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Physical functioning, physical health and activity

This section covers activities of daily living, frailty, fractures, falls, exercise, posture, gait, hip complications, complications with general bodily functions, e.g. gastroenterological, urological.

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  1. Internationally, 2–5% of people live in residential or nursing homes, many with multi-morbidities, including severe cognitive impairment. Pain is frequently considered an expected part of old age and morbidity...

    Authors: Jan Pringle, Ana Sofia Alvarado Vázquez Mellado, Erna Haraldsdottir, Fiona Kelly and Jo Hockley

    Citation: BMC Geriatrics 2021 21:431

    Content type: Research article

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  3. Loss of skeletal muscle mass and strength occurs with increasing age and is associated with loss of function, disability, and the development of sarcopenia and frailty. Dietary protein is essential for skeleta...

    Authors: Mary Ni Lochlainn, Ayrun Nessa, Alyce Sheedy, Rachel Horsfall, María Paz García, Deborah Hart, Gulsah Akdag, Darioush Yarand, Samuel Wadge, Andrei-Florin Baleanu, Kevin Whelan and Claire Steves

    Citation: BMC Geriatrics 2021 21:407

    Content type: Study protocol

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  4. Subjective age refers to how young or old individuals experience themselves to be and is associated with health status, behavioral, cognitive, and biological processes that influence frailty. However, little r...

    Authors: Yuxiao Li, Minhui Liu, Christina E. Miyawaki, Xiaocao Sun, Tianxue Hou, Siyuan Tang and Sarah L. Szanton

    Citation: BMC Geriatrics 2021 21:395

    Content type: Research article

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  5. Old age is associated with reduced physical ability. It is necessary to measure and evaluate the physical activity of older people. Implementing appropriate requires a valid and reliable tool. Physical Activit...

    Authors: Omid Hatami, Mahdi Aghabagheri, Somayeh Kahdouei and Khadijeh Nasiriani

    Citation: BMC Geriatrics 2021 21:383

    Content type: Research article

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  6. Falls and fall-related injuries among older adults are a serious threat to the quality of life and result in high healthcare and societal costs. Despite evidence that falls can be prevented by fall prevention ...

    Authors: Maaike van Gameren, Daniël Bossen, Judith E. Bosmans, Bart Visser, Sanne W. T. Frazer and Mirjam Pijnappels

    Citation: BMC Geriatrics 2021 21:381

    Content type: Study protocol

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  8. Evidence regarding the association between daily steps recommendation and older adults’ lower limb strength is lacking; thus, this study investigated whether taking at least 7,000 steps/day is cross-sectionall...

    Authors: Ming-Chun Hsueh, Chien-Yu Lin, Ting-Fu Lai, Yi-Chien Yu, Shao-Hsi Chang, Ju Yong Bae and Yung Liao

    Citation: BMC Geriatrics 2021 21:359

    Content type: Research article

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  9. Frailty is increasingly reported among older adults with cardiovascular diseases and it has been demonstrated to increase negative health outcomes and mortality. To date, no systematic review of the evidence i...

    Authors: Rosa Liperoti, Davide L. Vetrano, Katie Palmer, Tomasz Targowski, Maria C. Cipriani, Maria R. Lo Monaco, Silvia Giovannini, Nicola Acampora, Emanuele Rocco Villani, Roberto Bernabei and Graziano Onder

    Citation: BMC Geriatrics 2021 21:357

    Content type: Research article

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  10. Joint contractures, which affect activity, participation, and quality of life, are common complications of neurological conditions among elderly residents in long-term care facilities. This study examined the ...

    Authors: Yi-chang Chen, Keh-chung Lin, Chen-Jung Chen, Shu-Hui Yeh, Ay-Woan Pan, Hao-Ling Chen and Chih-Hung Wang

    Citation: BMC Geriatrics 2021 21:353

    Content type: Research article

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  11. Fear of falling and previous falls are both risk factors that affect daily activities of older adults. However, it remains unclear whether they independently limit daily activities accounting for each other.

