Engagement in different sport disciplines during university years and risk of locomotive syndrome in older age: J-Fit

BACKGROUND@#Among former Olympic-level athletes, engagement in different sport disciplines has been associated with mortality risk in subsequent years. However, limited evidence is available on whether engagement in different sport disciplines at a young age is associated with locomotive syndrome (LS) risk later in life. This study examined the relationship between engagement in different sport disciplines during university years and LS risk in older age among former university athletes.@*METHODS@#Participants were 274 middle-aged and 294 older men alumni who graduated from a school of physical education in Japan. LS risk was defined as answering "yes" to any of the Loco-check questions. Data on university sports club membership were collected using questionnaires. University clubs were classified into three groups of cardiovascular intensity (low, moderate, high), following the classification system of sport disciplines by the American College of Cardiology. This classification considers the static and dynamic components of an activity, which correspond to the estimated percent of maximal voluntary contraction reached and maximal oxygen uptake achieved, respectively. University clubs were grouped based on the risk of bodily collision (no, yes) and extent of physical contact (low, moderate, high). Relationships between engagement in different sport disciplines and LS risk were analyzed using Cox proportional hazards models, and adjusted for age, height, weight, joint disease, habitual exercise, and smoking and drinking status.@*RESULTS@#Adjusted hazard ratios and 95% confidence intervals associated with the low, moderate, and high cardiovascular intensity sports were 1.00 (reference), 0.48 (0.22-1.06, P = 0.070), and 0.44 (0.20-0.97, P = 0.042) in older men, respectively; however, there was no significant association between these parameters among middle-aged men. Engagement in sports associated with physical contact and collision did not affect LS risk in either group.@*CONCLUSIONS@#Engagement in sports associated with high cardiovascular intensity during university years may reduce the risk of LS in later life. Encouraging young people to participate in such activities might help reduce LS prevalence among older populations.

Usefulness of a self-reported physical activity questionnaire assessment for Japanese children / 体力科学

<p>The study aimed to assess a self-reported questionnaire about physical activity (PA) from the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) using triaxial accelerometer as a criterion. Elementary school boys (N=292) and girls (N=313) in the fourth grade and higher completed the questionnaire and wore an accelerometer for at least 10 h/day for at least 4 days. The phi coefficients of the chi-square test 2-way tables (active/inactive as measured using the HBSC questionnaire × achievement/non-achievement of the recommended 60-min moderate to vigorous PA [MVPA] as measured using the accelerometer) were 0.25 (P<0.001), 0.17 (P=0.009), and 0.08 (P=0.217) for all children, boys, and girls, respectively. The sensitivity and specificity in boys were 82% (95% confidence interval [CI]=78-86%) and 34% (95%CI=26-41%) respectively, while the those of girls were 52% (95%CI=40-63%), 57% (95%CI=55-60%). The positive predictive value in boys was 70% (95%CI=66-73%) and negative predictive value in girls was 83% (95%CI=79-87%). The independent t-test showed that moderate PA (MPA), vigorous PA (VPA), and MVPA min/day of active children were significantly higher than those of inactive children (range of Cohen’s d=0.38 to 0.71). Area under the curve (AUC) of the VPA (AUC = 0.60–0.73) in girls was significantly higher than that of the MPA (AUC = 0.52–0.65) and MVPA (AUC = 0.54–0.67). Our results supported that the HBSC self-reported questionnaire has acceptable, but limited agreement for assessing achievement/non-achievement of the MVPA recommendation, and could estimate the differences in the MPA, VPA, and MVPA min/day of children.</p>

CAUSAL EFFECT OF STRENGTH TO WALKING ABILITY DEVELOPMENT BY EXERCISE PARTICIPATION OF ELDERLY PEOPLE IN A COMMUNITY / 体力科学

