Abstract
The purpose of this study was to examine the physical activity, physical fitness and functional
capacity of community-dwelling independent older women whose daily physical activity (PA) is
limited by knee pain. The participants were 102 women ≥65 years of age. Their knee pain and
activities of daily living were assessed using a questionnaire. The physical activity was measured
for two weeks using a uniaxial accelerometer. The physical fitness tests included handgrip strength,
knee extensor strength, stepping, one-leg standing time with eyes open, Timed Up-and-Go test and
10-m maximum walking test. The functional capacity was assessed using the Tokyo Metropolitan
Institute of Gerontology Index of Competence. In this study, the total steps per day and moderate
intensity PA were significantly lower in the knee pain group than in the no knee pain group. The
one-leg standing time with eyes open and maximum walking speed were significantly lower in
the knee pain group than in the no knee pain group. Furthermore, the steps per days, moderate
intensity PA and knee extension strength were significantly lower in those with knee pain on
walking or climbing stairs than in those with knee pain but no difficulty walking or climbing stairs.
The present study suggests that it is important to pay attention to not only knee pain but also knee
pain on difficulty walking or climbing stairs for preventive care.
