Association between health-related physical fitness and self-reported health status in older Taiwanese adults.

BACKGROUND: Aging is an inevitable process of life development. These physical changes may cause a decline in the functional adaptability and health of older adults. This study aims to determine if an association exists between health-related physical fitness measurements and self-reported health status in older Taiwanese adults. METHODS: A total of 22,389 Taiwanese adults aged 65 years or older were recruited as study participants. Demographic characteristics, life habits, anthropometric assessments, health-related physical fitness measurements, and self-reported health status from this dataset were analyzed using the chi-square test, one-way analysis of variance, and logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: The results showed that there was significant association between back scratch and self-reported health status (excellent/good) (odds ratio [OR], 1.003; 95% CI 1.000-1.006) after adjusting potential confounders (gender, height, weight, body mass index, education, monthly income, marital status, smoking status, and chewing betel nuts). However, adjusted OR for unhealthy status (poor/very poor) significantly decreased for chair sit-and-reach test (OR 0.994, 95% CI 0.988-0.999). CONCLUSIONS: The present study reveals significant associations between health-related physical fitness measurements and self-reported health status in older Taiwanese adults. In particular, the waist-to-hip ratio could be involved in the cognitive process of one's subjective health status, since individuals' perception of their physical appearance affects their self-reported health. Future researches are suggested to investigate the causality between health-related physical fitness and subjective health status.

Hemp biochar impacts on selected biological soil health indicators across different soil types and moisture cycles.

Application of crop residues and biochar have been demonstrated to improve soil biological and chemical properties in agroecosystems. However, the integrated effect of organic amendments and hydrological cycles on soil health indicators are not well understood. In this study, we quantified the impact of hemp residue (HR), hemp biochar (HB), and hardwood biochar (HA) on five hydrolytic enzymes, soil microbial phospholipid (PLFA) community structure, pH, permanganate oxidizable carbon (POXC) soil organic carbon (SOC), and total nitrogen (TN). We compared two soil types, Piedmont and Coastal Plain soils of North Carolina, under (i) a 30-d moisture cycle maintained at 60% water-filled pore space (WFPS) (D-W1), followed by (ii) a 7-day alternate dry-wet cycle for 42 days (D-W2), or (iii) maintained at 60% WFPS for 42 days (D-W3) during an aerobic laboratory incubation. Results showed that HR and HB significantly increased the geometric mean enzyme activity by 1-2-fold in the Piedmont soil under the three moisture cycles and about 1.5-fold under D-W in the Coastal soil. In the presence of HA, the measured soil enzyme activities were significantly lower than control under the moisture cycles in both soil types. The shift in microbial community structure was distinct in the Coastal soil but not in the Piedmont soil. Under D-W2, HR and HB significantly increased POXC (600-700 mg POXC kg-1 soil) in the Coastal soil but not in the Piedmont soil while HA increased nitrate (8 mg kg-1) retention in the Coastal soil. The differences in amendment effect on pH SOC, TN, POXC, and nitrate were less distinct in the fine-textured Piedmont soil than the coarse-textured Coastal soil. Overall, the results indicate that, unlike HA, HR and HB will have beneficial effects on soil health and productivity, therefore potentially improving soil's resilience to changing climate.

Relationship between Regular Leisure-Time Physical Activity and Underweight and Overweight Status in Taiwanese Young Adults: A Cross-Sectional Study.

The aim of this study was to determine the association between regular leisure-time physical activity (LTPA) and various body mass index (BMI) categories in Taiwanese young adults. A total of 10,802 young adults (18−44 years) were enrolled in a national telephone survey. The questionnaire data from this survey included socio-demographic characteristics, zip code of residence, LTPA behaviors, self-reported health status, and self-evaluated anthropometric measurements, which included height, body weight, and BMI. Regular and non-regular LTPA behaviors were defined as follows: (1) Regular LTPA: participants who reported breathing quickly and sweating when participating in 150−300 min per week of moderate-intensity LTPA or 75−150 min per week of vigorous-intensity LTPA. (2) Non-regular LTPA: the rest of the participants. The various BMI categories were defined as (1) underweight (BMI < 18.5 kg/m2), (2) normal weight (18.5 ≤ BMI < 24 kg/m2), (3) overweight (24 ≤ BMI < 27 kg/m2), and (4) obese (BMI ≥ 27 kg/m2). When compared with participants with non-regular LTPA, participants with regular LTPA exhibited lower risks of being overweight (odds ratio [OR], 0.837; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.738−0.948) and underweight (OR, 0.732; 95% CI 0.611−0.876). However, there was no significant relationship between regular LTPA and obesity risk when using non-regular LTPA as the baseline after adjusting for potential confounders. The study results revealed that regular LTPA effectively reduced the risks of being underweight and overweight. However, for people with obesity, regular LTPA was unable to significantly decrease their obesity risk.

Association of Regular Leisure-Time Physical Activity with Happiness among Middle-Aged and Older Adults in Taiwan.

The aim of the present study was to clarify the relationship between regular LTPA (i.e., 150-300 min of moderate-intensity or 75-150 min of high-intensity physical activity) and happiness among middle-aged and older adults in Taiwan. The cross-sectional study data were obtained from the Taiwan National Physical Activity Survey, a nationally representative survey of the Taiwanese population. A total of 12,687 middle-aged and older adults (45-108 years) were ultimately enrolled in this study. The questionnaire data obtained through this national telephone survey included sociodemographic characteristics, self-reported health status, self-evaluations (comprising height, body weight, and happiness), and zip code of residence. The results suggest a significant positive relationship between regular LTPA and happiness scores; that is, the middle-aged adults who engaged in more LTPA may report higher happiness occurrence than others. This study suggests that regular LTPA is an essential factor influencing happiness. LTPA is an essential form of physical activity that helps middle-aged and older people to relax.