Social Interaction in Walking Groups and Affective Responses Among Japanese Older Adults

Affective Exercise Experience in Childhood and Psychological Determinants of Exercise Among Japanese Older Adults

Japan faces significant challenges associated with its super-aged society. Exercise and physical activity are recommended strategies to promote healthy aging and quality of life in older age. However, what determines exercise behavior among Japanese older adults is relatively unknown. The principle aim of this study was to explore exercise determinants and their relation to exercise behavior among Japanese older adults. Completed self-report questionnaires were received from 1,000 Japanese older adults aged between 65 and 74 years who resided in the Kansai area. A cross-sectional maximum likelihood path analysis was used to test the relationships between variables, where it was hypothesized that affective experiences in childhood had an indirect association with the exercise behavior of Japanese older adults through the seven psychological determinants of exercise. Demographic factors were also included in the model as potential influences of all factors. Knowledge held the largest significant direct association with exercise behavior (β =  .539, p = <.001), particularly more intense forms of exercise such as resistance exercise (β =  .725, p = <.001) and moderate to strenuous exercise (β = .420, p = <.001), whilst affective exercise experience in childhood (B = 3.749, p = <.001) and gender (B = 5.183, p = .003) held significant indirect associations. This paper emphasizes the importance of exercise-related knowledge among Japanese older adults and future research is warranted to further explore the role of positive affective exercise experiences in childhood and their influence on exercise behavior, especially amongst girls.

Physical Activity Components that Determine Daily Life Satisfaction Among Older Adults: An Intensive Longitudinal Diary Study

BACKGROUND

Although previous studies have shown that engaging in physical activity can elevate daily life satisfaction, few studies have identified the specific aspects that can result in this. This study examined whether enjoying moderate-to-vigorous intensity exercises with others for a longer time, but not any aspects of non-exercise physical activity, was associated with higher daily life satisfaction among older adults.

METHOD

We conducted an intensive longitudinal diary survey of 182 individuals for 1 week and obtained valid data for 853 person-days. The time spent engaging in light and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity at 8:00-11:59, 12:00-15:59, and 16:00-19:59 h was measured using an accelerometer. Duration, intensity, timing, social context, and enjoyment of the exercises were assessed based on diary entries. Stratified by non-exercise and exercise days, we conducted multilevel models.

RESULTS

On non-exercise days, longer duration of light physical activity from 12:00 to 15:59 at the within-person level was associated with higher daily life satisfaction. On exercise days, longer duration of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity from 12:00 to 15:59 at the within-person level, longer exercise duration at the within-person level, exercising with moderate-to-vigorous intensity, and enjoyment of exercise at both the within- and between-person levels were associated with higher daily life satisfaction.

CONCLUSION

These findings indicate that enjoying moderate-to-vigorous intensity exercise for a longer duration than usual and engaging in non-exercise physical activity in the afternoon are important for elevating older adults' daily life satisfaction.

Cross-sectional associations of weekly time, social context, and motivation of exercise with mental health among workers

PURPOSE

Exercise is considered a strategy to promote mental health among workers. However, the optimal exercise conditions that promote mental health benefits for workers are still unclear. This study examined the cross-sectional associations of weekly exercise time duration, social context of exercise, and exercise motivation levels with the mental health among Japanese workers.

METHODS

A web-based cross-sectional questionnaire survey was conducted among 18,902 workers, aged 20-59 years. The mental health variables (psychological distress, psychological stress reaction, physical stress reaction, job satisfaction, and work engagement), exercise participation (non-exercisers, exercisers), and demographic factors of all responders were measured. Weekly exercise time, social context of exercise (alone only, with others only, both alone and with others), and exercise motivation (non-regulation, external/introjected regulation, identified regulation, integrated regulation, and internal regulation) were also measured amongst exercisers. After adjusting for demographic factors, multiple regression analyses were conducted.

RESULTS

Exercisers had significantly lower psychological distress, lower psychological and physical stress reactions, higher job satisfaction, and higher work engagement than non-exercisers. Among exercisers, while weekly exercise time duration and social context of exercise were not clearly and robustly associated with mental health variables, respondents with intrinsic regulation had significantly lower psychological distress, lower psychological and physical stress reaction, higher job satisfaction, and higher work engagement than those with lower self-determined motivations.

CONCLUSIONS

This study found that more self-determined exercise motivation is closely associated with advantageous mental health variables, than the duration or the social context of exercise among Japanese workers.

Impact of exercising alone and exercising with others on the risk of cognitive impairment among older Japanese adults

PURPOSE

This longitudinal study investigates the influence of the stratified frequency of exercising alone and exercising with others on the prevention of cognitive impairment among older Japanese adults.

METHODS

This four-year follow-up study targeted 4,358 individuals (mean age: 76.9 ± 5.6 years, female: 51.8%) who participated in an inventory mail survey in one region of Japan. The exercise forms surveyed involved the frequency of exercising alone and with others. Cognitive impairment was assessed using the nationally standardized dementia scale proposed by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare of Japan. Adjusted Cox proportional-hazard models were used to examine the association between the exercise forms and the development of cognitive impairment, and calculate population-attributable fractions (PAFs).

RESULTS

The cumulative incidence of cognitive impairment throughout the study was 7.7%. Participants who exercised ≥ 2 times/week alone (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.78; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.61-0.998) had a lower risk of developing cognitive impairment than those who did not exercise alone. Similarly, participants who exercised ≥ 2 times/week with others (HR = 0.66; 95% CI = 0.47-0.94) showed a lower risk of developing cognitive impairment than those who did not exercise with others. The scenarios involving PAFs demonstrated that, if all participants exercised alone or with others ≥ 2 times/week, the risk of cognitive impairment decreased by 15.1% and 29.2%, respectively.

CONCLUSION

Both forms of exercise reduced the development of cognitive impairment, with exercising with others potentially being highly effective in preventing cognitive impairment.

"It's Better Together": A Nested Longitudinal Study Examining the Benefits of Walking Regularly With Peers Versus Primarily Alone in Older Adults

The authors examined whether purposeful walking with peers at least once a week contributes to better behavioral and health outcomes in older adults than primarily walking alone. The authors used a longitudinal cohort design and recruited participants aged 60 years and older (N = 136) at the start of a 16-week walking intervention. Participants who walked on average at least once a week in the final 8 weeks of the intervention were included in the analysis (N = 79; 66 females, Mage [SD] = 77.73 [6.91]). The authors found that autonomous motivation, walking self-efficacy, functional capacity, body fat, and physical activity improved more in the walking with peers group compared with the walking alone group, after controlling for whether participants lived alone/with others and their health status. The results extend current literature by providing longitudinal evidence for the added benefits of regular peer-accompanied walking in older adults and highlight the importance of investing in peer-supported interventions.