[Effects of non-face-to-face gait and muscle strength training for urinary incontinence in community-dwelling middle-aged and older women: A randomized controlled trial].

Objectives　Although the effectiveness of status-to-interview-guided exercise therapy to improve urinary incontinence has been reported, reports on non-face-to-face guided exercise therapy are lacking. This study aimed to analyze the effect of using non-face-to-face training guidance for walking and strength training on the frequency and degree of urinary incontinence and improvement in the urinary incontinence-induced decline in the quality of life (QoL) of community-dwelling middle-aged and older women.Methods　This study included 68 women, aged 46-64 years, having self-evaluated stress urinary incontinence. The participants in the intervention group watched a video that guided them on how to walk effectively and gradually increase their number of steps. Additionally, a non-face-to-face lecture was conducted on the comprehensive training content, including muscle strengthening exercises necessary for walking at home, as muscle weakness is one of the causes of urinary incontinence. The control group was instructed to continue living as usual without any interventions. The intervention period was 12 weeks. The primary endpoints included the urinary leakage frequency score, urinary leakage volume score, and degree of decline in the QoL, and these were compared before and after the intervention using the International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire-Short Form (ICIQ-SF). To elucidate the effect of the increase in the step count on the primary outcome, we calculated the rate of increase in the step count before and after the intervention in the intervention group. Moreover, a sub-analysis was performed for the high-step count (n=16) and low step-count (n=16) groups before and after the intervention.Results　Significant differences were observed in the urinary leakage frequency, urinary leakage volume, and ICIQ-SF scores at 12 weeks post-intervention between the groups (P<0.05). In the high-step count group, both the urinary leakage frequency and ICIQ-SF scores showed a significant tendency to improve from 8 weeks compared to the pre-intervention scores.Conclusion　Since this study was conducted as an open-label trial, the possibility of an inherent bias in subjective outcome assessment should be considered during interpretation of the results. Our findings indicate that walking and muscle strength training, even with non-face-to-face guidance, for middle-aged and older community-dwelling women with urinary incontinence can effectively improve the urinary leakage symptoms and degree of decline in the QoL. Furthermore, greater effects could be expected by encouraging an increase in the number of daily steps with the intervention.

Association of the COVID-19 pandemic with changes in objectively measured sedentary behaviour and adiposity.

BACKGROUND: Several studies have reported that the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has increased sedentary behaviour and obesity; however, these analyses used self-reported data, and the association between sedentary behaviour and visceral fat and adipocytokines during the COVID-19 pandemic remains unclear. We aimed to investigate the association of the COVID-19 pandemic with objectively measured sedentary behaviour and these obesity-related factors. METHODS: Longitudinal analysis was conducted on 257 Japanese participants who underwent health check-ups in 2018 before and in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. For both time points, sedentary behaviour was measured using an accelerometer for at least 7 days, visceral fat area (VFA) was measured using abdominal bioelectrical impedance analysis, and blood adiponectin level was measured using latex agglutination turbidimetric immunoassay. Multiple linear regression was performed to determine the association between sedentary behaviour and these outcomes. RESULTS: Compared with data in 2018, sedentary behaviour and VFA were significantly increased (P < 0.001, P = 0.006) whereas adiponectin level was significantly decreased (P < 0.001) in 2020. Increased sedentary behaviour was significantly associated with an increase in VFA (ß = 3.85, 95% CI 1.22-6.49, P = 0.004) and a decrease in adiponectin level (ß = -0.04, 95% CI -0.06 to -0.01, P = 0.005). However, the association of sedentary behaviour with adiponectin level was not significant after considering the effects of VFA. CONCLUSIONS: The COVID-19 pandemic was associated with objectively measured sedentary behaviour and obesity-related factors in Japanese adults. Additionally, an increase in sedentary behaviour was associated with an increase in VFA, whereas the association of sedentary behaviour with adiponectin was partly mediated by VFA. These results suggest that avoiding increasing sedentary time is important to prevent visceral adiposity thereby ameliorating adiponectin, especially during behavioural limitations such as the COVID-19 pandemic.

Association between COVID-19 emergency declarations and physical activity among community-dwelling older adults enrolled in a physical activity measurement program: Evidence from a retrospective observational study using the regression discontinuity design.