    Authors: Minhui Liu, Tianxue Hou, Yuxiao Li, Xiaocao Sun, Sarah L. Szanton, Lindy Clemson and Patricia M. Davidson

    Citation: BMC Geriatrics 2021 21:350

    Content type: Research article

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  12. Ability in the activities of daily life is often impaired in the older adults with a neurological disease. The Barthel Index is an instrument used worldwide to assess such ability. The Longshi Scale is a pictu...

    Authors: Jingpu Zhao, Xiangxiang Liu, Li Wan, Yan Gao, Meiling Huang, Fubing Zha, Jianjun Long, Dongxia Li, Guohui Nie and Yulong Wang

    Citation: BMC Geriatrics 2021 21:348

    Content type: Research article

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  13. Frailty is characterized by an age-related decline in multiple physiological systems, leading to a high vulnerability to stressors, adverse health outcomes, and low quality of life. Neuroscientific models of p...

    Authors: Florian Beier, Martin Löffler, Frauke Nees, Lucrezia Hausner, Lutz Frölich and Herta Flor

    Citation: BMC Geriatrics 2021 21:343

    Content type: Study protocol

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  14. There is great need for development of feasible rehabilitation for older people with dementia. Increased understanding of this population’s experiences of rehabilitation participation is therefore important. T...

    Authors: Anna Sondell, Josefine Lampinen, Mia Conradsson, Håkan Littbrand, Undis Englund, Ingeborg Nilsson and Nina Lindelöf

    Citation: BMC Geriatrics 2021 21:341

    Content type: Research article

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  15. The Pittsburgh Fatigability Scale (PFS) was developed to capture fatigue and demand in a single tool, filling a gap that no validated questionnaire existed to measure perceived fatigability. Since fatigability...

    Authors: Yixin Hu, Hangming Zhang, Weihao Xu, Ming Zhao, Juan Liu, Linna Wu, Lin Zou, Jing Zuo, Yunxia Liu, Li Fan, Woei-Nan Bair, Yujia (Susanna) Qiao and Nancy W. Glynn

    Citation: BMC Geriatrics 2021 21:336

    Content type: Research article

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  17. Older people who are non-weight-bearing after a lower limb fracture are at risk of poor outcomes but there are no clinical guidelines for this group of patients. Given the paucity of the research evidence base...

    Authors: S. Aloraibi, J. Gladman, D. Godfrey, V. Booth, K. Robinson, E. Lunt, A. Caswell, M. Kerr, B. Ollivere and A. L. Gordon

    Citation: BMC Geriatrics 2021 21:332

    Content type: Research article

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  18. Recently, there is an increased number of studies that use 360° virtual reality (VR) video for medical and rehabilitative purposes. However, the 360° VR video experience for older adults has not yet been inves...

    Authors: Namsu Lee, Wonjae Choi and Seungwon Lee

    Citation: BMC Geriatrics 2021 21:325

    Content type: Technical advance

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  19. The rapidly aging societies worldwide and in Singapore present a unique challenge, requiring an integrated multidisciplinary approach to address high-value targets such as muscle health. We propose pragmatic e...

    Authors: Samuel T. H. Chew, Geetha Kayambu, Charles Chin Han Lew, Tze Pin Ng, Fangyi Ong, Jonathan Tan, Ngiap Chuan Tan and Shuen-Loong Tham

    Citation: BMC Geriatrics 2021 21:314

    Content type: Research article

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  20. Tai Chi exercise has been reported to enhance physical and mental health in the older adults; however, the mechanism remains elusive.

    Authors: Lili Li, Jingjing Wang, Shaoying Guo, Yangqi Xing, Xiongwen Ke, Yinghao Chen, Yuan He, Shun Wang, Jiayu Wang, Xinwu Cui, Zhihua Wang and Lixu Tang

    Citation: BMC Geriatrics 2021 21:293

    Content type: Research article

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  21. Disturbed sleep places older adults at higher risk for frailty, morbidity, and even mortality. Yet, nursing home routines frequently disturb residents’ sleep through use of noise, light, or efforts to reduce i...

