Introduction Insufficient physical activity constitutes one of the most problematic issues in the contemporary society. Data show that seniors should take up physical activity as it considerably affects their health and quality of life. Material and method The study included 76 individuals over 60 years of age who actively participated in social life (Senior Clubs, Country Housewives' Clubs, Folk groups) in south-eastern Poland. The International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ), Timed Up and Go Test (TUG), Timed Up and Go Cognitive Test (TUG cog), 10-Meter Walk Test (10MWT), right and left handgrip test, Functional Chair Stand Test (FS test), Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) and Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE) were applied in the study. Results It was revealed that male participants (p=0.001), individuals being in a relationship (p=0.02) and subjects who had never had any fractures before (p=0.02) demonstrated higher levels of physical activity. In the examined group, a higher level of physical activity significantly correlated with a higher level of muscle strength of lower limbs (p=0.32) and left handgrip strength (p=0.26), shorter time of covering the distance of 10 metres (p=-0.23) and a higher level of cognitive capabilities (p=0.29). Conclusions Physical activity depends on sociodemographic factors and correlates with functional and cognitive capabilities of seniors. Therefore, it is important to promote active lifestyle among elderly individuals and to draw attention to its positive influence on everyday functioning.
An important aspect of a senior's life is to be able to function independently in his or her own and family surroundings as long as possible, actively participate in social life without economic barriers. Numerous studies show that the quality of life and the biological condition of the elderly alongside nutrition are clearly dominant and have a positive effect on their functional physical fitness. In order to promote physical activity and physiological prevention among the elderly, a physiotherapeutic program was organized under the "Summer Sanatorium of Prevention of the spine pain syndrome", which was attended regularly by a group of senior citizens from the Karkonosze University of the Third Age in Jelenia Góra. The aim of the study was to compare the level of functional physical activity before and after treatment among the participants. The study was conducted among 20 women aged 60-75 years, before and after 6 weeks of treatment, which included: gymnastics for prevention of back pain syndromes, relaxation training, full spine massage, TENS electrotherapy and ultrasound in the lumbar and cervical spine. Research included; assessment of functional physical fitness by the Functional Senior Fitness Tests: „stretching behind" and "slope forward", ranges of motion within the selected joints of the spine, upper and lower limbs. The selected form of physiotherapeutic treatment improves the results obtained after test with the Functional Senior Fitness Test and influences the range of motion in the selected joints, which demonstrates that physical fitness is improved. Physical activity in the form of general-purpose gymnastics favors higher levels of functional fitness of elderly women, physical therapy and massage improves mood and makes older people more willing to participate in physio preventing programs. The conducted research proves that the developed program was optimal and showed a positive effect on the daily functional fitness of the examined persons.
Physical activity is of key importance in prevention of chronic illnesses, such as cardiovascular disease or metabolicvdiseases. Lack of regular workout in seniors favors the development of these diseases. It is, therefore, advisable to change one’s lifestyle and engage in regular workout in order to reduce the risk of chronic illnesses and disabilities. The aim of this paper is to present how important physical activity is in prevention of chronic illnesses in seniors.
Observation of reality shows that the attitude of today's society towards the elderly is very heterogenous and ambivalent. Both positive and negative attitudes can be observed. What is more, one can talk about attitudes of indifference and a certain social distance. The main goal of the research is to show how attitudes towards the elderly are shaped in our society and whether demographic variables such as gender, age, marital status, place of residence, or level of education differentiate these attitudes. Can we talk about the formation of certain patterns among the younger generation, which create the image of older people in adults? The sample consisted of 1,025 people. The Scale of Attitudes to- wards Seniors (SPWS) by Łukasiewicz and Kowalski was administered. The entire tool consisted of 60 items divided into three sca les: Respect and Support, Rejection and Misunderstanding, and Social Distance. In order to examine the attitudes of the respondents to their grandparents and their role in family life, seven self-authored statements were attached to the questionnaire. The analysis of the obtained results shows no significant differences between positive and negative attitudes towards seniors. All attitudes are at a moderate level. The factors differentiating the intensity of attitudes were: gender, marital status, place of residence, and education level. The indicator of the development of positive attitudes towards seniors was the time spent with grandparents in the past and positive opinions about grandparents provided by par- ents. Earlier intergenerational relations are of no significant importance when it came to the intensification of negative attitudes. The research confirmed the existence of heterogeneous attitudes towards seniors. However, there is no clear advantage of positive attitudes over the negative. The conclusions from the research point to the role of broadly understood education in shaping attitudes towards the elderly. In the age of an ageing society, activities that show the significance of older people for society, and what value they are for all of us, become important. The family and multi- generational relationships play a significant role here.