BACKGROUND: The current study examines the negative impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) emergency declarations on physical activity among the community-dwelling older adults, the participants of a physical activity measurement program, in Japan. METHODS: This retrospective observational study included 1,773 community-dwelling older adults (aged 74.6 ± 6.3 years, 53.9% women) who had participated in the physical activity measurement project from February 2020 to July 2021. We measured physical activity using a tri-axial accelerometer during 547 consecutive days. Three emergency declarations, requesting people to avoid going outside, occurred during the observational period. We multiply-imputed missing values for daily physical activity, such as steps, light physical activity (LPA), and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) for several patterns of datasets according to the maximum missing rates on a person level. We mainly report the results based on less than 50% of the maximum missing rate (n = 1,056). Other results are reported in the supplemental file. Changes in physical activity before and after the start of each emergency declaration were examined by the regression discontinuity design (RDD) within 14-, 28-, and 56-day bandwidths. RESULTS: For all the participants in the multiply-imputed data with the 14-day bandwidth, steps (coefficients [[Formula: see text]][Formula: see text] 964.3 steps), LPA ([Formula: see text] 5.5 min), and MVPA ([Formula: see text] 4.9 min) increased after the first emergency declaration. However, the effects were attenuated as the RDD bandwidths were widened. No consistent negative impact was observed after the second and third declarations. After the second declaration, steps ([Formula: see text]-609.7 steps), LPA ([Formula: see text]-4.6 min), and MVPA ([Formula: see text]-2.8 min) decreased with the 14-day bandwidth. On the other hand, steps ([Formula: see text] 143.8 steps) and MVPA ([Formula: see text] 1.3 min) increased with the 56-day bandwidth. For the third declaration, LPA consistently decreased with all the bandwidths ([Formula: see text]-2.1, -3.0, -0.8 min for the 14, 28, 56-day bandwidth), whereas steps ([Formula: see text]-529 steps) and MVPA ([Formula: see text]-2.6 min) decreased only with the 28-day bandwidth. CONCLUSIONS: For the community-dwelling older adults who regularly self-monitor their physical activity, the current study concludes that there is no evidence of consistently negative impacts of the emergency declarations by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Foot pressure analysis of gait pattern in older Japanese females requiring different personal care support levels.

[Purpose] This study evaluated gait parameters and foot pressure in two regions of the feet among older females with different personal care support needs to analyze factors that contribute to higher support requirements. [Subjects and Methods] Thirty-two older females were divided into support-need and care-need level groups. Gait parameters (speed, cadence, step length, step width, gait angle, toe angle, double support phase, swing phase, and stance phase) and foot pressure during a 5-m walk were measured and analyzed in the two groups. [Results] The percentage of the double support phase on both feet and the right stance phase were significantly higher in the care-need level group, while that of the right swing phase was significantly lower than that of the support-need level group. Additionally, the phase showing peak pressure on the left rear foot was significantly delayed and the left forefoot pressure in the terminal stance was significantly lower in the care-need level group than in the support-need level group. [Conclusion] These findings show that the temporal duration parameters and foot pressure on a particular side were significantly different between the two groups and suggest that these differences were associated with a higher care level.

Estimating the Effect of Engagement in Community-Based Going-Out Program on Incidence Disability in Older Adults.

OBJECTIVES: Although going out has been reported to be associated with the incidence of disability, few studies have investigated the effect of community-based programs to promote going out on the incidence of disability. This study aimed to estimate the effects of a program fostering going-out on the incidence of disability in community-dwelling older adults. DESIGN: Longitudinal, observational study. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: Nonengaged (n = 1086) and engaged older adults (n = 1086) enrolled in the National Center for Geriatrics and Gerontology Study of Geriatric Syndrome by using a one-to-one nearest neighbor propensity score-matching scheme. METHODS: After the baseline assessments, participants in the community-based going-out program received a specialized physical activity tracker, monitored their daily physical activity, and received personalized feedback on going out to community facilities with a system for reading the device for 12 months. Disability onset was defined as a new case of long-term care under the public insurance certification in Japan within 48 months of program completion. The absolute risk reduction and the number needed to treat for the incidence of disability were calculated for the nonengaged and engaged groups. Cox proportional hazard regression analysis, using inverse probability weighting was used to obtain the hazard ratio. RESULTS: Disabilities occurred in 112 individuals in the matched nonengaged group and 51 individuals in the engaged group. The absolute risk reduction was 5.67% (95% CI 3.46%-7.88%). The number needed to treat was 18 (95% CI 13-29). The hazard ratio, with the nonengaged group as the reference, was 0.49 (95% CI 0.36-0.67). CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: This longitudinal observational study suggested that a community-based program could prevent 1 disability in every 18 participants. This program does not require a professional instructor, only the distribution of devices and system installation, and it could be beneficial as a population-based approach to preventing disabilities.