The purpose of this study was to confirm the causal effect model of strength on walking ability development as a result of exercise participation among elderly people in a community, utilizing the latent curve model (LCM) in structural equation modeling (SEM) . Twenty-six male and 57 female subjects, 83 in total, aged 67.8±5.7, 63.9±7.1 and 65.1±6.9 in a pooled sample participated in the exercise program which lasted for two years. Grip strength and sit-ups used in the Japan Fitness Test were measured for muscular strength, 10-m hurdle walk and 6-min walk for walking ability, and the fitness test score for physical ability. The data analysis procedures were as follows : a) analysis of test-retest reliability and construct validity of measurement items, b) analysis of causal structure model of aging, muscular strength and walking ability, c) analysis of variance for repeated measurement of walking performance by sex, age and year, d) analysis of LCM for walking performance development. The highest goodness-of-fit indices of SEM were obtained in the LCM of 10-m hurdle walk performance development (GFI=0.989, AGFI=0.920, CFI=0.998, RMSEA=0.038) . The path coefficient of sit-ups at pre-test effect on the intercept of 10-m hurdle walk performance development was significant (<I>p</I><0.05) . The path coefficients of age to intercept and slope of 10-m hurdle walk development were also significant (<I>p</I><0.05) . It was concluded that walking ability development through participation in exercise age and strength level was more effective for maintaining walking ability in older age.

RELIBILITY AND VALIDITY OF PHYSICAL FITNESS QUESTIONNAIRE WITH SELF-RATING FOR ELDERLY PEOPLE / 体力科学

The purpose of this study was to confirm the reliability and validity of a physical fitness questionnaire (PFQ) with self-rating for elderly people applying structural equation modeling (SEM) . As subjects, 105 community-dwelling older men and women aged 67.1±6.1 years participated in the study to measure 13 PFQ items and 13 performance tests. The data analysis procedures were as follows : a) testing reliability of PFQ ; b) testing of construct validity of PFQ using exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) ; c) testing of criterion-related validity of PFQ to the performance tests using SEM ; d) testing of correlations of the PFQ to walking ability using SEM. Cronbaeh's alpha coefficient for consistency reliability of the PFQ was .83. Four common factors of muscle strength-power, endurance, coordination, and flexibility were extracted in EFA. The high and enough goodness of fit indices were obtained in the confirmatory factor structure model, and in each sub-domain of criterion-related validity to performance tests and correlation to walking ability models. The criterion-related validity coefficient of muscle strength and power was .77, followed by .66 for endurance, .59 for coordination and .82 for flexibility. The correlation coefficient of muscle strength and power to walking ability was -.51, followed by -.58 for coordination, - .43 for endurance and - . 28 for flexibility. These results indicated that the PFQ consisting of 13 items and 4 sub-domains satisfied reliability and construct validity although criterion related validity to performance tests was insufficient. It was concluded that the PFQ is of useful for physical fitness checking of elderly people.

CAUSAL STRUCTURE BETWEEN MUSCLE, MOTOR AND LIVING FUNCTIONS IN COMMUNITY DWELLING ELDERS / 体力科学

The purpose of this study was to confirm the causal structure model of muscle, motor and living functions utilizing structural equation modeling (SEM) . As subjects, 103 community-dwelling older men and women, aged 65.7±6.9years of age, participated in the study to measure muscle cross-sectional area, maximum voluntary contractions, muscle power, 4 physical performance tests, and 16 questionnaires regarding ability of activities of daily living. The causal structure model of muscle, motor and living functions was hypothesized to be a hierarchical causal structure. The causal structure model of muscle function was hypothesized to be a hierarchical causal structure consisting of 3 sub-domains of muscle mass, muscle strength, and muscle power. Data analysis procedures were as follows : a) testing of construct validity of muscle function variables using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) in SEM ; b) testing of causal structure using SEM ; c) testing of factor invariance using multi-group analysis for gender. The highest goodness of fit indices was obtained in the causal structure model of muscle, motor and living functions (NFI= .928, CFI= .978, RMSEA =.061) . The causal coefficient of muscle function to motor function was .98 (<I>p</I><.05), followed by.34 for motor function to living function. From the results of multi-group analysis, the measurement invariance model indicated the highest goodness of fit indices (TLI=.968, CFI .977) . It was concluded that the hierarchical causal relation was among muscle, motor and living functions, and in which muscle function was consisted of 3 sub-domains.