In recent years, the action of plantar and toes to play an important role in the movement ability of the elderly has been confirmed. Moreover, exercise using the toes is effective in improving the walking and balance of the elderly, and the need for toe exercise for the elderly is increasing. To date, there have been many reports verifying the effect of toe exercise over a long period of time, and there are few studies examining the immediate effect of toe exercise in the elderly. In this study, we examined the immediate effect of plantar and toe flexor exercise on the movement ability of the elderly. The study comprised 16 participants (3 male and 13 female; average age, 75.1±5.0 years). A crossover study was conducted by dividing the subjects into two conditions: control, and plantar and toe flexor exercise conditions. For plantar and toe flexor exercise, we performed a total of four types of exercises: (1) static stretching of the plantar and toe (2) towel gathering, (3) rock scissors and paper exercise, and (4) stepping on the foot plate. Additionally, toe flexor strength, toe’s ten-second test, 5 m walking time, 3 m zigzag walking time and TUG were measured before and after intervention to verify the immediate effects of plantar and toe flexor exercise. A two-way analysis of variance with both factors corresponding to each other showed that the toe flexor strength, toe's ten-second test, 5 m walking time, 3 m zigzag walking, and TUG measurement items were comparable between the two conditions after intervention. A significant difference was confirmed between the plantar and toe flexor exercise and control conditions. The results indicated that plantar and toe flexor exercise had an immediate effect on toe flexor strength, toe dexterity, and movement ability in straight line walking and direction changes.

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This study aimed to develop a version of the COVID-19 Infection Spread Anxiety Scale for nursing students, based on the existing version of this scale for university students, and to verify the reliability and validity of the developed scale. A questionnaire survey was conducted with 322 second- and third-year students at two nursing colleges in prefecture A using the COVID-19 Infection Spread Anxiety Scale, and the data collected were analyzed. Analysis results revealed that, regarding the COVID-19 Infection Spread Anxiety Scale for nursing students, the first factor was “anxiety associated with distance learning” (α = .865) comprising six question items, the second factor was “anxiety about post-infection effects” (α = .849) comprising seven question items, the third factor was “anxiety about leisure activities” (α = .867) comprising three question items, the fourth factor was “financial anxiety” (α = .796) comprising three question items, and the fifth factor was “anxiety associated with contact with others” (α=.763) comprising three question items. The goodness of fit index (GFI) was .847, adjusted goodness of fit index (AGFI) was .802, comparative fit index (CFI) was .910, root mean square error of approximation was .075, and Akaike's information criterion was 446.424; GFI ≥ AGFI and CFI ≥ .800. This study's findings indicate that the use of the developed scale will help elucidate the anxiety experienced by nursing students about the spread of COVID-19 infection, which would consequently facilitate the improvement of the quality of nursing education.

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In recent years, toe grip strength has received much attention and affects various physical function. One of these may be related to the sprinting ability. Previous studies have shown a relationship between toe grip strength and sprinting ability in elementary school children, but as far as we know, most of the studies are cross-sectional study and not longitudinal observations. Therefore, we examined the relationship between toe grip strength and sprint ability in elementary school track and field athlete longitudinal observations over three years. This study included toe grip strength, grip strength, standing long jump, and sprint speed were measured in eight elementary school track and field athletes who were able to be measured continuously from third to fifth grade were included. The results showed that each of the measures improved with grade level. It was showed a significant correlation to toe grip strength and sprint speed was found in fifth grade (r = 0.80, p = 0.02), and the correlation coefficient tended to increase with grade from third grade (r = 0.47) to fourth grade (r = 0.68) to fifth grade (r = 0.80). These results suggest that toe grip strength may have a stronger effect on sprinting ability as the grade progresses.

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Hairwashing is an important activity of daily living for removing dirt and maintaining physiological functions of the scalp．However, it cannot remove bacteria. Therefore, it is necessary to develop a hairwashing technique that reduces bacteriaon the hair and scalp of bedridden patients. This study aimed to evaluate hairwashing methods and dirt-removing tools. The participants were nurses who routinely wash the hair of bedridden patients in the intensive care units of 900 hospitals nationwide. The collection rate was 391（43.4%）, and the number of valid responses was 379（96.9%）. Moreover, 283 (74.7%) participants used shampoo sheets and diapers, 190 (50.1%) used Kelly pads, and 99 (26.1%) used hair wash carts. “Consideration of patient’s physical burden,” “Ensuring patient’s positional safety when washing hair,” and “Ensuring patient’s comfort when washing hair” were identified as factors determining the choice of hairwashing tools. Contamination of night clothes and wounds and insufficient washing were the most common problems, followed by the condition of the hairwashing tools. For hairwashing on the bed, a hairwashing sheet was used considering the patient’s physical invasiveness and the nurse’s convenience. The nurses understood that there is a limit to the amount of hot water that can be used with the shampooing sheet, so the Kelly pad was also utilized. Thus, it is necessary to consider not only the amount of hot water but also the hairwashing method and tool used.

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The purpose of this study was to clarify the current status of frailty of elderly outpatients of a medical facility in a mountainous region. The study included data from the 454 participants. At different caregiving levels, we saw a significant difference in frailty score (p<0.001), walking speed (p<0.001), physical activity (0.001), and grip strength (0.001). Frailty scores were significantly different between the first and second, second and third, and first and third visits. Age was related to all frailty conditions, and the strongest correlation was with grip strength on the third visit, resulting in a Pearson correlation coefficient of 0.404. In order to construct an outreach strategy to cope with frailty that responds to geriatric conditions and builds on the strengths of medical institutions, it is necessary not only to accumulate information about frailty at these institutions, but also tie this information to the application of various social resources.

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This study aimed to determine the importance of caring for elderly patients hospitalized in medical institutions and the support they receive in their daily functions, and verify the validity and reliability of the Care Index based on the Life Function Model for the elderly in hospitals, which can be used by students enrolled in the bachelor’s degree program for nursing. To this end, we administered a questionnaire survey to second- and third-year students at two nursing colleges in prefecture A, and 165 valid responses were obtained. The exploratory factor analysis revealed that for the “ability to prepare a continuous life,” α was .959; for the “ability to respond to advanced acute care,” α was .927; for the “ability to promote healing and recovery,” α was .790; and for the “ability to grasp issues in small steps,” α was .897. In the confirmatory factor analysis, the values of the indicators of goodness of fit of the model were as follows: the goodness of fit index (GFI) was .817, the adjusted goodness of fit index (AGFI) was .752, the comparative fit index (CFI) was .919, the root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA) was .114, and Akaike’s information criterion was 435.413; GFI ≥AGFI. CFI was able to secure a value of .900 or higher. RMSEA did not meet the criteria below .100, indicating that it needs to be reviewed.

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