[Are gait parameters related to knee pain, urinary incontinence and a history of falls in community-dwelling elderly women?].

AIM: To examine the association between gait parameters and knee pain, urinary incontinence, and a history of falls. METHODS: Comprehensive health examinations were conducted in 2009 among 971 elderly women over 70 years of age, in which the questionnaire and gait parameter results of 870 participants were analyzed. Knee pain, urinary incontinence and a history of falls were assessed through face-to-face interview surveys. Gait parameters were measured using a walk-way to assess walking speed, cadence, stride, stride length, step width, walking angle, toe angle and the differences in each parameter between the right and left foot. Multiple logistic regression analyses were performed to examine the associations between the gait parameters and knee pain, urinary incontinence and a history of falls. RESULTS: The elderly women with knee pain, urinary incontinence and a history of falls had slower walking speeds, smaller strides and strides length, and wider step width and walking angles. The multiple logistic regression analysis showed the walking speed to be significantly associated with mild knee pain and urinary incontinence and single a history of fall; moderate/severe knee pain was significantly associated with step width (OR=0.58, 95%CI=0.40-0.84) and walking angle (OR=1.62, 95%CI=1.30-2.01); moderate/severe urinary incontinence was significantly associated with walking speed (OR=0.97, 95%CI=0.96-0.99), walking angle (OR=1.14, 95%CI=1.02-1.26), and difference in walking angle between the right and left foot (OR=1.43, 95%CI=1.09-1.86); multiple a history of falls was significantly associated with stride length (OR=0.85, 95%CI=0.79-0.93) and the difference in walking angle between the right and left foot (OR=1.36, 95%CI=1.01-1.85). CONCLUSIONS: The data suggest that combining assessments of walking speed and other gait parameters may be an effective screening method for the early detection of geriatric syndromes.

Estimability study on the age of toddlers' gait development based on gait parameters.

In the first few years of toddlers' locomotion, various gait parameters improve gradually and dynamically with gait development. Therefore, in this study, we hypothesized that the age of gait development, or the level of gait development with age as its indicator, can be estimated from several gait parameters related to gait development, and investigated its estimability. In total, 97 healthy toddlers aged about 1-3 years participated in the study. All five selected gait parameters showed a moderate or higher correlation with age, but the duration with a large change and the strength of the association with gait development varied for each gait parameter. Multiple regression analysis was performed using age as the objective variable and five selected gait parameters as explanatory variables, and an estimation model (R2 = 0.683, adjusted R2 = 0.665) was created. The estimation model was verified using a test dataset separate from the training dataset (R2 = 0.82, p < 0.001). It was suggested that the age of gait development could be estimated from gait alone. Gait analysis based on empirical observations may reduce the need for skilled observers and their potential variability.

Association between daily gait speed patterns and cognitive impairment in community-dwelling older adults.

Gait speed over a short distance is associated with cognitive impairment in older adults. Recently, daily gait speed has been assessed using accelerometers. However, because daily gait speed is only weakly correlation with gait speed over a short distance, its association with cognitive impairment needs to be investigated. The present study compared the daily gait speed patterns of normal cognition (NC), mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and general cognitive impairment (GCI) subjects measured every 3 h for two weeks using accelerometers. A total of 1959 participants were classified into the NC (N = 1519), MCI (N = 353), and GCI groups (N = 87). The results showed that the average daily gait speed of the GCI group was significantly lower than that of the NC group (p = 0.03). Furthermore, the average daily gait speeds of the MCI and NC groups were the same. However, the average daily gait speed of the MCI group during a specific time (12-15 o'clock) was significantly lower than that of the NC group (p < 0.01). These results suggest that changes in daily patterns may be detected by measuring daily gait speed, which depends on the degree of cognitive function.

Assessment of Multidimensional Health Care Parameters Among Adults in Japan for Developing a Virtual Human Generative Model: Protocol for a Cross-sectional Study.

