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Aim: This study aimed to develop and evaluate the Brief Older Adults' Physical Activity Questionnaire (BOPAQ), which was designed to quickly assess moderate‐to‐vigorous physical activity (MVPA) in community‐dwelling older adults. Methods: We used a cross‐sectional study design involving 165 older participants. The BOPAQ calculated weekly MVPA duration based on two questions regarding the number of days per week engaged in MVPA and the daily duration of activity. Validity was assessed by correlating the MVPA durations derived from the BOPAQ with those obtained from the ActiGraph and International Physical Activity Questionnaire short form. Reliability was evaluated using the intraclass correlation coefficient, and measurement errors were analyzed using Bland–Altman plots. Results: The BOPAQ reasonably correlated with accelerometer‐based MVPA (rho = 0.297) and showed good test–retest reliability (intraclass correlation coefficient of 0.78, 95% CI 0.64–0.87). In contrast, the correlation between the International Physical Activity Questionnaire short form and accelerometer‐based MVPA was poor (rho = 0.139). The cut‐off value for the BOPAQ was set to identify participants engaging in <150 min of objectively measured physical activity per week, corresponding to the 150‐min threshold. However, the area under the curve in the receiver operating characteristic analyses was not significantly high (0.601, 95% CI 0.514–0.688). The Bland–Altman plots showed an underestimation bias of 51.72 min/week (95% CI 1.61–101.84) and showed heteroscedasticity. Conclusion: Despite some measurement errors, the BOPAQ is an available tool for assessing MVPA in community‐dwelling older adults. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2024; 24: 1150–1155. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: We aimed to identify the factors contributing to subjective well‐being in community‐dwelling older adults in rural Japan. This study explored the relationship among physical and mental health, socioeconomic status, and activity levels with regard to the subjective well‐being of older adults. Methods: In the Frail Elderly in the Sasayama‐Tamba Area study, a cohort investigation of independent older adults in a rural Japanese community, 541 of 844 participants completed a 2‐year follow‐up survey. Subjective well‐being was assessed as a binary based on three factors – "happiness," "satisfaction with life" and "meaning in life" – using a subset of the World Health Organization's Quality of Life questionnaire. The improvement group transitioned from not having subjective well‐being during the baseline survey to having subjective well‐being during the follow‐up survey. Furthermore, we used multivariable log‐Poisson regression models to calculate the prevalence ratios of subjective well‐being. Results: The cross‐sectional study showed that sleep satisfaction, health services access satisfaction and having a higher‐level functional capacity were positively associated with having "happiness" and "satisfaction with life." Furthermore, being aged ≥80 years and having financial leeway were positively associated with having "meaning in life." The longitudinal study showed that having a higher‐level functional capacity was positively associated with improving "happiness" and "satisfaction with life." Being female was positively associated with improving "happiness" and "meaning in life," and health services access satisfaction and alcohol drinking were positively associated with improving "satisfaction with life" and "meaning in life," respectively. Conclusions: These findings offer promising avenues for enhancing the subjective well‐being of older adults. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2024; 24: 311–319. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Patients who undergo total hip arthroplasty have an increased risk of falls during the first postoperative year. However, it is unclear whether patients after total hip arthroplasty will continue to be at high risk of falls more than 1 year postoperatively. To better understand whether the risk of falls changes after a 1-year period, we investigated the incidences and circumstances of falls in women patients for 5 years after total hip arthroplasty. This longitudinal prospective cohort study analyzed 65 women with severe hip osteoarthritis who underwent total hip arthroplasty. The incidences and circumstances of falls before total hip arthroplasty and at 1, 2, and 5 years postoperatively were investigated. We assessed the Harris Hip Score and evaluated hip pain and ambulatory ability using a self-administered questionnaire. The incidences of at least one fall were 30.8%, 26.2%, 23.1%, and 30.8% before and 1, 2, and 5 years after surgery, respectively. Among the circumstances of falls from pre-surgery to 5 years post-surgery, there was a significant difference in the direction of falls; however, there were no significant differences in the location, time, cause, and type of injury. Most falls occurred indoors by tripping or loss of balance during the daytime. Among the participants who had falls almost half sustained injuries, and approximately 10% of falls resulted in fractures each year. Although self-reported hip pain, ambulation, and the Harris Hip Score significantly improved in women after total hip arthroplasty compared to pre-surgery, there was no significant difference in the incidences of falls from 1 to 5 years post-surgery. Women who underwent total hip arthroplasty continued to have an increased risk of falls and fall-induced injuries for 5 years postoperatively. Preventive measures against falling to reduce fall-induced injuries in the long term are required for women after total hip arthroplasty. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Foam rolling is a self-applied massage using a foam roller that has gained popularity for treatment of muscle soreness. However, its efficacy for improving hip pain in patients with hip osteoarthritis remains unclear. To investigate the effects of foam rolling on hip pain in patients with hip osteoarthritis. In this retrospective propensity-matched cohort study, medical records of outpatients between January 2017 and March 2019 were reviewed. Of these, 115 patients with hip osteoarthritis were divided into foam rolling or non-foam rolling groups based on home exercises. Both groups were propensity-score matched (1:1) for age, sex, body mass index, Kellgren and Lawrence grade, and visual analog scale (VAS) of hip pain at baseline. The primary outcome was the hip pain-VAS. Effects of interventions on the hip pain-VAS were examined using a split-plot design variance analysis. After matching, both groups comprised 37 patients each. No significant differences were observed in baseline characteristics and outcome measurements between the matched groups. A statistically significant interaction was seen between the effects of time and group for hip pain-VAS (F [1, 72] = 31.874, interaction: P <.001, η2 = 0.307). Hip pain-VAS was improved more effectively in the foam rolling group than those in the non-foam rolling group (P <.001). Thirty-four (92%) patients in the foam rolling group, compared to 15 (41%) in the non-foam rolling group, showed a ≥ 32% (minimal clinically important difference) improvement in hip pain-VAS. These results suggested that foam rolling was an effective intervention for improving hip pain in patients with hip osteoarthritis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]