ニュータウンに居住する専業主婦の外出頻度および主観的健康感との関係

専業主婦については、活動量や運動量の制限などが報告されている一方、若年期からの地域とのつながりにより外出頻度は維持されやすいと考えられる. そこで高齢者で報告されている外出頻度と主観的健康感との関連が専業主婦でもみられるのか、年齢による影響を明らかにすることを目的とした. 研究は大阪府堺市南区の一地区内の全世帯(3,069世帯)に無記名自記式の質問紙調査を行い、回答数1,820(回収率58.0%)の中から専業主婦701名を分析対象とした. 質問項目は最近1週間の外出頻度、主観的健康感について尋ねた. その結果、外出頻度は60代、70代後半、80代以上と段階的に減少した. 主観的健康感は加齢とともに不安あり群が増加した. 外出頻度と主観的健康感の関連は50代以上で外出頻度が減少するとともに主観的健康感が低下する傾向を認めた. 以上より、健康維持、増進のためには50代から年代ごとの取り組みが必要であることが示唆された.Physical activity levels and the amount of exercise in housewives are reportedly low; however, a high frequency of outings is likely to be maintained due to connection with local residents. This study aimed to identify the relationship between the frequency of outings and self-rated health in housewives, and investigate age-related effects. Anonymous self-administered questionnaires were distributed to 3,069 households in one district of Minami-ku, Sakai-shi, Osaka, and, of the 1,820 responses (response rate: 58.0%), 701 housewives were analyzed. Questionnaire items included the frequency of outings and self-rated health over the past one week. As the results of the questionnaire, the frequency of outings gradually decreased as the age advanced from their 60s to 80s or over. Regarding self-rated health, the number of subjects with anxiety increased with age. Among the subjects aged 50 or over, there was a decreasing trend in the frequency of outings and self-rated health. The findings suggest the need to take appropriate measures to maintain and promote the health of housewives aged 50 and over according to their age group

Low-frequency Exercise and Vitamin D Supplementation Reduce Falls Among Institutionalized Frail Elderly

Background: Falls are a serious problem among frail elderly and their prevention is an important health concern. We compared the frequency of falls among institutionalized frail elderly residents following different interventions: low-frequency exercise, vitamin D supplementation, and a combination of both. Methods: Participants (N = 91) were residents in an institution for frail elderly (84.8 ± 8.8 years of age, 69 women). Participants were randomly assigned to one of four conditions: (1) the control group (n = 23) was provided three sessions per week of individualized exercise and usual care, (2) the low-exercise group (n = 22) was provided two sessions of individualized exercise per week, (3) the nutrition group (n = 23) was given oral vitamin D (900 IU/day), and (4) the combined group (n = 23) performed low-level exercise and received vitamin D supplementation. Results: A two-way analysis of variance including interactions between experimental group and time indicated a clear benefit in the groups that received supplementation with vitamin D. A Cox proportional-hazard regression analysis, adjusted for sex and age, showed that compared to the control group, the combined group had a reduced risk of falls (hazard ratio: 0.28, 95% CI: 0.08–0.92, P < 0.05). The other groups did not significantly differ from controls. Conclusion: The intervention combining low-frequency exercise and vitamin D supplementation was effective for the reduction of falls among institutionalized frail elderly individuals