Gender difference of subjective symptoms of fatigue among Japanese adolescents

<p><b>OBJECTIVES</b>The purpose of this study was to quantitatively and qualitatively examine a gender difference of subjective symptoms of fatigue (SSF) in healthy students.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The subjective fatigue scale for young adults (SFS-Y) consisted of the following 6 subscales: concentration thinking difficulty, languor, reduced activation, reduced motivation, drowsiness and feeling of physical disintegration. The SFS-Y was administered to 5,435 students aged 15 to 20 yr. Student's t test was used to examine quantitative gender differences for items and factor scores. The qualitative gender difference was examined by comparing factor structures obtained from confirmatory factor analysis. A similarity in the factor structure was evaluated from: 1) interpreted factor names, 2) factor loadings, 3) degree of fit, and 4) congruence coefficient.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>A complaint of SSF shows gender differences, but the difference is not remarkable. The factor structure of SSF in males and females is suggested to be the same, because six factors with the same name were interpreted in both groups and the similarity of factor structure was very high.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>There are some qualitative gender differences in SFS, but no qualitative gender differences in factor structure.</p>

Gender Difference of Subjective Symptoms of Fatigue among Japanese Adolescents

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to quantitatively and qualitatively examine a gender difference of subjective symptoms of fatigue (SSF) in healthy students. Methods: The subjective fatigue scale for young adults (SFS-Y) consisted of the following 6 subscales: concentration thinking difficulty, languor, reduced activation, reduced motivation, drowsiness and feeling of physical disintegration. The SFS-Y was administered to 5,435 students aged 15 to 20 yr. Student's t test was used to examine quantitative gender differences for items and factor scores. The qualitative gender difference was examined by comparing factor structures obtained from confirmatory factor analysis. A similarity in the factor structure was evaluated from: 1) interpreted factor names, 2) factor loadings, 3) degree of fit, and 4) congruence coefficient. Results: A complaint of SSF shows gender differences, but the difference is not remarkable. The factor structure of SSF in males and females is suggested to be the same, because six factors with the same name were interpreted in both groups and the similarity of factor structure was very high. Conclusion: There are some qualitative gender differences in SFS, but no qualitative gender differences in factor structure.

ADL Ability Characteristics of Partially Dependent Older People: Gender and Age Differences in ADL Ability

Age and gender differences in ADL ability were investigated using 568 Japanese partially dependent older people (PD, Mean age=82.2 ±7.76 years) living in welfare institutions. The subjects were asked about 17 ADL items representing 7 ADL domains by the professional staff working at subjects’ institutions. Each item was assessed by a dichotomous scale of “possible” or “impossible”. Item proportions of “possible” response were calculated for gender and age groups (60s, 70s, 80s and 90s). Two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) using the arcsine transformation method indicated no gender differences. Significant decreases in ADL ability with aging were found in 13 of the 17 items. The dependency of ADL in the PD significantly increases with aging, and there is no significant difference in this trend between men and women. The dependency of more difficult activities using lower limb increase from the 70s, and independency of low-difficult activities such as manual activities, feeding and changing posture while lying is maintained until the 80s and over.

Effect of linear polarized near-infrared light irradiation on the recovery of isokinetic muscle exertion after strenuous exercise / 体力科学

This study aimed to examine the effect of linear polarized near-infrared light (PL) irradiation on the recovery of isokinetic muscle exertion and subjective fatigue sensation in muscles after strenuous exercise. Eighteen healthy college students participated in the experiment for all conditions of meridian point irradiation (MPI), femurs muscles irradiation (FMI), and no irradiation (NI) . They all took isokinetic knee extension and flexion tests (IK test) before and after strenuous exercise up to exhaustion. Each subject was irradiated at the meridian point or in femurs muscles after the second IK test. The third IK test was carried out after ten-minutes rest.<BR>The effects of PL irradiation were confirmed on the recovery rate of muscle fatigue in knee extension motion with high load intensity (PT 60 d/s and TW 60 d/s : MPI, FMI> NI, p<0.05 16.2%, 13.4%>8.5%, and 16.1%, 14.1%>8.3%, respectively) . Also, in flexion motion, significant differences in the recovery-degree for each condition were found, and the effect of PL irradiation was suggested. There was no difference between the effect of MPI and FMI. In addition, subjective fatigue sensation in muscles after rest decreased significantly in MPI as compared with NI (MPI: 52.1%>NI : 36.6%, p<0.05) . From the above, it was suggested that PL irradiation is effective on recovery in muscle fatigue after strenuous exercise regardless of irradiation conditions, MPI or FMI.