    Authors: A. Lynn Snow, Julia Loup, Robert O. Morgan, Kathy Richards, Patricia A. Parmelee, Rosa R. Baier, Ellen McCreedy, Barbara Frank, Cathie Brady, Liam Fry, Megan McCullough and Christine W. Hartmann

    Citation: BMC Geriatrics 2021 21:281

    Content type: Study protocol

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  22. The risk of progressive declines in skeletal muscle mass and strength, termed sarcopenia, increases with age, physical inactivity and poor diet. The purpose of this study was to explore and compare association...

    Authors: Ewelina Akehurst, David Scott, Juan Peña Rodriguez, Carol Alonso Gonzalez, Jasmaine Murphy, Helen McCarthy, Sandor Dorgo and Alan Hayes

    Citation: BMC Geriatrics 2021 21:276

    Content type: Research article

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  23. Physical fitness is a key component of independent living and healthy ageing. For the measurement of physical fitness in older adults, the Senior Fitness Test is a commonly used tool. The objective of this stu...

    Authors: Birte Marie Albrecht, Imke Stalling and Karin Bammann

    Citation: BMC Geriatrics 2021 21:273

    Content type: Research article

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  24. The Clinical Frailty Scale, which provides a common language about frailty, was recently updated to version 2.0 to cater for its increased use in areas of medicine usually involved in the care and treatment of...

    Authors: Anders Fournaise, Søren Kabell Nissen, Jørgen T. Lauridsen, Jesper Ryg, Christian H. Nickel, Claire Gudex, Mikkel Brabrand, Lone Musaeus Poulsen and Karen Andersen-Ranberg

    Citation: BMC Geriatrics 2021 21:269

    Content type: Correspondence

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  25. There is on one hand sufficient evidence showing strong association between resilience and self-rated successful aging. On the other hand, strength training could contribute the cultivation of resilience among...

    Authors: Pak-Kwong Chung, Chun-Qing Zhang, Yanan Zhao, Ming Yu Claudia Wong and Chun Hu

    Citation: BMC Geriatrics 2021 21:250

    Content type: Study protocol

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  26. For the diagnosis of Sarcopenia, European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People (EWGSOP) revised the algorisms in 2019, where they added computed tomography (CT) as an assessment tool not only for quanti...

    Authors: Hiroki Oba, Yasumoto Matsui, Hidenori Arai, Tsuyoshi Watanabe, Hiroki Iida, Takafumi Mizuno, Satoshi Yamashita, Shinya Ishizuka, Yasuo Suzuki, Hideki Hiraiwa and Shiro Imagama

    Citation: BMC Geriatrics 2021 21:239

    Content type: Research article

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  27. Frailty and low handgrip strength (HGS) are associated with adverse outcomes after hip fracture (HF) surgery. We aimed to compare the predictive role of frailty and HGS for adverse outcome in HF patients.

    Authors: Jung-Yeon Choi, Jin-Kak Kim, Kwang-il Kim, Young-Kyun Lee, Kyung-Hoi Koo and Cheol-Ho Kim

    Citation: BMC Geriatrics 2021 21:234

    Content type: Research article

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  28. This study aims to analyze the distribution of serum uric acid (SUA) level based on more than 1000 centenarians and to explore the association with three common diseases including hypertension, diabetes and dy...

    Authors: Fuyin Kou, Shanshan Yang, Shengshu Wang, Miao Liu and Yao He

    Citation: BMC Geriatrics 2021 21:231

    Content type: Research article

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  29. The proportion of older adults is increasing rapidly, and the majority are female. In 2050, the number of persons aged 60 years and over is estimated to reach 2.1 billion worldwide, constituting one-third of t...

    Authors: Hilda Kristin Svensson, Jon Karlsson, Therese Rydberg Sterner, Felicia Ahlner, Ingmar Skoog and Hanna Falk Erhag

    Citation: BMC Geriatrics 2021 21:229

    Content type: Research article

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  31. Falls are one of the major causes of mortality and morbidity in older adults. However, despite adoption of prevention strategies, the number of falls in older adults has not declined. The aim of this study was...