BACKGROUND: Human health status can be measured on the basis of many different parameters. Statistical relationships among these different health parameters will enable several possible health care applications and an approximation of the current health status of individuals, which will allow for more personalized and preventive health care by informing the potential risks and developing personalized interventions. Furthermore, a better understanding of the modifiable risk factors related to lifestyle, diet, and physical activity will facilitate the design of optimal treatment approaches for individuals. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to provide a high-dimensional, cross-sectional data set of comprehensive health care information to construct a combined statistical model as a single joint probability distribution and enable further studies on individual relationships among the multidimensional data obtained. METHODS: In this cross-sectional observational study, data were collected from a population of 1000 adult men and women (aged ≥20 years) matching the age ratio of the typical adult Japanese population. Data include biochemical and metabolic profiles from blood, urine, saliva, and oral glucose tolerance tests; bacterial profiles from feces, facial skin, scalp skin, and saliva; messenger RNA, proteome, and metabolite analyses of facial and scalp skin surface lipids; lifestyle surveys and questionnaires; physical, motor, cognitive, and vascular function analyses; alopecia analysis; and comprehensive analyses of body odor components. Statistical analyses will be performed in 2 modes: one to train a joint probability distribution by combining a commercially available health care data set containing large amounts of relatively low-dimensional data with the cross-sectional data set described in this paper and another to individually investigate the relationships among the variables obtained in this study. RESULTS: Recruitment for this study started in October 2021 and ended in February 2022, with a total of 997 participants enrolled. The collected data will be used to build a joint probability distribution called a Virtual Human Generative Model. Both the model and the collected data are expected to provide information on the relationships between various health statuses. CONCLUSIONS: As different degrees of health status correlations are expected to differentially affect individual health status, this study will contribute to the development of empirically justified interventions based on the population. INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID): DERR1-10.2196/47024.

Predictivity of daily gait speed using tri-axial accelerometers for two-year incident disability among Japanese older adults.

Gait speed is an important indicator of functional decline in older adults. Recently, daily gait speed has been assessed using accelerometers. However, it is unclear whether this parameter can predict the decline in functional abilities. This study investigates whether daily gait speed can be a predictor of incident disability risk as well as in-laboratory gait speed. A sample of 1860 older adults (Male: 728, Female: 1132; 70.1 ± 6.2 years) were instructed to wear accelerometers on the waist. The association between daily gait speed for two weeks and incident disability during a two-year period was analyzed by using the cut-off value for screening prefrailty in the previous study (106.3 cm/s). Furthermore, the associations with in-laboratory gait speed (cut-off value: 100 cm/s), number of steps (cut-off value: 6342.2 steps/day), and incident disability were also analyzed. Cox proportional hazards analysis showed a significant hazard ratio of low daily gait speed (HR, 2.97; p = 0.02) comparable to that of low in-laboratory gait speed (HR: 2.53; p = 0.01). Conversely, the number of steps had no significant association with incident disability (HR: 1.99; p = 0.12). These results suggest that daily gait speed can be a predictor of incident disability risk in older adults.

Association between Objectively Measured Sedentary Behaviour and Sleep Quality in Japanese Adults: A Population-Based Cross-Sectional Study.

The association between sedentary behaviour and sleep quality (SQ) remains unclear, partly due to the limited methodology for assessing sedentary time and the influence of obesity. This study aimed to examine the association between objectively measured sedentary time and poor SQ, as well as the association of visceral fat accumulation. This cross-sectional study used health check-up data obtained from 721 Japanese adults. Sedentary time and physical activity were measured using an accelerometer for ≥7 days, with ≥10 measurement hours per day. Poor SQ was determined by a Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index score of ≥ 6. Visceral fat was measured using the abdominal bioimpedance method. A logistic regression model was used to analyse the association between sedentary time and SQ. We found that higher sedentary time was associated with poorer SQ. This association remained significant after adjustment for several covariates, including visceral fat. Compared with the lowest tertile of sedentary time, the second and highest tertile had a significantly higher OR of poor SQ (Tertile 2: OR = 2.06 [95% CI 1.14,3,73]; Tertile 3: OR = 2.76 [95% CI 1.49, 5.11]). These results suggest that managing sedentary time itself might contribute to improving SQ.

Association of sedentary behaviour and physical activity with cardiometabolic health in Japanese adults.

