An investigation of short physical performance battery score and its influencing factors among the elderly in communities of Shanghai / 中华老年医学杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective:To explore the main influencing factors for physical performance assessed by the short physical performance battery(SPPB)in the elderly in communities in Shanghai.Methods:A total of 500 elderly subjects from four communities in Shanghai who met the inclusion criteria with 165 males and 335 females aged 60-95 years(70.5±7.8)years were enrolled.A questionnaire was used to assess the general situation.International Physical Activity Questionnaire-Short Form(IPAQ-SF)was used to assess physical activity(PA). The appendicular skeletal muscle mass(ASM)was measured by bioelectrical impedance analysis, and the relative skeletal muscle mass index(RSMI). The lower extremity muscle strength(quadriceps strength, QS)was measured by a hand-held dynamometer.Lower body muscle quality(LB-MQ) was ascertained by taking the ratio of strength to muscle mass for lower extremity.SPPB score was used to assess physical activity, including full tandem test, 4-meter walking speed test and five timed chair stands test.Results:The age, RSMI, ASM and quadriceps strength were higher, and the body fat content was lower in males than in females(all P<0.001). There were no significant differences in BMI, SPPB scores, LBMQ, and PA between males and females( P>0.05). Pearson correlation analysis showed that SPPB score was negatively correlated with age( r=-0.615, P<0.001)and body fat content( r=-0.103, P=0.022), but SPPB score was positively correlated with quadriceps strength( r=0.351, P<0.001), RSMI( r=0.134, P=0.003), LBMQ( r=0.268, P<0.001)and amount of PA( r=0.204, P<0.001), however, SPPB score had no relationship with gender( r=0.068, P=0.132). Conclusions:Aging and frailty are the main factors for the decline of physical performance in the elderly.Participating physical activity, reducing body fat, maintaining muscle mass, and especially increasing muscle quality, may be the main interventions to prevent the further deterioration of physical performance in the elderly.