    Authors: Jing Wen Goh, Devinder Kaur Ajit Singh, Normala Mesbah, Anis Afifa Mohd Hanafi and Adlyn Farhana Azwan

    Citation: BMC Geriatrics 2021 21:226

    Content type: Research article

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  32. The incidence of hip fractures are expected to increase in the following years. Hip fracture patients have in addition to their fracture often complex medical problems, which constitute a substantial burden on...

    Authors: Shams Dakhil, Pernille Thingstad, Frede Frihagen, Lars Gunnar Johnsen, Stian Lydersen, Eva Skovlund, Torgeir Bruun Wyller, Olav Sletvold, Ingvild Saltvedt and Leiv Otto Watne

    Citation: BMC Geriatrics 2021 21:208

    Content type: Research article

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  33. The use of technical solutions and conventional mobility supporting aids can support the independence of people into old age in their own homes. However, we found relatively few empirical investigations on the...

    Authors: Deborah Elisabeth Jachan, Ursula Müller-Werdan, Nils Axel Lahmann and Sandra Strube-Lahmann

    Citation: BMC Geriatrics 2021 21:205

    Content type: Research article

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  34. Although previous studies have explored the effect of chronic conditions on physical disability, little is known about the levels and rates of change in physical disability after a chronic condition diagnosis ...

    Authors: Chieh-Ying Chou, Ching-Ju Chiu, Chia-Ming Chang, Chih-Hsing Wu, Feng-Hwa Lu, Jin-Shang Wu and Yi-Ching Yang

    Citation: BMC Geriatrics 2021 21:201

    Content type: Research article

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  35. Interaction of physical activity and overall immune profile is very complex and depends on the intensity, duration and frequency of undertaken physical activity, the exposure to cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection...

    Authors: Anna Tylutka, Barbara Morawin, Artur Gramacki and Agnieszka Zembron-Lacny

    Citation: BMC Geriatrics 2021 21:200

    Content type: Research article

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  36. A healthy lifestyle may prevent disability for older adults. But research to date is limited to a single lifestyle behavior and ignore sex difference in the lifestyle-disability association. This study aimed a...

    Authors: Zaixing Shi, Jianlin Lin, Jian Xiao and Ya Fang

    Citation: BMC Geriatrics 2021 21:188

    Content type: Research article

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  37. Exercise training is crucial for maintaining physical and mental health in aging populations. However, as people participate in structured exercise training, they tend to behaviorally compensate by decreasing ...

    Authors: Tomas Vetrovsky, Dan Omcirk, Jan Malecek, Petr Stastny, Michal Steffl and James J. Tufano

    Citation: BMC Geriatrics 2021 21:179

    Content type: Research article

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  38. Osteoarthritis (OA) is a commonly known prevalent joint disease, with limited therapeutic methods. This study aimed to investigate the functions of miRNA-132 (miR-132) in the modulation of PTEN/PI3K/AKT signal...

    Authors: Wei Zhang, Chengfang Hu, Chi Zhang, Congfeng Luo, Biao Zhong and Xiaowei Yu

    Citation: BMC Geriatrics 2021 21:175

    Content type: Research article

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  39. Iran’s population is aging. Disability is a major public health problem for older adults, not only in Iran but all over the world. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between cardio-m...

    Authors: Kazem Khalagi, Akram Ansarifar, Noushin Fahimfar, Mahnaz Sanjari, Safoora Gharibzdeh, Farshad Sharifi, Gita Shafiee, Ramin Heshmat, Iraj Nabipour, Bagher Larijani and Afshin Ostovar

    Citation: BMC Geriatrics 2021 21:172

    Content type: Research article

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  40. Although previous studies have evaluated risk factors for the incidence of severe infection in patients with antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody-associated vasculitis (AAV), the relationship between body mass ...

    Authors: Hirokazu Sugiyama, Makoto Yamaguchi, Takayuki Katsuno, Shiho Iwagaitsu, Hironobu Nobata, Hiroshi Kinashi, Shogo Banno, Masahiko Ando, Yoko Kubo, Takuji Ishimoto and Yasuhiko Ito

    Citation: BMC Geriatrics 2021 21:171

    Content type: Research article

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  41. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the associations between health-related physical fitness performance and overweight/obesity risk among Taiwanese healthy older adults.