Development of ADL index for older community people / 体力科学

The purposes of this study were to examine reliability and validity of ADL index for older people at home, and relationships between ADL score and various factors (ex. self-assessment of health status and physical fitness level, and exercise frequency/week), and to examine the screening basis for execution of physical fitness test based on distribution of ADL score. A questionnaire consisting of 12 ADL items and a physical fitness test of Ministry of Education, Science and Clture were administered to 5, 715 subjects 65 years or more age (male: 2, 745; female: 2, 970) . As a result of examining test-retest reliability of the ADL index, significant high correlations were shown among 12 ADL items (0.674≤r≤0.886), and in overall score (r=0.943) . The ADL score was significantly related to age and physical fitness test scores, and tended to be higher in subjects with a higher self-assessment of health status and physical fitness level, and with more frequency. It was suggested that these results prove the utility of the present ADL index. Further, as the result of examining relationships between distribution of overall ADL score and physical fitness test scores, the following screening bases were considered to be valid for judgement whether the physical fitness tests could be executed. The three screening bases using overall ADL score were: 1) 12 or under; 2) over 13 to under 24; 3) 24 and over. The four bases using item score were: 1) a category 1 response for items 1, 5 and 6; 2) a category 2 or 3 response for items 1, 5 and 6, and a category 1 response for items 3 and 4; 3) a category 3 response for items 2 and 14; 4) a category 1 response for items 10 and 12.

Examination of useful ADL items and scales to assess ADL ability in older community people. Regarding aging, physical fitness level, and interrelationships among ADL items / 体力科学

The purpose of this study was to propose useful ADLs (activities of daily living) and scales to estimate ADL ability on community older people from the viewpoints of aging, physical fitness level, and interrelationship among ADL. The survey constructing of 15 ADL items and physical fitness test of Ministry of Education, Science and Culture were carried out on 458 older people. Each ADL item was constructed with 3 level scales.<BR>As the results of this study, the following 12 ADLs were proposed as useful ADL items; in the locomotion domain, jumping across a ditch, walking, running, up and down stairs, and transfer; in the manipulation domain, taking bedding in and out, buttoning a shirt; in stability domain, standing in the bus or train, dressing while standing (trousers), standing on one foot with eyes open; in the posture-change domain, sitting up, standing up from the floor. These items were significantly related to age and physical fitness elements contributed largely to achievement of each ADL. Since significant high correlation was found between the index using 12 ADL items and that using 15 items, it is considered that the 12 items scale can account for the variance corresponded enough to that of 15 items scale, and that the new index is practical and simple.<BR>In further research, it will be required to examine validity of each ADL item and index by using more large sample, and to clarify the relation to various factors influenced to ADL ability level.

Sex differences in subjective symptoms of fatigue and associated factors in adolescence / 体力科学

The purpose of this study was to examine sex differences in subjective symptoms of fatigue (SSF) in high school and college students by considering the relationship between subjective feeling of fatigue and life habits.<BR>A questionnaire on SSF (54 items), dealing with subjective feeling of fatigue and life habits (frequency of exercise, going to sleep, waking in the morning and physical condition) was administered to 5622 healthy students aged 15-20 yr, and data of 5335 properly completed questionnaires was analyzed.<BR>The following was determined :<BR>1) Sex differences were confirmed in most SSF items. SSF complaints for females was generally higher than that of males.<BR>2) The relationship between SSF and the age was low in both sexes.<BR>3) Subjective feeling of fatigue is somewhat related to SSF.<BR>4) The going to sleep last night influence on SSF was different in both sexes and related largely to the next day SSF in males.<BR>5) Waking this morning and today's physical condition are related to SSF in both sexes.<BR>6) In males, the influence of exercise habits on SSF regarding drowsiness is relatively large.

Sex differences of fatigue in young men and women. From the viewpoint of experience of awareness and cognitive appraisal / 体力科学

A study was conducted to examine sex differences in subjective symptoms of fatigue in men and women with reference to the experience of awareness and cognitive appraisal based on symptom of fatigue content. A total of 54 questionnaire items were administered to 730 people (290 men and 440 women) . The subjects indicated whether or not they were aware of the content, and to what degree the content of the question for each item was important. Sex differences in the response to the ratio of awareness and the degree of importance were then. The mean importance scores for subjective symptoms of fatigue in men and women were 3.9-5.4 and 4.5-5.6, respectively. It was found that a majority of the men and women showed awareness of each item. A significant difference was recognized in the factor of awareness in all items as a result of two-way ANOVA of the degree of importance by which the presence of awareness and its sex difference were assumed to be factors, and those who were aware deemed the degree of importance high. On the other hand, the 28 items for which a significant sex difference was recognized showed a high value, and there was a marked content of Languor, Loss of Vigor, and A Feeling of Impatience and Physical Disintegration in women. In the same items, it was inferred that persons who were more aware than the persons who were not aware regarded subjective symptoms of fatigue as important. Most items in which a main effect of sex was recognized were content of Loss of Vigor and a Feeling of Impatience and Physical Disintegration. It was thought that women considered these symptoms more important than men. The sex difference in symptoms of fatigue was inferred to be due to the difference in the level of acknowledgment based on experienced knowledge.