Association of Sleep Quality Status With Worsening Low Back or Knee Pain During The COVID-19 State of Emergency Among Old-Old Adults.

BACKGROUND: Poor sleep quality has a negative effect on pain among older adults. During the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) state of emergency, lifestyle changes can cause psychologic stressors and lead to poor sleep quality. AIM: This study examined whether sleep quality status was associated with low back or knee pain changes during the COVID-19 state of emergency among community-dwelling Japanese old-old adults. DESIGN: Cross-sectional investigation. METHODS: In July 2020, during the COVID-19 epidemic, we conducted a postal survey for old-old adults aged ≥77 years and collected data on 597 participants. For those who had low back or knee pain at the time of the survey (in July), characteristics such as low back pain, knee pain, changes in pain status, and sleep quality status during the COVID-19 state of emergency (in March) were assessed. RESULTS: Data from 597 participants showed the prevalence of low back pain (50.6%) and knee pain (40.7%) in July. Of those with low back or knee pain, 374 had pain changes during the state of emergency, with 12.3% worsening. Of these, 23.9% had poor sleep quality in March compared to non-change (p = .008). In a multivariate logistic regression model adjusted for potential confounders, poor sleep quality was significantly associated with pain worsening (odds ratio 2.80, 95% confidence interval 1.26-6.22). CONCLUSIONS: During the COVID-19 state of emergency, poor sleep quality was associated with worsening low back or knee pain. This may indicate the need to pay attention to poor sleep quality to prevent the exacerbation of pain among old-old adults.

Association of Health Literacy with the Implementation of Exercise during the Declaration of COVID-19 State of Emergency among Japanese Community-Dwelling Old-Old Adults.

Health literacy is important for promoting and maintaining good health in old-old adults. It may influence the implementation of exercise in the coronavirus disease epidemic. The present cross-sectional study investigated the association of each dimension of health literacy with the implementation of exercise during the declaration of a state of emergency due to coronavirus disease in community-dwelling old-old adults. We collected data from 483 community-dwelling old-old adults (52.8% women) aged between 77 and 99 years who participated in a mail survey. Participants were divided into exercise or nonexercise groups based on the implementation of exercise during the declaration of a state of emergency. Health literacy was assessed using a 14-item health literacy scale. There were 327 (67.7%) participants in the exercise group and 156 (32.3%) in the nonexercise group. A significantly higher score of health literacy was observed in the exercise group than in the nonexercise group (communicative health literacy score = 14.0 ± 3.6 vs. 12.7 ± 3.8, p = 0.001). In a multivariate logistic regression model adjusted for potential confounders, high communicative health literacy scores were significantly associated with the implementation of exercise during the declaration of a state of emergency (odds ratio = 1.88, 95% confidence interval = 1.20-2.93). Approximately two-thirds of community-dwelling old-old adults implement exercise during the declaration of a state of emergency. High communicative health literacy was associated with the implementation of exercise during this period.

Perceived declining physical and cognitive fitness during the COVID-19 state of emergency among community-dwelling Japanese old-old adults.

AIM: Perceived health status, including physical and cognitive fitness, will be negatively associated with future health conditions among old-old adults. The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has caused sudden changes in lifestyle. Thus, this study examined the associations of participation in an exercise class before the COVID-19 pandemic and the exercise habits and disruption to the rhythms of daily life during the COVID-19 state of emergency with perceived declining physical and cognitive fitness among community-dwelling old-old adults. METHODS: In July 2020, we carried out a mail survey of community-dwelling old-old adults aged between 77 and 99 years in Bibai, Hokkaido, Japan, to determine their perceived declining physical and cognitive fitness during the COVID-19 state of emergency. RESULTS: Of the 774 responders, 339 (43.8%) participants reported a decline in physical fitness, whereas 259 (33.5%) perceived declining cognitive fitness during the COVID-19 state of emergency. In a multivariate logistic regression model adjusted for potential confounders, exercise habits during the COVID-19 state of emergency were significantly associated with a lower perception of declining physical fitness. Disruption to the rhythms of daily life during the COVID-19 state of emergency was significantly associated with a higher perception of declining physical and cognitive fitness. CONCLUSIONS: Approximately half and more than one-third of community-dwelling old-old adults perceived declining physical and cognitive fitness, respectively, during the COVID-19 state of emergency. During this period, exercise habits were positively correlated with perceived health status among old-old adults, whereas disruption to the rhythms of daily life was negatively correlated. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2021; 21: 364-369.