Physical fitness related to disability in older persons

Background: In today's aging society, preventing or reducing disability is important. Physical activity may serve this goal. Generally, physical activity aims to enhance physical fitness, which in turn may prevent disability. The relationship between physical fitness and disability has been much less explored than the relationship between physical activity and physical fitness. Objective: To investigate the relationship between separate components of physical fitness and disability. Methods: The subjects were a community-based sample of 176 men and 233 women aged 65 years or older. Physical fitness was assessed with performance-based tests. Disability and potential confounders were assessed during face-to-face interviews. Results: Independently of other fitness components, walking endurance, grip strength, manual dexterity and balance contributed significantly to the prediction of disability for both men and women. Flexibility of the hip and spine, flexibility of the shoulder and reaction time were not independent predictors of disability for men or women. Physical fitness explained a greater percentage of variance in disability for women (31-48%) than for men (14-34%). Although depressive symptoms, cognitive functioning (men), number of chronic conditions (women) and age (women) explained additional variance in disability, these variables did not confound the relationship between physical fitness and disability. Conclusion: Walking endurance, grip strength and manual dexterity are important unique predictors of disability. Physical activity programs should be directed at these fitness components. Copyright (C) 2000 S. Karger AG, Basel

Autopercepção corporal de variáveis da aptidão física relacionada à saúde Bodily self-perception of health-related physical fitness variables

FUNDAMENTAÇÃO: A aptidão física apresenta duas dimensões, uma relacionada à saúde e outra ao desempenho. Não é sabido se adultos não-atletas possuem autopercepção corporal (ApC) apropriada sobre a sua aptidão física relacionada à saúde. OBJETIVOS: a) testar a ApC de indivíduos não-atletas em algumas variáveis morfofuncionais constituintes da aptidão física, b) verificar se a margem de acerto ou de erro nessa ApC depende dos resultados obtidos; e c) verificar se aqueles com maior ApC são mais aptos fisicamente. MÉTODOS: Foram obtidos dados em 63 adultos (51 homens), com idade entre 22 e 85 anos, tendo sido medida e testada a ApC das seguintes variáveis: VO2 máximo, flexibilidade, força de preensão manual, potência muscular máxima absoluta e relativa, localização predominante de gordura corporal e peso de referência, habilidade de sentar e levantar do solo e relação peso/altura, além da altura e do peso corporal. A influência da magnitude das variáveis sobre o escore de ApC (soma dos acertos nas 12 variáveis testadas) foi testada pela comparação entre os resultados do primeiro e do quinto quintis da distribuição e por correlações. RESULTADOS: Os indivíduos tendem a errar mais do que a acertar, em média, a ApC: 60 vs. 40%. A ApC é mais incorreta para a variável flexibilidade 84% de erro - e mais precisa para a habilidade de levantar do solo 66% de acerto. O escore de ApC foi maior nos indivíduos mais flexíveis (p = 0,01) e nos que possuíam maior força de preensão manual (p = 0,04) e tendia a ser maior nos que alcançavam percentual mais elevado do VO2 máximo previsto (p = 0,08). O sedentarismo era quase três vezes mais prevalente nos indivíduos com pior ApC. Os 20% com maiores escores de ApC tendiam a melhores resultados nas variáveis da aptidão física (p entre 0,03 e 0,11). CONCLUSÕES: O nível global de ApC de variáveis da aptidão física é baixo, dependendo dos níveis de flexibilidade e de força de preensão manual e pelo padrão de atividade física regular no passado e no presente. Os que apresentam melhor ApC tendem a ser mais aptos. É possível que o aumento do conhecimento sobre os níveis de aptidão física influenciem positivamente para a adoção de um estilo de vida mais ativo.<br>BACKGROUND: Physical fitness has two dimensions, one related to health and the other, to performance. However, it is still unknown if non-athlete adults present an appropriate level of self-perception (SP) about their health-related physical fitness. OBJECTIVES: a) to assess the SP of non-athlete subjects in some morphofunctional variables related to physical fitness; b) to check if the degree of SP correctness is related to those variables; and c) to check if those with higher SP levels are more physically fit. METHODS: SP data from 63 adults (51 men), ages ranging from 22 to 85, were measured and assessed regarding the following variables: maximum VO2, flexibility, handgrip, absolute and relative maximal muscular power, largest fat deposition site and reference body weight, ability to sit and stand up from the floor and weight/height ratio, and height and body weight. The influence of variable magnitude on the SP score (sum total of correct answers in the 12 variables assessed) was tested by comparison between the first and fifth quintiles and by correlation. RESULTS: On the average, subjects more often provided wrong answers for the SP 60 vs 40%. SP was more incorrect regarding flexibility 84% of mistakes and more precise as to the ability to stand up from the floor 66% of correct answers. SP score was higher for more flexible subjects (p = 0.01) and for those that showed higher values of grip strength (p = 0.04) and those who achieved a higher % of predicted maximal VO2 (p = 0,08) tended to present a higher SP. Physical inactivity was almost three times more common for those with lower SP. The 20% with higher SP levels tended to present higher values in the physical fitness variables (p between 0.03 and 0.11). On the other hand, when the authors compared subjects with levels above the average for aerobic condition, flexibility and muscle strength and power with those with values below average in the four variables, there was no differences in SP. CONCLUSIONS: The overall level of SP of health-related physical fitness is low, being related to levels of flexibility, grip strength, and by past and current physical activity pattern. Subjects with higher SP tended to be more physically fit. It is possible that higher awareness about physical fitness levels will induce positive behaviors leading to the adoption of a more active lifestyle