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      Seasonal changes in activity levels among nursing care insurance service users in areas with different climates

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          Abstract

          [Purpose] To clarify seasonal changes in activity levels among nursing care insurance service users in areas with different climates using the Life Space Assessment. [Subjects] A total of 72 nursing care insurance service users aged ≥65 years, who were from areas along the Sea of Japan or those around the Inland Sea. [Methods] The subjects were divided into 2 groups according to their home prefecture, and each survey was conducted over two successive seasons (Survey I: fall and winter, n=48, Survey II: winter and spring, n=24). We investigated the subjects’ basic information, and determined their FIM, the Life Space Assessment, and Modified Falls Efficacy Scale scores. These scores were subjected to between-group and -season comparisons. [Results] In Survey I, there were no significant differences in any investigation item between the 2 groups, but the Japan Sea group showed decreases in the Life Space Assessment, Independent Life space, and Minimal Life space scores in winter. In Survey II, we did not note any between-group or -season differences. [Conclusion] Our findings suggest that the Life Space Assessment, whose scores are influenced by outdoor environments, may be used as a tool to clarify seasonal changes in activity levels of nursing care insurance service users.

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          Fear of falling revisited.

          To evaluate the measurement properties of an expanded version of the Falls Efficacy Scale (FES)-a measure of fear of falling. The original FES measures fear on almost exclusively indoor activities, which may limit the usefulness of the scale in identifying early stages of fear of falling in active community-dwelling older people. Two-group convenience sample. An outpatient referral clinic, and community-dwelling older people recruited from various sources. A volunteer sample of 111 healthy community-dwelling elderly (mean age 74.0 years) and a sample of 68 older people referred to a Falls and Balance Clinic (FBC) (mean age 79.2). Twenty-one subjects (9 healthy elderly and 12 FBC patients) were tested twice 1 week apart to investigate retest reliability. A 14-activity questionnaire (the Modified Falls Efficacy Scale [MFES]) was used that incorporated the original 10-activity FES and four additional activities. Falls efficacy was rated on a 10-point visual analogue scale for each activity. The MFES demonstrated high internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha.95) and less skew than the original FES (-2.4 and -3.3, respectively). Factor analysis of the MFES revealed two factors accounting for 75% of the sample variance, grouping into an "indoor type activity" factor and an "outdoor type activity" factor. Retest reliability for the MFES was high (intraclass correlation coefficients = .93). Significant differences were evident between the FBC group and the healthy older group on all items of the MFES and on the total MFES score (p < .05). On the basis of these preliminary findings, the MFES appears to be a reliable and valid measure of falls self-efficacy, and could be a useful addition in the comprehensive assessment of older people with balance disturbance or falls.
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            Relationship between objective measures of physical activity and weather: a longitudinal study

            Background The weather may be a barrier to physical activity but objective assessment of this hypothesis is lacking. Therefore we evaluated the effect of temperature, rain or snow, and wind speed on the daily physical activity of adults. Methods This report contains data from 25 males (BMI (mean ± SD): 28.7 ± 3.83 kg/m2) and 177 females (BMI: 29.2 ± 5.92 kg/m2) enrolled in an intervention to increase physical activity. Steps/day of the participants was measured by pedometer. Weather data were obtained from Environment Canada. A total of 8,125 observations were included in a mixed linear model analysis. Results Significant weather related variables (at the 5% level) impacting steps/day included: seasonal effects related to the interaction between weekday and month; mean temperature, total rainfall, interactions between gender, BMI and total snow, interactions between maximum wind speed and BMI, and the amount of snow on the ground. The estimated magnitudes for the various effects were modest, ranging from ~1% to ~20%. Thus for an average individual taking ~10,000 steps/day, weather-dependent changes in physical activity could reach 2,000 steps/day. Conclusion We conclude that weather had modest effects on physical activity of participants in an intervention to increase their activity. It should be stressed that these effects may be different for less or more motivated people. With this in mind, we suggest that the effect of weather on physical activity in the general population needs to be objectively assessed to better understand the barrier it poses, especially as it relates to outdoor recreation or work activities.
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              Meteorology and the physical activity of the elderly: the Nakanojo Study.

              Seasonal changes in ambient temperature and day length are thought to modify habitual physical activity. However, relationships between such environmental factors and the daily physical activity of older populations remain unclear. The present study thus examined associations between meteorological variables and the number of steps taken per day by elderly Japanese. Continuous pedometer counts over a 450-day period were collected from 41 healthy subjects (age 71+/-4 years), none of whom engaged in any specific occupational activity or exercise programs. An electronic physical activity monitor was attached to a belt worn on the left side of the body throughout the day. Daily values for mean ambient temperature, duration of bright sunshine, mean wind speed, mean relative humidity, and precipitation were obtained from local meteorological stations. The day length was calculated from times of sunrise and sunset. Based on the entire group of 41 subjects (ensemble average), a subject's step count per day decreased exponentially with increasing precipitation (r2=0.19, P<0.05). On days when precipitation was <1 mm, the step count increased with the mean ambient temperature over the range of -2 to 17 degrees C, but decreased over the range 17-29 degrees C. The daily step count also tended to increase with day length, but the regression coefficient of determination attributable to step count and mean ambient temperature (r2=0.32, P<0.05) exceeded that linking the step count and day length (r2=0.13, P<0.05). The influence of other meteorological factors was small (r2
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                Author and article information

                Journal
                J Phys Ther Sci
                J Phys Ther Sci
                JPTS
                Journal of Physical Therapy Science
                The Society of Physical Therapy Science
                0915-5287
                2187-5626
                31 March 2015
                March 2015
                : 27
                : 3
                : 929-932
                Affiliations
                [1) ] Division of Rehabilitation Science, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kanazawa University, Japan
                [2) ] School of Health Science, College of Medical, Pharmaceutical and Health Science, Kanazawa University, Japan
                Author notes
                [* ]Corresponding author. Masaya Yamasaki, Division of Rehabilitation Science, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kanazawa University: 5-11-80 Kodatsuno, Kanazawa City, Ishikawa 920-0942, Japan. (E-mail: ptyamasaki@ 123456gmail.com )
                Article
                jpts-2014-651
                10.1589/jpts.27.929
                4395745
                76015b59-f404-4be9-97fc-6193ea8bfae7
                2015©by the Society of Physical Therapy Science. Published by IPEC Inc.

                This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial No Derivatives (by-nc-nd) License.

                History
                : 03 October 2014
                : 19 November 2014
                Categories
                Original Article

                life space assessment,seasonal changes,outdoor environments

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