Skip to main content

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.

Page 1 of 13

  1. We assessed the quantitative changes in muscle mass and strength during 2 weeks of hospitalization in immobile and mobile acutely ill hospitalized older adults.

    Authors: Nikola Rommersbach, Rainer Wirth, Gero Lueg, Christiane Klimek, Mirja Schnatmann, Dieter Liermann, Gregor Janssen, Manfred James Müller and Maryam Pourhassan

    Citation: BMC Geriatrics 2020 20:500

    Content type: Research article

    Published on:

  2. Timely palliative care in frail older persons remains challenging. Scales to identify older patients at risk of functional decline already exist. However, factors to predict short term mortality in older hospi...

    Authors: Celine Van de Vyver, Anja Velghe, Hilde Baeyens, Jean-Pierre Baeyens, Julien Dekoninck, Nele Van Den Noortgate and Ruth Piers

    Citation: BMC Geriatrics 2020 20:499

    Content type: Research article

    Published on:

  3. The Australian Transition Care Program (TCP) is a national intermediate care service aiming to optimise functional independence and delay entry to permanent care for older people leaving hospital. The aim of t...

    Authors: Monica Cations, Catherine Lang, Maria Crotty, Steven Wesselingh, Craig Whitehead and Maria C. Inacio

    Citation: BMC Geriatrics 2020 20:496

    Content type: Research article

    Published on:

  4. Few studies have examined the relationship between falls and pain, insomnia and depressive symptoms which are common and risk factors in older adults. We aimed to examine the independent and synergistic effect...

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

    Citation: BMC Geriatrics 2020 20:491

    Content type: Research article

    Published on:

  5. There is growing evidence of the benefits of physical activity and exercise for frail elderly patients with comorbidity. In order to improve participation in physical activity and exercise interventions, there...

    Authors: Kristina Åhlund, Birgitta Öberg, Niklas Ekerstad and Maria Bäck

    Citation: BMC Geriatrics 2020 20:490

    Content type: Research article

    Published on:

  6. Exercise interventions, particularly those targeting strength and balance, are effective in preventing falls in older people. Activity levels are generally below recommended levels and reduce with age. There i...

    Authors: Lisa McGarrigle, Elisabeth Boulton and Chris Todd

    Citation: BMC Geriatrics 2020 20:483

    Content type: Research article

    Published on:

  7. Over 10% of adults aged ≥65 years have anemia, as defined by the World Health Organization (WHO). As the timed up and go (TUG) test is one of the most widely used tests of mobility, this study investigated whe...

    Authors: Ki Young Son, Dong Wook Shin, Ji Eun Lee, Sang Hyuck Kim, Jae Moon Yun and Belong Cho

    Citation: BMC Geriatrics 2020 20:469

    Content type: Research article

    Published on:

  8. Balance and gait problems are common and progressive in dementia. Use of a mobility aid provides physical support and confidence. Yet, mobility aid use in people with dementia increases falls three-fold. An as...

    Authors: Susan W. Hunter, Alison Divine, Humberto Omana, Ed Madou and Jeffrey Holmes

    Citation: BMC Geriatrics 2020 20:468

    Content type: Research article

    Published on:

  9. Osteoporosis and related fractures, a worldwide public health issue of growing concern, is characterized by compromised bone strength and an increased risk of fracture. Here we show an association between self...

    Authors: Yoshihito Tomita, Kazuhiko Arima, Satoshi Mizukami, Ritsu Tsujimoto, Shin-ya Kawashiri, Takayuki Nishimura, Takuhiro Okabe, Natsumi Tanaka, Yuzo Honda, Kazumi Nakahara, Naoko Yamamoto, Izumi Ohmachi, Hisashi Goto, Maiko Hasegawa, Youko Sou, Itsuko Horiguchi…

    Citation: BMC Geriatrics 2020 20:466

    Content type: Research article

    Published on:

  10. Many older people suffer from mobility limitations and reduced health-related quality of life (HRQOL) after discharge from hospital. A consensus regarding the most effective exercise-program to optimize physic...

    Authors: Sylvia Sunde, Karin Hesseberg, Dawn A. Skelton, Anette Hylen Ranhoff, Are Hugo Pripp, Marit Aarønæs and Therese Brovold

    Citation: BMC Geriatrics 2020 20:464

    Content type: Research article

    Published on:

  11. The European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People (EWGSOP2) recommends grip strength and chair stand tests to be used as primary defining measures. It is unclear how either test affects prevalence estim...