    Authors: Chien-Chang Ho, Po-Fu Lee, Hui-Ling Chen, Ching-Yu Tseng, Xin-Yu Hsieh and Chih-Hui Chiu

    Citation: BMC Geriatrics 2021 21:170

    Content type: Research article

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  42. Falls-related injuries are particularly serious for older people, causing pain, reduced community engagement and associated medical costs. Tripping is the leading cause of falls and the current study examined ...

    Authors: Hanatsu Nagano, W. A. Sparrow, Katsuyoshi Mizukami, Eri Sarashina and Rezaul Begg

    Citation: BMC Geriatrics 2021 21:166

    Content type: Research article

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  43. Dementia is a leading cause of death and disability that was declared as one of the greatest health and social care challenges of the twenty-first century. Regular physical activity and exercise have been prop...

    Authors: Joana Carvalho, Flávia Borges-Machado, Duarte Barros, Arnaldina Sampaio, Inês Marques-Aleixo, Lucimere Bohn, Andreia Pizarro, Laetitia Teixeira, José Magalhães and Óscar Ribeiro

    Citation: BMC Geriatrics 2021 21:156

    Content type: Study protocol

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  44. The systemic immune-inflammation index (SII), based on peripheral platelet, neutrophil and lymphocyte counts, has been proven to be a promising prognostic indicator in various diseases. Hip fracture is a commo...

    Authors: Zhi-Cong Wang, Wei Jiang, Xi Chen, Ling Yang, Hong Wang and Yue-Hong Liu

    Citation: BMC Geriatrics 2021 21:155

    Content type: Research article

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  45. Falls incidence rate and comprehensive data on factors that predict occasional and repeated falls from large population-based studies are scarce. In this study, we aimed to determine the incidence of falls and...

    Authors: Theng Choon Ooi, Devinder Kaur Ajit Singh, Suzana Shahar, Nor Fadilah Rajab, Divya Vanoh, Razinah Sharif and Maw Pin Tan

    Citation: BMC Geriatrics 2021 21:154

    Content type: Research article

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  46. Chronic low back pain (CLBP) is a common medical condition in adults over the age of 50. It is associated with severe disability, ranging from physical impairments to psychosocial distress. Since current treat...

    Authors: Lutz Schega, Britta Kaps, Kim-Charline Broscheid, Robert Bielitzki, Martin Behrens, Katharina Meiler, Steffen Drange and Jörg Franke

    Citation: BMC Geriatrics 2021 21:151

    Content type: Study protocol

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  47. Orthostatic hypotension (OH) in geriatric patients frequently involves a component of autonomic failure (AF). The combination of OH with nocturnal hypertension (NHT) is indicative of AF, which is described as ...

    Authors: Siddhartha Lieten, Aziz Debain, Bert Bravenboer and Tony Mets

    Citation: BMC Geriatrics 2021 21:148

    Content type: Case report

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  48. To evaluate the acceptability of handgrip strength, gait speed, quadriceps ultrasound, and Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis (BIA) to older adults conducted during and following hospitalisation.

    Authors: Carly Welch, Carolyn Greig, Tahir Masud and Thomas A. Jackson

    Citation: BMC Geriatrics 2021 21:141

    Content type: Research article

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  49. This study aimed to prospectively analyze the risk factors for new falls and fragility fractures in self-caring elderly patients and to find suitable evaluation tools for community screening and follow-up inte...

    Authors: Jian Zhou, Bo Liu, Ming-Zhao Qin and Jin-Ping Liu

    Citation: BMC Geriatrics 2021 21:116

    Content type: Research article

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  50. The aim of this study was to describe barriers and facilitators for shared decision making (SDM) as experienced by older patients with multiple chronic conditions (MCCs), informal caregivers and health profess...

    Authors: Ruth E. Pel-Littel, Marjolein Snaterse, Nelly Marela Teppich, Bianca M. Buurman, Faridi S. van Etten-Jamaludin, Julia C. M. van Weert, Mirella M. Minkman and Wilma J. M. Scholte op Reimer

    Citation: BMC Geriatrics 2021 21:112

    Content type: Review

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