Physical activity is a basic component of geriatric prevention. Lower physical activity of seniors is a cause and effect of many chronic conditions, e.g. type 2 diabetes, obesity, diseases of musculoskeletal system or cancer. This paper analyzes Polish and international literature in terms of significance of physical activity for keeping and improving health of seniors. Numerous studies carried out at large research facilities all over the world proved that taking up physical activity by seniors is one of the key factors for ensuring better health. It is, however, important to precede workout with medical examination. After that, suitable exercises, their frequency, duration and intensity need to be determined. The conclusion of this paper is as follows: regular physical activity improves effectiveness of preventive measures and treatments related to diseases such as cardiovascular disease; it also reduces mortality rate and prolongs the period of physical and mental activity of seniors.
The study is aimed to analyze the interplay among the physical balance level, physical activities realization, anthropometric determinants and psychosocial indices in relation to gender and age of seniors 65+. Methods: The participants comprised 500 seniors in age 65+ (234 males and 266 females) participated voluntarily in the research. For data collection we used methods of the “Medical anamnesis”, “Tinetti Balance Assessment Tool”, “Health Survey SF-36”. For statistics analyses the multivariate regression with reduction of dimensionality and orthogonal projection to latent structure was used. Results: Analyzed disabilities “Depression”, “Type 2 diabetes mellitus”, “Hypertension” and “Vertigo” significantly negatively interplay with the Tinneti summary balance score in both genders. Results of the anthropometric parameters of female seniors, in a contrast to the male seniors parameters, proved that body high and muscle mass correlate significantly positively with the performance of the Tinneti summary balance test (p<0.01) in female seniors. Conclusion: Performing of physical activities positively correlates with the performance in the Tinneti summary balance test in both genders of seniors. There are differences between male and female seniors according the psychosocial factors interplay with performance in the Tinneti summary balance test, when more interplaying psychosocial factors were analyzed in females.
The aim of this study was to perform a comparative analysis of maximal muscle torques at individual stages of development of athletes and to determine the relationship between muscle torques, fighting methods and the level of sports performance. The activity of 25 judo contestants during judo combats and the effectiveness of actions were evaluated. Maximum muscle torques in flexors/extensors of the body trunk, shoulder, elbow, hip and knee joints were measured. The level of significance was set at p≤0.05; for multiple comparisons the Mann-Whitney U test, p≤0.016, was used. Intergroup differences in relative torques in five muscle groups studied (elbow extensors, shoulder flexors, knee flexors, knee extensors, hip flexors) were not significant. In cadets, relative maximum muscle torques in hip extensors correlated with the activity index (Spearman's r=0.756). In juniors, maximum relative torques in elbow flexors and knee flexors correlated with the activity index (r=0.73 and r=0.76, respectively). The effectiveness of actions correlated with relative maximum torque in elbow extensors (r=0.67). In seniors, the relative maximum muscle torque in shoulder flexors correlated with the activity index during the second part of the combat (r=0.821).
The subject of the paper is oriented on problems of senior revitalization and joints healing. The study reports the application and evaluation of an interventional yoga program for seniors with overweight in arthritis or osteoarthritis combination. The aim of the study is to accomplish significant changes in overweight reduce, pain reduce and selfconcept optimization of participants after the yoga training. The experimental group (ES) was conducted from 58 persons from senior homes in the region of South Bohemia in Czech Republic. The control group (CS) was conducted from 54 persons from senior homes in the region of South Bohemia in Czech Republic. All the probands were disabled seniors with diagnosis of overweight with arthritis or osteoarthritis. ES and CS were compared before and after intervention movement program in somatic and psychological tests, e.g. BMI, measuring of diameters of 10 skin folds with callipers, self-perception gamut, and list of open sentences. In ES a significant discrepancy between input and check out BMI was perceptible. Significant positive changes in the reduction of diameters of 10 skin folds were recorded in female and male of ES after the yoga intervention. Psychological analyses after intervention movement program document shift from anxiety to state fair, from depressive moods to vitality, from fatigue to force and energy, from confusion and uncertainties to self-respect and self-esteem. The intervention program was running in three months cycles in several groups. Whole experiment was completed in one year.