    Authors: Jonas Johansson, Bjørn Heine Strand, Bente Morseth, Laila Arnesdatter Hopstock and Sameline Grimsgaard

    Citation: BMC Geriatrics 2020 20:461

    Content type: Research article

    Published on:

  12. Inflammatory indexes (platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio [PLR], neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio [NLR], and lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio [LMR]) are recently supposed to be the biomarkers of sarcopenia. We aimed to val...

    Authors: Tianjiao Tang, Lingling Xie, Lingling Tan, Xiaoyi Hu and Ming Yang

    Citation: BMC Geriatrics 2020 20:457

    Content type: Research article

    Published on:

  13. Social participation is restricted for approximately half the older adult population but is critical in fostering community vitality, promoting health, and preventing disabilities. Although targeted through in...

    Authors: Mélanie Levasseur, Sonia Routhier, Irma Clapperton, Chantal Doré and Frances Gallagher

    Citation: BMC Geriatrics 2020 20:456

    Content type: Research article

    Published on:

  14. McArdle disease is a myopathy caused by mutations in PYGM gene that is characterized by reduced or absent activity of myophosphorylase. Reports of patients with concomitant McArdle disease and diabetes are scarce...

    Authors: Pedro Renato Chocair, Sara Mohrbacher, Precil Diego Miranda de Menezes Neves, Leonardo Victor Barbosa Pereira, Erico Souza Oliveira, Luciana Loureiro Nardotto, Alessandra Martins Bales, Victor Augusto Hamamoto Sato, Sabrina Neves Silva, Bernadete Maria Coelho Ferreira and Américo Lourenço Cuvello-Neto

    Citation: BMC Geriatrics 2020 20:451

    Content type: Case report

    Published on:

  15. Many research studies evaluate physical activity interventions for older people in the community, however relatively few successfully promote maintenance of physical activity beyond the completion of the inter...

    Authors: Pazit Levinger, Maya Panisset, Jeremy Dunn, Terry Haines, Briony Dow, Frances Batchelor, Stuart Biddle, Gustavo Duque and Keith D. Hill

    Citation: BMC Geriatrics 2020 20:446

    Content type: Research article

    Published on:

  16. Recently, colorectal cancer has increased in elderly patients worldwide, with laparoscopic colorectal surgery increasing in elderly patients with colorectal cancer. However, whether laparoscopic colorectal sur...

    Authors: Yoshitake Ueda, Norio Shiraishi, Takahide Kawasaki, Tomonori Akagi, Shigeo Ninomiya, Hidefumi Shiroshita, Tsuyoshi Etoh and Masafumi Inomata

    Citation: BMC Geriatrics 2020 20:445

    Content type: Research article

    Published on:

  17. The Balance Evaluation Systems Test (BESTest) and its abbreviated version, the Mini-BESTest are clinical examination of balance impairment, but its psychometric properties have not yet been tested in European ...

    Authors: Pilar Dominguez-Olivan, Angel Gasch-Gallen, Esmeralda Aguas-Garcia and Ana Bengoetxea

    Citation: BMC Geriatrics 2020 20:444

    Content type: Research article

    Published on:

  18. Focus on frailty status has become increasingly important when determining care plans within and across health care sectors. A standardized frailty measure applicable for both primary and secondary health care...

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

    Citation: BMC Geriatrics 2020 20:443

    Content type: Research article

    Published on:

  19. In nursing home residents, the combination of decreasing mobility and declining cognitive abilities, including spatial orientation, often leads to reduced physical activity (PA) and life-space (LS) mobility. A...

    Authors: Bettina Wollesen, Madeleine Fricke, Carl-Philipp Jansen, Katharina Gordt, Michael Schwenk, Thomas Muehlbauer, Christina Morawietz, Adele Kruse and Klaus Gramann

    Citation: BMC Geriatrics 2020 20:437

    Content type: Study protocol

    Published on:

  20. In some European countries, including France, older patients with functional decline in acute units are transferred to geriatric rehabilitation units. Some patients may not benefit from their stay in a geriatr...

    Authors: Marie Laurent, Nadia Oubaya, Jean-Philippe David, Cynthia Engels, Florence Canoui-Poitrine, Lola Corsin, Eveline Liuu, Etienne Audureau, Sylvie Bastuji-Garin and Elena Paillaud

    Citation: BMC Geriatrics 2020 20:433

    Content type: Research article

    Published on:

  21. Disability, which is considered a health-related condition, increases care demands and socioeconomic burdens for both families and communities. To confirm the trend of dynamic longitudinal changes in disabilit...

