Longer-term Effect of Physical Activity Intervention on Sleep Quality: A Secondary Analysis of Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial.

STUDY OBJECTIVES: To examine the longer-term effect of physical activity (PA) intervention on sleep quality and whether the effect was heterogeneous between daytime nappers and non-nappers. METHODS: This study was a secondary analysis of a cluster randomized controlled trial in China. Eight villages were randomized 1:1 to intervention or control group. The intervention group received an 8-week PA intervention, while the control group did not. The primary outcome of this study was the change in the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) global score at 24 months. RESULTS: The 511 participants had a mean age of 70.94 years (SD 5.73) and 55.6% were female. The intervention showed improvements in the PSQI global score at 8 weeks (adjusted mean difference -1.05; P=0.002), and the effect diminished at 24 months (-0.64; P=0.06). There were statistically significant improvements in the PSQI global score for daytime nappers, but not for non-nappers at 8 weeks (adjusted mean difference -0.98; P=0.01 vs -1.27; P=0.05), 12 months (-0.86; P=0.03 vs -0.84; P=0.21), and 24 months (-0.80; P=0.04 vs -0.14; P=0.84), although these improvements were below the minimum detectible level of the PSQI which is 1 point. CONCLUSION: The 8-week PA intervention was effective in improving sleep quality, while the effect was diminished and below the minimum detectible level of the PSQI which is 1 point after 24 months. The effect of PA intervention on sleep quality was more pronounced in daytime nappers. Additional interventions (e.g., focusing on multiple behavioral interventions such as PA and healthy diet) are needed to maintain the beneficial effect of PA on sleep quality in the general older populations. Further research is required to confirm the mechanisms of the effect of napping and develop tailored interventions.

The Relationship between Mentally Active Sedentary Behavior and Cognitive Function across Different Educational Levels.

INTRODUCTION: How education affects the relationship between sedentary behavior and cognitive function remains unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between mentally active sedentary behavior and cognitive function in rural older Chinese across different levels of education. METHODS: Data from 517 participants aged 60 years and older in rural China at baseline, 4 weeks, 8 weeks, 6 months, 12 months, and 24 months were analyzed. Univariate analysis was carried out using descriptive statistical techniques and bivariate analysis was performed using linear mixed effects models. RESULTS: Total mentally active sedentary behavior time and playing cards/mahjong time were significantly associated with global cognition (0.25 points [95% CI, 0.15-0.35], p < 0.001; 0.27 points [95% CI, 0.16-0.37], p < 0.001, respectively), the attention dimension (0.07 points [95% CI, 0.01-0.12], p = 0.025; 0.08 points [95% CI, 0.02-0.14], p = 0.011, respectively), and the memory dimension (0.20 points [95% CI, 0.13-0.26], p < 0.001; 0.18 points [95% CI, 0.12-0.25], p < 0.001, respectively). Such associations were more pronounced in illiterate participants. CONCLUSION: Our study suggested a positive association between mentally active sedentary behavior and cognitive function, with the association being more pronounced among illiterate older adults compared to the relatively well-educated. Future cognitive interventions should focus more on mentally active behavior. In addition, education-specific intervention strategy may be considered in cognitive interventions.

Development and uniqueness test of highly selective atomic topological indices based on the number of attached hydrogen atoms.

On the basis of the atomic graph-theoretical index - aEAID (atomic Extended Adjacency matrix IDentification) and molecular adjacent topological index - ATID (Adjacent Topological IDentification) suggested by one of the authors (Zhang Q), a highly selective atomic topological index - aATID (atomic Adjacent Topological IDentification) index was suggested to identify the equivalent atoms in this study. The aATID index of an atom was derived from the number of the attached hydrogen atoms of the atom but omitting bond types. In this case, the suggested index can be used to identify equivalent atoms in chemistry but perhaps not equivalent in the molecular graph. To test the uniqueness of aATID indices, the virtual atomic data sets were derived from alkanes containing 15-20 carbon atoms and the isomers of Octogen, as well as a real data set was derived from the NCI database. Only four pairs of atoms from alkanes containing 20 carbons can't be discriminated by aATID, that is, four pairs of degenerates were found for this data set. To solve this problem, the aATID index was modified by introducing distance factors between atoms, and the 2-aATID index was suggested. Its uniqueness was examined by 5,939,902 atoms derived from alkanes containing 20 carbons and further 16,166,984 atoms from alkanes of 21 carbons, and no degenerates were found. In addition, another large real data set of 16,650,688 atoms derived from the PubChem database was also used to test the uniqueness of both aATID and 2-aATID. As a result, each atom was successfully discriminated by any of the two indices. Finally, the suggested aATID index was applied to the identification of duplicate atoms as data pretreatment for QSPR (Quantitative Structure-Property Relationships) studies.

Physical Activity Intervention for Leisure-Time Activity Levels Among Older Adults: A Cluster Randomized Trial.

Importance: Current randomized trial evidence of the effects of physical activity interventions in older adults is mainly from developed countries, with little reliable evidence from low- and middle-income countries, such as China, where race, culture, and lifestyles differ substantially from those in Western populations. Objective: To evaluate the effects of a multilevel intervention for increasing leisure-time activity levels in Chinese older adults. Design, Setting, and Participants: This cluster randomized trial was conducted from May 2021 to May 2023, including an 8-week intervention period and a follow-up period of 24 months. Eight villages in China were randomly assigned to the intervention (4 villages) or the control (4 villages) group. Potentially eligible participants were 60 years or older. A total of 511 older adults from the selected 8 villages were enrolled. Interventions: The intervention group received an 8-week socioecological model-based intervention, comprising individual, interpersonal, and community-level components, whereas the control group did not. Main Outcome and Measure: The primary outcome was the change in leisure-time activity at 8 weeks, measured by the Physical Activity Scale for the Elderly (PASE). Possible PASE scores for leisure-time activity range from 0 to 502, with higher scores indicating higher activity levels. Results: A total of 511 older adults from 8 villages were recruited and randomly allocated to the intervention (240 participants, 4 villages) or control (271 participants, 4 villages) groups. The mean (SD) age was 70.95 (5.72) years, and 284 (55.6%) were female participants. Seven serious adverse events (unrelated deaths) were reported. Participants in the intervention group increased leisure-time activity more than those in the control group, with a mean difference in PASE scores of 13.74 points (95% CI, 8.58-18.91 points) between the groups at 8 weeks (P < .001). Significant differences in leisure-time activity were also found over 24 months (mean difference in scores at 4 weeks, 11.66 points; 95% CI, 6.41-16.90 points; P < .001; at 6 months, 12.35 points; 95% CI, 7.19-17.50 points; P < .001; at 12 months, 11.55 points; 95% CI, 6.32-16.78 points; P < .001; and at 24 months, 14.51 points; 95% CI, 9.28-19.75 points; P < .001). Conclusions and Relevance: In this cluster randomized trial, the multilevel intervention was effective in promoting leisure-time activity over 24 months of follow-up in older adults from China. This finding suggests that implementation of such interventions could be an important step in addressing physical inactivity in older adults in low- and middle-income countries. Trial Registration: Chinese Clinical Trial Registry Identifier: ChiCTR2100045653.