Relationship Between Physical Activity and Health-related Quality of Life for Community-dwelling Older Adults

抄録

In 2019, the average daily number of steps taken by Japanese older adults 65 years or older was 5,396 steps for men and 4,656 steps for women. This study uses the average number of steps taken by older Japanese residents as the reference value. The study examined differences in lifestyle and Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQOL) between those who walked more and those who walked less than the reference value. The study also examined the relationship between age, number of steps, and HRQOL by dividing them into two age groups: men and women in their 70s, as well as men and women over 80. Participants were 124 older adults (60 men and 64 women) aged 70 years or older, living physically independently in the community. The mean age of the participants was 77.9 ± 5.3 years. Participants were instructed to wear an accelerometer to measure their average number of steps over a 10-day period. To measure the relationship between exercise and HRQOL, participants were asked to go out, exercise frequently, and answer the Short-Form Health Survey (SF-8) questionnaire. Participants' average daily steps were 5845.0 ± 3089.0 steps for men and 5230.6 ± 2820.1 steps for women. We then divided participants by their average daily step counts into a high-step group and a low-step group. The high-step group consisted of men with at least 5,396 steps (n=31) and women with at least 4,656 steps (n=32). The low-step group consisted of men (n=29) with less than 5,396 steps and women (n=32) with less than 4,656 steps. Between step groups, statistically significant differences were found in bodily pain and a physical component score of SF-8 for men (p<0.05). For women above 80 years of age, Physical activity was significantly correlated (p<0.05) with physical function, role physical, bodily pain, general health, role emotional, mental health, and the physical component score of SF-8. The results of this study showed an association between consistent engagement in physical activity and the maintenance of HRQOL, especially in the later years of aging women.