    Authors: Hae Reong Kim, Heayon Lee, Yoonje Seong, Eunju Lee, Hee-Won Jung, Yu Rang Park and Il-Young Jang

    Citation: BMC Geriatrics 2020 20:430

    Content type: Research article

    Published on:

  22. Fried’s Phenotype Model of Frailty (PMF) postulates that frailty is a syndrome. Features of a syndrome are a heterogeneous population that can be split into at least two classes, those presenting and those not...

    Authors: François Béland, Dominic Julien, Christina Wolfson, Howard Bergman, Pierrette Gaudreau, Claude Galand, John Fletcher, Maria-Victoria Zunzunegui, Bryna Shatenstein, Marie-Jeanne Kergoat, José A. Morais and Tamàs Fülöp

    Citation: BMC Geriatrics 2020 20:429

    Content type: Research article

    Published on:

  23. Frailty is a geriatric syndrome that diminishes potential functional recovery after any surgical procedure. Preoperative surgical risk assessment is crucial to calibrate the risk and benefit of cardiac surgery...

    Authors: Elisabet Berastegui Garcia, Maria Luisa Camara Rosell, Enrique Moret Ruiz, Irma Casas Garcia, Sara Badia Gamarra, Claudio Fernandez Gallego, Luis Delgado Ramis, Ignasi Julia Almill, Anna Llorens Ferrer, Bernat Romero Ferrer, Antoni Bayes Genis and Christian Muñoz Guijosa

    Citation: BMC Geriatrics 2020 20:426

    Content type: Research article

    Published on:

  24. Based on the Stereotype Embodiment Theory (SET), this study aims to examine the mechanism of ageism on frailty through the proposed framework of “Experiences of Ageism (EA) → Age Stereotypes (AS) → Attitudes t...

    Authors: Bo Ye, Junling Gao, Hua Fu, Hao Chen, Wenjing Dong and Ming Gu

    Citation: BMC Geriatrics 2020 20:422

    Content type: Research article

    Published on:

  25. Apelin, an active endogenous peptide, has been recently receiving great attention as a promising target for antiaging intervention, primarily based on results from genetically altered mice. To validate previou...

    Authors: Il-Young Jang, Seungjoo Lee, Jeoung Hee Kim, Eunju Lee, Jin Young Lee, So Jeong Park, Da Ae Kim, Mark W. Hamrick, Jin Hoon Park and Beom-Jun Kim

    Citation: BMC Geriatrics 2020 20:420

    Content type: Research article

    Published on:

  26. Sarcopenia and dysphagia are prevalent health issues as the elderly population continues to grow. However, whether sarcopenia, defined by either reduced handgrip strength or gait speed, would lead to pathologi...

    Authors: Yen-Chih Chen, Pei-Yun Chen, Yu-Chen Wang, Tyng-Guey Wang and Der-Sheng Han

    Citation: BMC Geriatrics 2020 20:419

    Content type: Research article

    Published on:

  27. Sarcopenia is an age-related clinical syndrome characterized by loss of muscle mass and reduced muscle function. Diseases that contribute to sarcopenia include type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), chronic obstruct...

    Authors: Xueting Li, Fengqiang Xu, Longgang Hu, Hao Fang and Yi An

    Citation: BMC Geriatrics 2020 20:415

    Content type: Correspondence

    Published on:

  28. Physical Activity Monitors (PAMs) have been shown to effectively enhance level of physical activity (PA) in older adults. Motivational interviewing is a person-centred model where participants are guided using...

    Authors: Rasmus Tolstrup Larsen, Christoffer Bruun Korfitsen, Carsten Bogh Juhl, Henning Boje Andersen, Jan Christensen and Henning Langberg

    Citation: BMC Geriatrics 2020 20:412

    Content type: Study protocol

    Published on:

  29. Frailty is now seen as a significant factor in older people with diabetes, whose mortality and disability increased. This study aims to investigate the association between calf circumference (CC) with frailty ...

    Authors: Yun-Xia Zhu, Yue Zhang, Yan-Yan Wang, Chen-Xi Ren, Jun Xu and Xiao-Yan Zhang

    Citation: BMC Geriatrics 2020 20:414

    Content type: Research article

    Published on:

  30. Older patients often experience a decline in physical function and cognitive status after hospitalization. Although interventions involving physical exercise are effective in improving functional performance, ...