Although the Asian population exhibits excessive sedentary behaviour and has a high susceptibility to metabolic syndrome (MetS), the nature of these associations remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the association of sedentary time with cardiometabolic health and examine the association of reallocating sedentary time to light physical activity (LPA) or moderate-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) on cardiometabolic health in Japanese adults. A cross-sectional study was performed using data obtained from 758 Japanese adults. We assessed sedentary time, LPA, and MVPA using an accelerometer. Linear and logistic regression models were used to analyse the association between sedentary time and cardiometabolic risk factors. An isotemporal substitution model was used to estimate the theoretical influence of reallocating sedentary time to LPA or MVPA. A longer sedentary time was associated with worse cardiometabolic health, including MetS. Reallocating 30 min of sedentary time to LPA was significantly associated with lower body mass index, visceral fat, insulin resistance, triglyceride, and MetS levels and increased muscle mass and HDL-C (all P < 0.05). Reallocating 30 min of sedentary time to MVPA was strongly associated with the aforementioned factors. These results demonstrate the potential beneficial effects of reallocating sedentary time to LPA and MVPA on cardiometabolic health of Asians.

Light intensity physical activity is beneficially associated with brain volume in older adults with high cardiovascular risk.

Background: Older people with high cardiovascular risk, including those without cardiovascular diseases, are an at-risk population for dementia. Regular physical activity is generally recommended to maintain brain health; however, the optimal intensity of physical activity for maintaining brain volume in older adults with cardiovascular risk remains unclear. We examined the associations between intensity-specific physical activity and brain volume stratified by absolute cardiovascular risk level in older adults without cardiovascular diseases. Methods and results: This cross-sectional study involved 725 community-dwelling older Japanese adults without cardiovascular diseases. We estimated absolute cardiovascular risk using the World Health Organization risk estimation charts, which include variables such as age, sex, diabetes mellitus, smoking, systolic blood pressure, and total cholesterol, and stratified cardiovascular risk level into three risk categories: low (≤ 9%), moderate (10-14%), and high (≥15%). We measured daily physical activity using a triaxial accelerometer, and calculated the average time spent in moderate-to-vigorous intensity physical activity (MVPA) and light intensity physical activity (LPA). We performed brain T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging and calculated the volume of the cortical gray matter, subcortical gray matter, and cerebral white matter, using the FreeSurfer software. In the overall sample, multivariable linear regression analysis showed that greater MVPA was significantly associated with greater volume of the cortical gray matter and cerebral white matter, and greater LPA was significantly associated with greater volume of the cerebral white matter. Additionally, in the analysis of the sample stratified by absolute cardiovascular risk level, cerebral white matter volume was significantly associated with both MVPA and LPA in the high cardiovascular risk group. Conclusions: The association between physical activity and brain volume differed according to cardiovascular risk level in community-dwelling older adults. In a population at high cardiovascular risk, maintaining or increasing LPA might be a practical and achievable strategy for healthy brain aging.

Screening prefrailty in Japanese community-dwelling older adults with daily gait speed and number of steps via tri-axial accelerometers.

Prefrailty is an intermediate stage between non-frailty and frailty. It is associated with an increased risk of progression to frailty, which makes it important to screen older adults for prefrailty at an early stage. This study verified whether daily gait speed and number of steps measured using a tri-axial accelerometer could be used to identify prefrailty. In total, 1692 Japanese community-dwelling older adults were divided into robust (n = 1032) and prefrail (n = 660) groups based on the Kihon Checklist, which is a self-administered questionnaire. Both daily gait speed and number of steps were measured for two weeks using tri-axial accelerometers. We also calculated the area under the ROC curve and the cut-off values for these parameters. Our results showed that the cut-off value for daily gait speed was 106.3 cm/s, while that for number of steps was 6342.2. In addition, we found that the combined assessment of both cut-off values was a more effective way to screen older adults with prefrailty status compared to either parameter alone. This is also considered an effective way to reduce national expenditures for daily care assistance.

Effect of wearing diapers on toddler's gait.

Gait maturation in infants develops gradually through several phases. However, external factors such as childrearing practices, especially the wearing of diapers, may affect an infant's motor development. This study investigated the influence of different bulk stresses on the gait of toddlers wearing a disposable diaper. Twenty-six healthy toddlers (age: 19.2 ± 0.9 months) participated in this study. We measured the joint kinematics (pelvis angle and hip-joint angle) and spatiotemporal parameters (step length and step width) of the toddlers' gait under four dress conditions (wearing Type A_WET, Type A_DRY, and Type B_WET diapers and naked). Type B_WET had a higher bulk stress than Type A_WET, and Type A_DRY had lower stress than Type A _ WET. Our results indicate that the walk of toddlers when wearing a diaper differs from that when naked. This difference is due to the effect of the bulk of the diaper on the lower limb. A high bulk stress has a greater influence than that of a low bulk stress on joint dynamics and step width. Therefore, our findings suggest that wearing diapers with high bulk stress may inhibit the natural gait patterns of toddlers.

