Prospective associations of low muscle mass and strength with health-related quality of life over 10-year in community-dwelling older adults

Aims: This study aims to describe the associations of low muscle mass, handgrip (HGS) and lower-limb muscle strength (LMS) with health-related quality of life (HRQoL) over 10 years in community-dwelling older adults.Methods: Participants (N = 1002; 51% women; mean age 63 ± 7.4 years) were prospectively followed for 10 years. HRQoL was measured using the validated assessment of quality of life (AQoL) instrument. Appendicular lean mass (ALM) was assessed using dual energy X-ray absorptiometry and normalized to body mass index (BMI). HGS and LMS were assessed using dynamometers. Low ALM/BMI (ALM/BMILOW), LMS (LMSLOW) and HGS (HGSLOW) at baseline were defined as the lowest 20% of the sex-specific distribution for each measure. Linear mixed effect regression models, adjusting for confounders, were used to estimate the association between ALM/BMILOW, LMSLOW, and HGSLOW at baseline and HRQoL over 10 years.Results: Participants with LMSLOW (β = -0.061, 95% CI: -0.089, -0.033) and women (β = -0.089, 95% CI: -0.129, -0.049) but not men (β = -0.023, 95% CI: -0.064, 0.019) with HGSLOW had clinically meaningful reductions in HRQoL over 10 years compared to those with normal strength. There was a weaker but statistically significant association between ALM/BMILOW and 10-year HRQoL (β = -0.038, 95% CI: -0.068, -0.008).Conclusions: Lower-limb muscle strength and handgrip strength (in women only), which can be easily measured in clinical practice, appear more important than muscle mass for HRQoL

Male allyship in institutional STEMM gender equity initiatives

This article examines men’s involvement in an institutional gender equity award schemeand how their self-concept as allies develops over time. It draws specifically on a subset ofqualitative data from the four men participating in a study involving in-depth interviews withuniversity staff involved in the self-assessment team of one Australian institution’s Sciencein Australia Gender Equality (SAGE) Athena SWAN pilot. Data related to the men’s experiencesis the article’s focus. Key themes from the data include: 1) men’s motivations forengagement; 2) men’s self-understandings as ‘champions for change’ 3) the barriers/risksassociated with male championship; and 4) men’s evolving perceptions and critiques of themale champions model. Findings show that men demonstrated personal growth andincreased awareness through their participation in the pilot. Yet, their frustration with howequity and diversity was managed in their organisational context highlights pitfalls in the conceptof a male ‘champion’. This article provides timely guidance for institutions seeking toengage allies in gender equity initiatives

Accelerometer-determined physical activity, muscle mass, and leg strength in community-dwelling older adults

Introduction: The aim of this study was to describe the relationship between accelerometer-determined physical activity (PA), muscle mass, and lower-limb strength in community-dwelling older adults. Methods: Six hundred thirty-six community-dwelling older adults (66 ± 7 years) were studied. Muscle mass was measured using dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry, whilst lower limb strength was measured via dynamometry. We measured minutes/day spent in sedentary, light, moderate, and vigorous intensity activity using Actigraph GT1M accelerometers. Results: Participants spent a median of 583(Interquartile ratio (IQR) 522-646), 225(176-271), 27(12-45) and 0(0-0) min in sedentary, light, moderate, and vigorous activity, respectively. PA intensity was positively associated with both lean mass percentage and lower limb strength in a dose-response fashion. Sedentary activity was negatively associated with lean mass percentage, but not lower-limb strength. There was a positive association between PA and appendicular lean mass in men only. There was an interaction between age and activity; as age increased, the magnitude of the association of PA with lean mass percentage decreased. Those who adhered to the Australian Department of Health PA guidelines (moderate/vigorous PA >/=150 min/week) had greater lean mass percentage, appendicular lean mass, and lower limb strength. Conclusions: Using accelerometer technology, both the amount and intensity of accelerometer-determined PA had an independent, dose-response relationship with lean mass percentage and lower limb strength, with the largest effect for vigorous activity. Time spent in sedentary activity was negatively associated with lean mass percentage, but was not associated with lower limb strength. The magnitude of the association between PA and lean mass percentage decreased with age, suggesting that PA programmes may need to be modified with increasing age.Yi Chao Foong, Nabil Chherawala, Dawn Aitken, David Scott, Tania Winzenberg and Graeme Jone