    Authors: Miriam Urquiza, Iñaki Echeverria, Ariadna Besga, María Amasene, Idoia Labayen, Ana Rodriguez-Larrad, Julia Barroso, Mikel Aldamiz and Jon Irazusta

    Citation: BMC Geriatrics 2020 20:408

    Content type: Research article

    Published on:

  31. Although early ambulation (EA) is associated with improved outcomes in post-operative patients, implementation of EA in elderly patients is still a challenge. In this study, we aimed to design and assess a pre...

    Authors: Zhaomei Cui, Na Li, Chaonan Gao, Yiou Fan, Xin Zhuang, Jing Liu, Jie Zhang and Qi Tan

    Citation: BMC Geriatrics 2020 20:404

    Content type: Research article

    Published on:

  33. Difficulties in performing the activities of daily living (ADL) are common among middle-aged and older adults. Inability to perform the basic tasks as well as increased healthcare expenditure and dependence on...

    Authors: Sanni Yaya, Dina Idriss-Wheeler, N’doh Ashken Sanogo, Maude Vezina and Ghose Bishwajit

    Citation: BMC Geriatrics 2020 20:402

    Content type: Research article

    Published on:

  34. Previous research has shown that not only falls, but also fear of falling (FoF) influences health-related quality of life (HrQoL) negatively. The EQ-5D (consisting of an index and a visual analogue scale [EQ-V...

    Authors: Sophie Gottschalk, Hans-Helmut König, Michael Schwenk, Carl-Philipp Jansen, Corinna Nerz, Clemens Becker, Jochen Klenk and Judith Dams

    Citation: BMC Geriatrics 2020 20:401

    Content type: Research article

    Published on:

  35. A significant proportion of older women suffer from chronic pain, which can decrease quality of life. The objective of this pilot randomized study was to evaluate the feasibility of a flow-restorative yoga int...

    Authors: Rebecca Seguin-Fowler, Meredith Graham, Judy Ward, Galen Eldridge, Urshila Sriram and Diane Fine

    Citation: BMC Geriatrics 2020 20:400

    Content type: Research article

    Published on:

  36. There is a link between hyperglycemia and mechanical functions of muscle. However, existing evidence of the association between hyperglycemia and weaker muscle strength is limited and inconsistent. We examined...

    Authors: Xue Liang, Chao Qiang Jiang, Wei Sen Zhang, Feng Zhu, Ya Li Jin, Kar Keung Cheng, Tai Hing Lam and Lin Xu

    Citation: BMC Geriatrics 2020 20:399

    Content type: Research article

    Published on:

  37. Exercise has shown being effective for managing chronic pain and preventing frailty status in older adults but the effect of an exercise program in the quality of life of pre-frail older adults with chronic pa...

    Authors: Pedro Otones, Eva García, Teresa Sanz and Azucena Pedraz

    Citation: BMC Geriatrics 2020 20:396

    Content type: Research article

    Published on:

  38. Frail older surgical patients face more than a two-fold increase in postoperative complications, including myocardial infarction, deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolism, pneumonia, ileus, and others. Many of...

    Authors: Laboni Hoque, Ryan Dewolf, David Meyers, Daniel K. White, Kathleen M. Mazor, Mihaela Stefan, Sybil Crawford, Karim Alavi, Jennifer Yates, Mark Maxfield, Feiran Lou, Karl Uy, Matthias Walz and Alok Kapoor

    Citation: BMC Geriatrics 2020 20:394

    Content type: Study protocol

    Published on:

  39. Multimorbidity and polypharmacy are related to the use of potentially inappropriate medicines and negative clinical outcomes including drug-related adverse events and functional declines. Home care clients are...

    Authors: K. Auvinen, A. Voutilainen, J. Jyrkkä, E. Lönnroos and P. Mäntyselkä

    Citation: BMC Geriatrics 2020 20:390

    Content type: Research article

    Published on:

  41. Falls are the most common reason for ambulance callouts resulting in non-conveyance. Even in the absence of injury, only half of those who fall can get themselves up off the floor, often remaining there over a...

    Authors: Dawn R. Swancutt, Suzy V. Hope, Benjamin P. Kent, Maria Robinson and Victoria A. Goodwin

    Citation: BMC Geriatrics 2020 20:385

    Content type: Research article

    Published on:

  42. It’s really important to measure the actual functional physical fitness of elderly independent living persons from different environments to know the level and rate of decrease may inform about the threat of l...