The effect of age on the association between daily gait speed and abdominal obesity in Japanese adults.

The aim of this work was to investigate the effect of age on the association between daily gait speed (DGS) and abdominal obesity defined by visceral fat area (VFA). A cross-sectional study was performed using data from an annual community-based health check-up. A total of 699 participants aged 20-88 years were enrolled in this analysis. DGS was assessed using tri-axial accelerometers worn for ≥ 7 days with at least 10 measuring hours each day. VFA was measured using a visceral fat meter. Since DGS differed significantly with age, the participants were divided into two groups: younger adults (YA), aged 20-49 years, and older adults (OA), aged 50-88 years. The association between DGS and VFA differed significantly with age (r = 0.099 for YA and r = - 0.080 for OA; test for difference between correlation coefficients, P = 0.023). In OA, the adjusted odds ratio of abdominal obesity (VFA ≥ 100 cm2) was 0.40 (95% confidence interval 0.18, 0.88, P = 0.022) for the highest DGS quartile (DGS ≥ 1.37 m/s) compared to that for the lowest quartile (DGS < 1.11 m/s), whereas no significant association was found in YA. These data could aid in raising awareness of the self-management of obesity via DGS monitoring, especially in OA.

Evaluation of toe function based on the plantar pressure distribution while walking and its relationships with general gait parameters.

The foot is an important part of the human body that helps to maintain and shift a person's center of gravity. The roles of the toes in balancing and walking have been the focus of recent research. However, there are few methods or systems that can be used to quantitatively evaluate toe function while walking with respect to aging. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to develop an evaluation method for toe function based on the plantar pressure distribution while walking and evaluate how it relates to general gait parameters. Herein, we propose a method to identify the boundary position between the toe and foot based on the foot pressure distribution matrix. This technique was applied to gait analysis for 1774 female and 1553 male participants aged 20-90 years. The results of the statistical analysis suggest that the toe area ratio may reflect gait function and aging.

Relationship between Daily and In-laboratory Gait Speed among Healthy Community-dwelling Older Adults.

Gait speed in laboratory settings (in-laboratory gait speed) is one of the important indicators associated with the decline in functional abilities in older adulthood. Recently, it has become possible to measure gait speed during daily living (daily gait speed) using accelerometers. However, the relationship between these two gait speed parameters is unclear. This study aimed to compare in-laboratory gait speed, measured by a sheet-type pressure sensor, and daily gait speed, measured by an accelerometer, in healthy community-dwelling older adults. Participants were aged ≥60 years, residing in Takahama city, Aichi, Japan. To calculate daily gait speed, participants were instructed to wear a tri-axial accelerometer on their waist. A total of 1965 participants were included in the final analysis. The results showed a weak association (r = 0.333, p < 0.001) between the two gait speed parameters. Furthermore, average daily gait speed was significantly lower than average in-laboratory gait speed. However, both gait speed parameters declined significantly with age. These results suggest that, in addition to in-laboratory gait speed, daily gait speed may be a helpful parameter for predicting decline in functional abilities.

[The influence of wearing a diaper on static and dynamic postural control in the elderly].

AIM: To clarify characteristics of static and dynamic postural control in elderly people, postural sway during static standing, during an activity, and static standing after the activity were compared between young and elderly subjects. In this study, the action of raising pants-type diapers was selected as the model activity for the measurement of dynamic postural control ability. METHODS: To make differences in the ease of putting on the diapers, their contraction strength around the abdomen was adjusted at 5 levels from loose to tight. Postural sway was measured first during static standing with open and closed eyes and, then, during activity and static standing after activity. The subjects' perceived difficulty in putting on the diapers was also evaluated. RESULTS: Postural sway tended to be larger in elderly than younger subjects during static standing, but the differences were not significant. Also, postural sway was markedly increased in elderly subjects during the raising of diapers requiring greater effort. In static standing after an action, postural sway also remained increased after putting on diapers requiring greater effort only in the elderly group. CONCLUSIONS: Postural sway increased, indicating a decline in the dynamic postural control ability, during an action in association with its level of difficulty even in elderly people showing no decline in static postural control ability. In addition, dynamic postural control responses appeared to affect subsequent static postural control responses, inducing a decline in ability.