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Determination of Body Composition in Community-Dwelling Older Adults With and Without Sarcopenia Using Data From Practical Measures

Sugalya Amatachaya, Pakwipa Chokphukiao, Puttipong Poncumhak, Roongnapa Intaruk, Thiwabhorn Thaweewannakij, and Pipatana Amatachaya

Adequate body composition is essential for health, function, and independence in older adults. However, standard body composition assessments require complex and costly modalities, limiting their use for early detection of body composition changes and periodic follow-up. This study explored the ability of three practical measures—handgrip strength, five times sit-to-stand test, and upper limb loading during seated push-up test (ULL-SPUT)—to determine body composition in 109 older adults with and without sarcopenia. Participants (average age 76 years) were cross-sectionally measured for outcomes of the study. The ULL-SPUT and handgrip strength, but not the five times sit-to-stand test, significantly correlated with body composition (rs , r = .297–.827, p < .01). The ULL-SPUT, in combination with demographic data, could determine body composition up to 82%. Therefore, the ULL-SPUT may be a practical preliminary measure to identify older adults for whom standard body composition assessments and follow-up would prove timely and beneficial.

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Does Role Identity Mediate the Influence of Motivational Regulations on Physical Activity Behavior Among People 55 Years or Older?

Steve Amireault and Mary Katherine Huffman

The objective of this study was to estimate the extent to which motivational regulations influence physical activity behavior through role identity among people 55 years or older. Participants (N = 409; M age = 66.29 years [SD = 7.06]) completed online questionnaires to measure motivational regulations, role identity, and the frequency of physical activity in a typical week and in the past month. Mediation analysis using ordinary least squares path analysis revealed that autonomous forms of motivational regulation (positively) and controlled forms of motivational regulation (negatively) influenced role identity, which then positively influenced physical activity behavior. Bootstrap confidence intervals (95%) for the indirect effects (a × b) based on 5,000 bootstrap samples were entirely above or below zero. These findings point to future experimental evaluations of interventions aiming at both increasing and decreasing autonomous and controlled motivational regulations, respectively, to promote physical activity behavior through role identity.

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Perceived Constraints to Pickleball Participation Among Black Older Adults

Jonathan M. Casper, Amy Chan Hyung Kim, and Jason N. Bocarro

Pickleball offers sociopsychological and physical activity benefits for older adults but lacks racial diversity. The purpose of this study was to identify constraints to pickleball participation with Black older adults (65+ years) as well as examine differences based on physical activity and sex. A Qualtrics panel included Black older adults (N = 292) who have heard of pickleball and are physically able to play but have not played. Results found Knowledge, Accessibility, Interpersonal, and Interest were the most salient constraints overall. Multivariate analysis of variance found that those who report low physical activity had significantly higher Interpersonal, Psychological, Costs, and Perceived Racism constraints. Additionally, females report significantly higher Knowledge, Psychological, and Cost constraints compared to males. The results further the theoretical application of constraints to physical activity research and provide insights into practitioner implications to grow the sport of pickleball for Black older adults.

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Comparing Online and In-Person Delivery of a Fall Prevention Exercise Program for Older Adults

Vanessa Pitre, Martin Sénéchal, and Danielle R. Bouchard

Exercise is the single most effective strategy to reduce the risk of falls. Online classes have grown in popularity, but the benefits of online classes remain unknown. Zoomers on the Go is a peer-led 12-week exercise program offered twice weekly to adults 50+ years old. The main outcome was lower body strength measured by the 30-s chair stand test. Other outcomes included dropout, attendance, balance, cardiorespiratory fitness, and perceived health. A total of 74 participants (age 66.3 ± 7.1 years) in the online group and 84 participants in the in-person group (age 67.3 ± 7.2 years) completed the program, with attendance for the online group. Both groups significantly improved their 30-s chair stand, cardiorespiratory fitness, and balance (p < .001) with no difference in functional benefits between groups. The in-person group improved their perceived health and significantly reduced levels of stress and depression, while no such changes were observed in the online group.

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A Descriptive Study Using Rasch Analysis and Hypothesis Testing to Evaluate the Psychometric Properties of the UMOVE Mobility Screen Tested With Hospitalized Older Adults

Barbara Resnick, Marie Boltz, Chris L. Wells, Elizabeth Galik, Ashley Kuzmik, and Rachel McPherson

The purpose of this study was to test the reliability and validity of the UMOVE Mobility Screen in older adults living with dementia using a Rasch analysis and hypothesis testing. The UMOVE Mobility Screen (UMOVE) focuses on nine activities: following commands, muscle strength, and basic functional mobility tasks. Trained evaluators completed assessments on 244 patients, the majority of whom were female (62%), and White (71%). Based on Rasch Analysis, there was evidence of good item and person reliability (indexes > 0.80), good INFIT statistics, and only one item fitting the model based on OUTFIT statistics. Validity was supported based on hypothesis testing. There was no evidence of Differential Item Functioning between races and genders. Item mapping raised concerns about the spread of the items across the full spectrum of mobility assessed in the UMOVE Mobility Screen. Future testing should consider adding some easier and some more difficult items.