    Authors: Zofia Ignasiak, Anna Sebastjan, Teresa Sławińska, Anna Skrzek, Wojciech Czarny, Paweł Król, Marian Rzepko, Barbara Duda-Biernacka, Anna Marchewka, Katarzyna Filar-Mierzwa, Sylwia Nowacka-Dobosz, Janusz Dobosz and Danuta Umiastowska

    Citation: BMC Geriatrics 2020 20:384

    Content type: Research article

    Published on:

  43. In a hospital setting and among older patients, inactivity and bedrest are associated with a wide range of negative outcomes such as functional decline, increased risk of falls, longer hospitalization and inst...

    Authors: Plamena Tasheva, Vanessa Kraege, Peter Vollenweider, Guillaume Roulet, Marie Méan and Pedro Marques-Vidal

    Citation: BMC Geriatrics 2020 20:382

    Content type: Research article

    Published on:

  44. In the context of worldwide public health, it is very important to promote physical activity among the older people. This study explored the roles and attitudes of senior leaders in promoting group-based exerc...

    Authors: Hiroko Komatsu, Kaori Yagasaki, Yuko Oguma, Yoshinobu Saito and Yasuhiro Komatsu

    Citation: BMC Geriatrics 2020 20:380

    Content type: Research article

    Published on:

  45. Several medications, such as anticholinergics, are considered to affect the swallowing function adversely; however, whether or not anticholinergics or polypharmacy should be avoided to prevent eating dysfuncti...

    Authors: Keiji Takata, Kentaro Oniki, Yuki Tateyama, Hiroki Yasuda, Miu Yokota, Sae Yamauchi, Norio Sugawara, Norio Yasui-Furukori and Junji Saruwatari

    Citation: BMC Geriatrics 2020 20:373

    Content type: Research article

    Published on:

  46. Regaining pre-hospitalization activity levels is only achieved in 30–50% of older patients. Extra physiotherapy time has been proven to improve functional outcome and shorten length of stay, but is costly. Con...

    Authors: Margaretha van Dijk, Jasmien Vreven, Mieke Deschodt, Geert Verheyden, Jos Tournoy and Johan Flamaing

    Citation: BMC Geriatrics 2020 20:362

    Content type: Research article

    Published on:

  47. Dysphagia is a common health care problem and poses significant risks including mortality and hospitalization. China has many unsolved long-term care problems, as it is a developing country with the largest ag...

    Authors: Shen Chen, Yan Cui, Yaping Ding, Changxian Sun, Ying Xing, Rong Zhou and Guohua Liu

    Citation: BMC Geriatrics 2020 20:352

    Content type: Research article

    Published on:

  48. Holistic care models emphasize management of comorbid conditions to improve patient-reported outcomes in treatment of atrial fibrillation (AF). We investigated relations between multimorbidity, physical frailt...

    Authors: Hawa O. Abu, Jane Saczynski, Jordy Mehawej, Tenes Paul, Hamza Awad, Benita A. Bamgbade, Isabelle C. Pierre-Louis, Mayra Tisminetzky, Catarina I. Kiefe, Robert J. Goldberg and David D. McManus

    Citation: BMC Geriatrics 2020 20:343

    Content type: Research article

    Published on:

  49. Antibiotic overprescribing for suspected urinary tract infection (UTI) in nursing homes (NHs) is common. Typical clinical scenarios in which antibiotics are inappropriately prescribed include response to nonsp...

    Authors: Jeanine J. S. Rutten, Laura W. van Buul, Martin Smalbrugge, Suzanne E. Geerlings, Debby L. Gerritsen, Stephanie Natsch, Philip D. Sloane, Ruth B. Veenhuizen, Johannes C. van der Wouden and Cees M. P. M. Hertogh

    Citation: BMC Geriatrics 2020 20:341

    Content type: Study protocol

    Published on:

  50. Age alone is not a robust predictor of mortality in critically ill elderly patients. Chronic health status and functional status before admission could be better predictors. This study aimed to determine wheth...

    Authors: A. D’Andrea, D. Le Peillet, T. Fassier, V. Prendki, V. Trombert, J-L Reny and X. Roux

    Citation: BMC Geriatrics 2020 20:334

    Content type: Research article

    Published on:

Submit manuscript

2019 Journal Metrics

Follow

BMC Geriatrics

ISSN: 1471-2318

Contact us