Wstęp: Aktywność fizyczna, społeczna, a takŜe intelektualna jest jednym z czynników warunkujących pomyślne starzenie się człowieka. Ruch skutecznie opóźnia proces starzenia się organizmu i zapobiega powstawaniu wielu chorób w naszym organizmie. Cel: Ocena wzorców aktywności mięśniowej mięśni przykręgosłupowych w odcinku lędźwiowym kręgosłupa z wykorzystaniem elektromiografii powierzchniowej w grupie aktywnych seniorów bez objawów bólu krzyża. Materiał i metoda: Badaniem objęto 70 aktywnych studentów uniwersytetu trzeciego wieku. U wszystkich badanych oceniono napięcie mięśni przykręgosłupowych w trakcie testu funkcjonalnego dla odcinka lędźwiowego kręgosłupa. Badanie przeprowadzono z wykorzystaniem sEMG. Wyniki: Podczas większości wykonywanych ruchów u aktywnych osób starszych zaobserwowano zaburzenia aktywności bioelektrycznej mięśni przykręgosłupowych odcinka lędźwiowego kręgosłupa, charakteryzujące się podwyższonym napięciem mięśniowym, zaburzoną symetrią napięcia prawej strony do lewej oraz brakiem rozluźnienia poszczególnych mięśni podczas ruchów, gdzie nie powinny być one aktywne. Wnioski: sEMG pozwala na nieinwazyjne badania przesiewowe wzorców aktywności mięśniowej, może być pomocnym narzędziem w diagnostyce funkcjonalnej odcinka lędźwiowego kręgosłupa u aktywnych seniorów, między innymi dzięki nowatorskim metodom analizy danych.
EN
Background: Physical, social and intellectual activities are the determinants of successful ageing. Movement effectively delays the body’s ageing process and prevents many diseases in our body. Aim: The assessment of lumbar paraspinal muscle activity patterns with surface EMG in an active older population without low back pain.Material and methods: The study included 70 students of the „university of the third age”. The subjects’ paraspinal muscles were assessed during a lumbar spine functional test. All measurements were carried out using sEMG.Results: During most of the performed movements, lumbar paraspinal muscles activation impairments were observed, these being characterized by increased activity, asymmetry and lack of relaxation response.Conclusion: Surface EMG allows for non-invasive muscle pattern screening, therefore it could constitute a valuable tool in lumbar spine functional diagnostics in active older populations through innovatory data analysis.
Wprowadzenie: The Assessment of Quality of Life 6-Dimension (AQoL-6D) to kwestionariusz który został opracowany do badania jakości życia związanej ze zdrowiem. Cele: Celem badania było przetłumaczenie, adaptacja kulturowa i walidacja polskiej wersji językowej kwestionariusza AQoL-6D. Materiał i Metody: Badanie przeprowadzono w grupie 103 osób powyżej 65 roku życia, które zgodziły się wziąć udział w badaniu. Grupa obejmowała 50 seniorów z demencją w stopniu łagodnym i umiarkowanym oraz 53 seniorów bez demencji. W doborze próby zastosowano metodę kuli śnieżnej. Wszyscy badani zamieszkiwali na terenie województw: podkarpackiego i śląskiego. Respondenci wypełniali papierową wersję kwestionariusza AQoL-6D jednokrotnie. Badania zrealizowano we wrześniu 2019 roku. Wyniki: Współczynniki rzetelności Alfa Cronbacha (α) dla polskiej wersji językowej wynosił α = 0,98, co oznacza, że odnotowano bardzo wysoki poziom zgodności wewnętrznej. Tak wysoka wartość współczynnika a także bardzo wysokie wartości mocy dyskryminacyjnej (tj. korelacji itemu z wynikiem ogólnym) wskazują na fakt, że itemy te są niemal tożsame z wynikiem ogólnym. Ocena trafności w sferze struktury czynnikowej była niejednoznaczna. Wnioski: Zaproponowana polska wersja językowa kwestionariusza The Assessment of Quality of Life 6-Dimension (AQoL-6D) spełnia funkcję oceny jakości życia związanej ze zdrowiem. Z zaznaczeniem, że analizie poddaje się ogólny wynik testu. Stosowanie podskal jest niezasadne na co wskazują przeprowadzone analizy statystyczne.
EN
Introduction: The Assessment of Quality of Life 6-Dimension (AQoL-6D) is a questionnaire that was developed to examine the quality of life related to health. Aims: The aim of the study was to translate, cultivate and validate the Polish language version of the AQoL-6D questionnaire. Material and methods: The study was conducted among a group of 103 subjects above the age of 65 who agreed to take part in the trial. The group included 50 seniors with mild to moderate dementia and 53 seniors without dementia. The snowball method was used for the selection of the sample. All respondents lived in the following voivodeships: Podkarpackie and Śląskie. The participants completed the paper version of the AQoL-6D questionnaire once. The research was carried out in September 2019. Results: Alpha Cronbach's reliability coefficients (α) in the Polish language version was α=0.98, which means that a very high level of internal compliance was noted. Such a high value of the coefficient, as well as very high values of discriminatory power (i.e. the correlation of the item with the overall result), indicate that these items are almost identical to the overall result. The assessment of relevance in the area of factor structure was ambiguous. Conclusions: The proposed Polish language version of the Assessment of Quality of Life 6-Dimension (AQoL-6D) questionnaire performs the function of assessing quality of life-related to health. It must be indicated that the overall test result is analysed. The use of subscales is unfounded, as demonstrated by statistical analyses.
