Reports on physical functions during maintenance period of the elderly with cardiac and other serious diseases are limited. This study aims to clarify age and gender-related differences in their physical functions. Pa...Reports on physical functions during maintenance period of the elderly with cardiac and other serious diseases are limited. This study aims to clarify age and gender-related differences in their physical functions. Participants included 167 elderly individuals (males, 78;mean age, 76.5 years;SD = 6.0 years;females, 89;mean age, 75.5 years;SD = 4.5 years) who participated in a 1-year regular exercise therapy twice a week. The following eight physical function tests were selected: grip strength, 10-m obstacle walking time, one-legged balance with eyes open, sit-ups, sitting trunk flexion, 6-min walk, stepping by sitting position, and a timed up & go (TUG). Two-way analysis of variance was used to examine mean differences by gender and age: young elderly group (aged 65 - 74 years) and old elderly group (aged ≥ 75 years). In the grip strength, sit-ups, 6-min walk, 10-m obstacle walking time, stepping by sitting position, and sitting trunk flexion tests, males were superior in the former four tests, and females were superior in the latter two tests. The young elderly group was superior in all tests except for sit-ups compared with the old elderly group. The balance during one-legged with eyes open test was superior in males compared with females in the young elderly group, but decreased in males in the old elderly group. In conclusion, physical functions of the elderly during maintenance period are different between genders. Muscle strength, muscle endurance, whole-body endurance, and walking ability are superior in males, whereas flexibility and agility are superior in females. The old elderly group was inferior in all the elements of physical function except muscle endurance.展开更多
Many studies about the health problems of persons with physical disabilities have been performed, however few studies have focused on the life circumstances of persons with physical disabilities. This study aimed to c...Many studies about the health problems of persons with physical disabilities have been performed, however few studies have focused on the life circumstances of persons with physical disabilities. This study aimed to clarify the relationship between stress and the life circumstances of persons with congenital physical disabilities who must use wheelchairs. The participants were 70 individuals who used the services of care workers employed by welfare service business offices. Participants used wheelchairs. In addition, those participants who used a standard manual wheelchair were not able to operate it alone. Participants were required to answer a two-part questionnaire with questions about factors related to basic lifestyle and stress, and about life factors related to the stress of individuals with physical disabilities. No significant relationship between lifestyle and stress was found in either males or females. Most persons with congenital physical disabilities using wheelchairs had some kind of stress in daily life. In particular, significantly more level of stress was found in females (90%) than that in males (65%). Levels of stress according to life factor differed between males and females. The most dramatic gender difference was that the level of stress caused by the mental or mind factor in females was significantly higher than that in males (p < 0.05). Most persons who must use wheelchairs have stress resulting from daily life, and in particular, females experience more mental stress than males.展开更多
文摘Reports on physical functions during maintenance period of the elderly with cardiac and other serious diseases are limited. This study aims to clarify age and gender-related differences in their physical functions. Participants included 167 elderly individuals (males, 78;mean age, 76.5 years;SD = 6.0 years;females, 89;mean age, 75.5 years;SD = 4.5 years) who participated in a 1-year regular exercise therapy twice a week. The following eight physical function tests were selected: grip strength, 10-m obstacle walking time, one-legged balance with eyes open, sit-ups, sitting trunk flexion, 6-min walk, stepping by sitting position, and a timed up & go (TUG). Two-way analysis of variance was used to examine mean differences by gender and age: young elderly group (aged 65 - 74 years) and old elderly group (aged ≥ 75 years). In the grip strength, sit-ups, 6-min walk, 10-m obstacle walking time, stepping by sitting position, and sitting trunk flexion tests, males were superior in the former four tests, and females were superior in the latter two tests. The young elderly group was superior in all tests except for sit-ups compared with the old elderly group. The balance during one-legged with eyes open test was superior in males compared with females in the young elderly group, but decreased in males in the old elderly group. In conclusion, physical functions of the elderly during maintenance period are different between genders. Muscle strength, muscle endurance, whole-body endurance, and walking ability are superior in males, whereas flexibility and agility are superior in females. The old elderly group was inferior in all the elements of physical function except muscle endurance.
文摘Many studies about the health problems of persons with physical disabilities have been performed, however few studies have focused on the life circumstances of persons with physical disabilities. This study aimed to clarify the relationship between stress and the life circumstances of persons with congenital physical disabilities who must use wheelchairs. The participants were 70 individuals who used the services of care workers employed by welfare service business offices. Participants used wheelchairs. In addition, those participants who used a standard manual wheelchair were not able to operate it alone. Participants were required to answer a two-part questionnaire with questions about factors related to basic lifestyle and stress, and about life factors related to the stress of individuals with physical disabilities. No significant relationship between lifestyle and stress was found in either males or females. Most persons with congenital physical disabilities using wheelchairs had some kind of stress in daily life. In particular, significantly more level of stress was found in females (90%) than that in males (65%). Levels of stress according to life factor differed between males and females. The most dramatic gender difference was that the level of stress caused by the mental or mind factor in females was significantly higher than that in males (p < 0.05). Most persons who must use wheelchairs have stress resulting from daily life, and in particular, females experience more mental stress than males.