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Physical Activity and Psychological Resilience in Older Adults: A Systematic Review of the Literature

Eliza E. Toth, Ferenc Ihász, Roberto Ruíz-Barquín, and Attila Szabo

Older adults face numerous unfavorable functional changes caused by aging, but many exhibit resilience, which helps them cope with challenges. Physical activity is positively associated with resilience. Therefore, this systematic literature review aimed to uncover the relationships between physical activity and resilience in older adults. We have analyzed three freely and openly available databases: (a) PubMed/Medline, (b) ScienceDirect, and (c) Google Scholar, which yielded 20 eligible articles based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Most studies (14) were cross-sectional, three were longitudinal, and three others used mindfulness-based or endurance-enhancing physical activity interventions. Their results revealed increased resilience even after short-duration and low-frequency interventions. Cross-sectional research results also support the positive relationship between physical activity and resilience in older adults, suggesting that the relationship might depend on exercise volume. Still, further research is needed to design interventions, understand the mechanism(s) involved in altering resilience, and maximize physical activity’s benefits in aging people.

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Research Protocol Adaptations During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Process Evaluation

Mariana Wingood, Amy M. Linsky, Rebekah Harris, Patricia Bamonti, Jennifer Moye, and Jonathan F. Bean

In general, COVID-19-related adaptations that transitioned in-person assessments and interventions to a virtual format were not routinely evaluated. We aimed to conduct a process evaluation to examine the impact of COVID-19-related adaptations on a behavior change intervention designed to increase exercise adherence among Veterans with mobility difficulty. We used secondary data from a nonrandomized study to complete a process evaluation examining the intervention’s reach, recruitment, fidelity, dose delivered by physical therapists, and the dose received by the 14 participating Veterans. The physical therapist delivered 95% (133/140) of the study’s 10 sessions. Sessions with the lowest delivery dose included Sessions 1 and 10 (86%; n = 12/14). The elements with the lowest dose received included using an exercise journal and developing a postintervention plan (86%; n = 12/14). Our COVID-19 adaptations allowed us to provide our intervention to the majority (67%) of eligible participants without a negative impact on fidelity, dose delivered, or dose received.

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Self-Reported Vision Loss, Health Status, and Social Participation Among Middle-Aged and Older Adults—Evidence From China

Xiaodong Zhang, Yuqian Lin, and Chengmeng Zhang

Social participation is crucial for enhancing senior’s well-being and promoting their integration into society. Using nationwide data investigated in China, this study explored the association between self-reported visual impairment, health level, and social participation among Chinese middle-aged old adults. It has been found that (a) the probability and frequency of social participation among middle-aged and older adults with self-reported vision loss were significantly lower than those without vision problems; (b) self-reported vision loss was negatively associated with self-rated health and mental health status, and both were positively associated with social participation; and (c) self-rated health and mental health played a mediating role between vision loss and social participation. The findings suggest that under the framework of active aging, universal vision screening programs and rehabilitation plans for the older adults with visual impairment are exceedingly significant to promote their participation in social activities, thereby enhancing their quality of life.

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The Association Between Allostatic Load and Frailty Trajectories Among Adults Aged 50+ Years: Mediating Role of Physical Activity

Kanglin Shi, Lingxiao He, Zeyun Zhang, Jianlin Lin, Xiaodong Chen, Xinyuan Du, Kewei Shi, Jinzhu Yang, Zaixing Shi, and Ya Fang

Objectives: To identify frailty trajectories and examine its association with allostatic load (AL) and mediating effect of physical activity (PA). Methods: This study included 8,082 adults from the English Longitudinal Study of Aging over Waves 4–9. AL was calculated by 14 biological indicators, and a 53-item frailty index was used to evaluate frailty. Frailty trajectories were classified by group-based trajectory modeling, and the mediated effect of PA was tested by causal mediation analysis. Results: Four frailty trajectories were identified: “Robustness” (n = 4,437, 54.9%), “Incident prefrailty” (n = 2,061, 25.5%), “Prefrailty to frailty” (n = 1,136, 14.1%), and “Frailty to severe frailty” (n = 448, 5.5%). High baseline AL was associated with increased odds of “Incident prefrailty,” “Prefrailty to frailty,” and “Frailty to severe frailty” trajectories. PA demonstrated significant mediated effects in aforementioned associations. Conclusions: AL is significantly associated with the onset and progression of frailty, and such associations are partially mediated by PA.

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Physical and Cognitive Effects of High-Intensity Interval or Circuit-Based Strength Training for Community-Dwelling Older Adults: A Systematic Review

Ashley Morgan, Kenneth S. Noguchi, Ada Tang, Jennifer Heisz, Lehana Thabane, and Julie Richardson

Many older adults do not achieve recommended amounts of aerobic or strengthening exercise and high-intensity interval or circuit-based strengthening may offer a time-efficient solution. This review sought to determine the effects of high-intensity interval/circuit strengthening on physical and cognitive functioning for community-dwelling older adults, and its associated adherence, retention, and adverse events. Six databases were searched to June 2022 and 15 studies (11 for effectiveness) were included. The current certainty of evidence is low to very low; upper body-focused physical functioning measures demonstrated small to large benefits and lower body-focused, self-report, and cardiovascular measures had mixed results. There was insufficient evidence (one study) to determine cognitive effects. The mean adherence rates ranged from 73.5% to 95.8%, overall retention across all studies (n = 812) was 86%, and no serious adverse events were reported, suggesting that this type of exercise is feasible for community-dwelling older adults.