Wstęp: Upadki seniorów stanowią wyzwanie dla współczesności, gdyż przyczyniają się do utraty sprawności, inwalidztwa i obniżenia jakości życia. Niski poziom sprawności fizycznej jest jednym z czynników zwiększających ryzyko upadków. Cel: Celem badań była ocena sprawności fizycznej z wykorzystaniem Senior Fitness Test (SFT) oraz próba określenia zależności pomiędzy występowaniem upadków, a sprawnością fizyczną osób starszych objętych opieką instytucjonalną prywatną. Celem dodatkowym była ocena czy stopień sprawności fizycznej badanych osób wykazuje związek z płcią. Materiał i metody: Do badań włączono 71 osób (41 kobiet, wiek 82,9 ± 5,49 i 30 mężczyzn, wiek 81,8 ± 6,80), które na podstawie ankiety i dokumentacji medycznej zostały podzielone na dwie grupy ze względu na występowanie upadków (grupa A) lub ich brak (grupa B) w okresie 12 miesięcy poprzedzających badanie. Do oceny sprawności fizycznej wykorzystano test Senior Fitness Test. Wyniki: Osoby z upadkami w wywiadzie uzyskiwały gorsze wyniki w testach oceniających poszczególne elementy sprawności fizycznej. W grupie osób z upadkami, mężczyzn charakteryzowała lepsza od kobiet wytrzymałość tlenowa, natomiast kobiety lepsza gibkość górnej części ciała. W pozostałych próbach wyniki obu płci były zbliżone. Przeprowadzone badania wykazały ujemną korelację. pomiędzy wynikami prób oceniających siłę mięśni, gibkość górnej części ciała oraz wytrzymałość tlenową a występowaniem upadków. Nie stwierdzono korelacji pomiędzy występowaniem upadków, a gibkością dolnej części ciała. Wnioski: Poziom wszystkich ocenianych parametrów sprawności fizycznej jest istotnie niższy u seniorów z upadkami w porównaniu do ich rówieśników, którzy nie doznają upadków. Zatem utrzymanie dobrej sprawności fizycznej powinno stać się ważnym elementem w prewencji upadków. W świetle przeprowadzonych badań uzasadnione wydaje się wprowadzanie programów profilaktycznych, z uwzględnieniem płci. W ramach profilaktyki upadków poprawa bądź utrzymanie dobrej sprawności fizycznej seniorów powinna uwzględniać trening gibkości i wytrzymałości tlenowej u mężczyzn, a u kobiet trening siły.
EN
Introduction: Falls of the elderly are a challenge because they contribute to disability, decreased fitness, and lower quality of life. a low level of physical fitness is one of the factors that can increase the risk of falls.Objective: The aim of this study was to assess physical fitness using the Senior Fitness Test (SFT) and to determine the relationship between the incidence of falls and physical fitness of elderly people living in private care homes. An additional purpose was to assess whether the level of individuals’ physical fitness was related to their sex.Material and methods: a total of 71 patients participated in the study: 41 women with an average age of 82.9 ± 5.49 years and 30 men with the average age of 81.8 ± 6.80 years. On the basis of surveys and medical records, the participants were divided into two groups depending on whether they had fallen (group A) or had not fallen (group B) during the 12 months preceding the survey. The Senior Fitness Test was used to assess the participants’ physical fitness.Results: People with a history of falls obtained worse scores in tests assessing individual components of physical fitness. In the group with a history of falls, men were characterised as having better aerobic endurance than women, while women demonstrated better upper body flexibility. In other tests, scores for both sexes were similar. The study showed a negative correlation between the measurements in tests assessing the upper and lower limb muscle strength, upper body flexibility and aerobic endurance, and the incidence of falls. There was no correlation between the incidence of falls and the flexibility of the lower body.Conclusions: Levels of all evaluated physical fitness parameters are significantly lower among the seniors who had experienced falls in comparison to their peers who had not experienced falls. Therefore, maintaining good physical fitness should become an important element of fall prevention. In light of the study, it seems reasonable to introduce prevention programmes that take differences between sexes into consideration. As a part of fall prevention, such programmes aimed at improving and maintaining good physical fitness among seniors should include flexibility and aerobic endurance training for men and strength training for women.
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