities. METHODS: Cross-sectional data were collected in Icelandic rural and urban communities from June through to September 2004. Participants were randomly selected, community-dwelling, 65-88 years old, and comprised 68 rural (40% females) and 118 urban (53% females) adults. The Physical Activity Scale for the Elderly (PASE) was used to obtain a total physical activity score and subscores in leisure, during domestic life, and at work. RESULTS: The total PASE score was not associated with rural vs. urban residency, but males were, in total, more physically active than females, and the 65-74-year-olds were more active than the 75-88-year-olds. In the leisure domain, rural people had lower physical activity scores than urban people. Rural males were, however, most likely of all to be physically active in the work domain. In both urban and rural areas, the majority of the physical activity behaviour occurred in relation to housework, with the rural females receiving the highest scores. CONCLUSIONS: Older Icelanders in rural areas should not be labelled as less physically active than those who live in urban areas. Urban vs. rural living may, however, influence the physical activity patterns among older people, even within a fairly socioeconomically and culturally homogeneous country such as Iceland. This reinforces the need to pay closer attention to the living environment when studying and developing strategies to promote physical activity.
|
|
| 6. |
|
|
| 7. |
|
|
| 8. |
- Conradsson, Mia, et al.
(författare)
-
The Berg Balance Scale : Intra-rater reliability in older people dependent in ADL and living in residential care facilities
- 2006
-
Konferensbidrag (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Aim: The aim of this study was to investigate the absolute and the relative intra-rater reliability of the Berg Balance Scale (BBS) among older people who are dependent in activities of daily living (ADL) and living in residential care facilities.Methods: The participants were 45 older people, 36 females and 9 men, who were dependent in ADL and living in three residential care facilities. Their mean age ± SD was 82.3 ± 6.6 (range 68-96) and mean ± SD of Mini Mental State Examination score was 17.5 ± 6.3 (range 4-30). The BBS was assessed twice by the same assessor, at approximately the same time of day, and with 1-3 days in between. The absolute reliability for the difference in score between the two test occasions was calculated with the Bland and Altman analysis of variance with 95 % confidence level. The relative reliability was calculated with Intraclass Correlation Coefficient (ICC).Results: For the first test of the BBS, mean ± SD was 30.1 ± 15.9 (range 3-53) points and for the retest 30.6 ± 15.6 (range 4-54). The absolute difference between the two test occasions was in mean ± SD 2.8 ± 2.7 (range 0-11) points. The absolute intra-rater reliability was calculated to 7.7 points and the ICC value was 0.97. Conclusions: Despite a high ICC value, the result of the absolute reliability show that a change of 8 BBS points is required to reveal a genuine change of function among older people who are dependent in ADL and living in residential care facilities. This knowledge is important in the clinical setting when evaluating an individual's change in balance function over time.
|
|
| 9. |
- Jensen, Jane, et al.
(författare)
-
Effects of a fall prevention program including exercise on mobility and falls in frail older people living in residential care facilities
- 2004
-
Ingår i: Aging Clinical and Experimental Research. - 1594-0667 .- 1720-8319. ; 16:4, s. 283-92
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Impaired mobility is one of the strongest predictors for falls in older people. We hypothesized that exercise as part of a fall prevention program would have positive effects, both short- and long-term, on gait, balance and strength in older people at high risk of falling and with varying levels of cognition, residing in residential care facilities. A secondary hypothesis was that these effects would be associated with a reduced risk of falling. METHODS: 187 out of all residents living in 9 facilities, > or =65 years of age were at high risk of falling. The facilities were cluster-randomized to fall intervention or usual care. The intervention program comprised: education, environment, individually designed exercise, drug review, post-fall assessments, aids, and hip protectors. Data were adjusted for baseline performance and clustering. RESULTS: At 11 weeks, positive intervention effects were found on independent ambulation (FAC, p=0.026), maximum gait speed (p=0.002), and step height (> or =10 cm, p<0.001), but not significantly on the Berg Balance Scale. At 9 months (long-term outcome), 3 intervention and 15 control residents had lost the ability to walk (p=0.001). Independent ambulation and maximum gait speed were maintained in the intervention group but deteriorated in the control group (p=0.001). Residents with both higher and lower cognition benefited in most outcome measures. Noassociation was found between improved mobility and reduced risk of falling.CONCLUSIONS: Exercise, as part of a fall prevention program, appears to preserve the ability to walk, maintain gait speed, ambulate independently, and improve step height. Benefits were found in residents with both lower and higher cognitive impairment, but were not found to be associated with a reduced risk of falling
|
|
| 10. |
|
|
