Age-stratified differences of physical capacity in rural community-dwelling Taiwanese older women: A cross-sectional study

A Scoping Review of Personal, Financial, and Environmental Determinants of Mobility Among Older Adults

OBJECTIVE

To synthesize available evidence of factors comprising the personal, financial, and environmental mobility determinants and their association with older adults' self-reported and performance-based mobility outcomes.

DATA SOURCES

PubMed, EMBASE, PsychINFO, Web of Science, AgeLine, Sociological Abstract, Allied and Complementary Medicine Database, and Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature databases search for articles published from January 2000 to December 2021.

STUDY SECTION

Using predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria, multiple reviewers independently screened 27,293 retrieved citations from databases, of which 422 articles underwent full-text screening, and 300 articles were extracted.

DATA EXTRACTION

The 300 articles' information, including study design, sample characteristics including sample size, mean age and sex, factors within each determinant, and their associations with mobility outcomes, were extracted.

DATA SYNTHESIS

Because of the heterogeneity of the reported associations, we followed Barnett et al's study protocol and reported associations between factors and mobility outcomes by analyses rather than by article to account for multiple associations generated in 1 article. Qualitative data were synthesized using content analysis. A total of 300 articles were included with 269 quantitative, 22 qualitative, and 9 mixed-method articles representing personal (n=80), and financial (n=1), environmental (n=98), more than 1 factor (n=121). The 278 quantitative and mixed-method articles reported 1270 analyses; 596 (46.9%) were positively and 220 (17.3%) were negatively associated with mobility outcomes among older adults. Personal (65.2%), financial (64.6%), and environmental factors (62.9%) were associated with mobility outcomes, mainly in the expected direction with few exceptions in environmental factors.

CONCLUSIONS

Gaps exist in understanding the effect of some environmental factors (eg, number and type of street connections) and the role of gender on older adults' walking outcomes. We have provided a comprehensive list of factors with each determinant, allowing the creation of core outcome set for a specific context, population, or other forms of mobility, for example, driving.

Profiles of Physical Activity and Physical Performance in Matched Religious Vegetarian and Nonvegetarian Women: A Preliminary Observational Study in Taiwan

Religious vegetarianism has become more popular with women and increases with age. However, concerns have been raised that vegetarians are less productive than nonvegetarians. Thus, we aimed to compare the characteristics of physical activity and physical performance in properly matched religious vegetarian and nonvegetarian women aged ≥ 45 years. Participants (n = 160) were recruited via convenience sampling in the community of Hualien, Taiwan, and matched by demographic and cognitive characteristics. Physical activity was assessed using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire-Short Form (IPAQ-SF). Physical performance was assessed with handgrip strength, five-times-sit-to-stand, gait speed, timed up-and-go, and functional reach tests (FRT). Overall, 90% of religious vegetarians practiced lacto-ovo-vegetarianism. The proportions of those with low physical activity levels and poor physical performance did not significantly differ between religious vegetarians and nonvegetarians. Additionally, there were no significant between-group differences in IPAQ-SF scores and physical performance, except for FRT performance (mean 24.5 cm vs. 19.7 cm, p < 0.001). Exhaustion after work, busyness, and a lack of interest were three main reasons for low physical activity levels, and none of these had significant between-group differences (p = 0.936). Our results show a similar profile of physical activity and physical performance in religious vegetarian and nonvegetarian women.

Physical Inactivity and Possible Sarcopenia in Rural Community Daycare Stations of Taiwan: A Cross-Sectional Study

Physical inactivity and possible sarcopenia pose a challenge for long-term care, especially in rural areas. We aimed to examine the prevalence of and associated factors for physical inactivity and possible sarcopenia in rural community daycare stations. A total of 275 adults aged 55–98 years (75% women) were recruited from all 11 rural community daycare stations in Northern Hualien, Taiwan. Physical inactivity was defined as less than 150 min/week of moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity. Possible sarcopenia was defined according to the Asian-specific criteria from 2019. Multiple linear and logistic regression analyses were used to determine associated factors for physical inactivity and possible sarcopenia. The prevalence of physical inactivity and possible sarcopenia was 29.1% and 68.7%, respectively. About 86.8% of possible sarcopenia were ascribed to poor five-times-sit-to-stand performance. After adjusting for covariates, poor lower-limb muscle function, e.g., slow gait speed, was associated with possible sarcopenia and physical inactivity. However, physical inactivity was not independently associated with possible sarcopenia (adjusted odds ratio 1.95, 95% confidence interval 0.88–4.30, p = 0.100). Our results indicated that individuals with poor lower-limb muscle function were more likely to have possible sarcopenia and physical inactivity. Improving lower-limb muscle function would be a priority task in rural community daycare stations.