Background: The amounts of moderate-to-vigorous-intensity physical activity (MVPA), light-intensity physical activity (LPA), and sedentary time (ST) by sex, age, and body mass index (BMI) in older Japanese adults have not been known. We conducted this study to determine the actual physical activity (PA) and ST in this population. Subjects and Methods: A total of 3998 community-dwelling Japanese adults aged ≥65 years were investigated. Their levels of PA and ST and number of steps taken daily were assessed for seven consecutive days by a tri-axial accelerometer. Normative values of daily PA and ST were analyzed by age and BMI groups in the men and the women and are presented as mean, median, or decile. Results: The subjects generally adhered to the PA guideline, i.e., ≥10 metabolic equivalents (METs)·hour MVPA per week. Older age was associated with lower adherence to the PA guideline. Conclusions: Normative values (mean, median, or decile) were yielded for MVPA, LPA, and ST based on accelerometer readings in a large sample of older community-dwelling Japanese adults. One-half of the subjects’ waking time was spent being sedentary, and >70% of the subjects met the current PA guideline by engaging in MVPA.

Objectives We investigated the relationship between the number of chronic pain sites and the prevalence and severity of neuropathic-like symptoms in community-dwelling older Japanese adults with chronic pain. Design Cross-sectional study. Setting The data analysed are from a study conducted in the city of Itoshima, Japan in 2017. Participants The study population was 988 participants (age 65–75 years) not in need of long-term care who completed questionnaires assessing sociodemographic factors, psychological factors and chronic pain. Primary outcome measures The primary outcome was the participants’ neuropathic-like symptoms evaluated by the PainDETECT Questionnaire (PD-Q). We classified the participants into mild and moderate-to-severe pain groups according to the pain intensity on the PD-Q. The number of chronic pain sites was categorised into groups with 1, 2–3 and ≥4 sites. Results The age-adjusted and sex-adjusted prevalence of neuropathic-like symptoms was significantly higher among the participants with 2–3 or ≥4 sites compared with the single-site group. In the binomial logistic regression analyses, the multivariable-adjusted ORs and 95% CIs for neuropathic-like symptoms among the participants with 2–3 and ≥4 sites were 1.94 (1.13 to 3.33) and 3.90 (2.22 to 6.85), respectively compared with the participants with single-site pain. The ORs for moderate-to-severe neuropathic-like symptoms increased significantly with the increase in the number of chronic pain sites. Conclusions The number of chronic pain sites was positively associated with the presence and severity of neuropathic-like symptoms in community-dwelling older Japanese adults with chronic pain.

Objective: The relationships between physical activity (PA) and physical function (PF) among older Japanese adults have been examined before, with some studies reporting that moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) is positively associated with PF. However, it is unclear whether the observed associations differ between men and women. In this study, we investigated the associations of objectively measured MVPA, light physical activity (LPA), and sedentary time (ST) with different PF levels in older Japanese men and women. Subjects and Methods: A total of 810 community-dwelling subjects aged 65–75 years were investigated (52.1% women, 47.9% men). The PF variables included grip strength, one-leg standing, usual and maximum walking speeds, and chair-standing time. PA (MVPA, LPA, and ST) and the number of steps taken daily were assessed for seven consecutive days by a tri-axial accelerometer. We determined the sex-specific quartiles of MVPA, LPA, and ST and analyzed their associations with physical function in separate models for each exposure measure. Results: In the crude analysis, MVPA was significantly associated with all PF variables in the men, and with the usual walking speed, max. walking speed, and chair-standing time in the women. Neither LPA nor ST was significantly associated with any PF variables. After adjusting potential confounding factors, significant associations between MVPA and usual walking speed remained in the men and women. Conclusions: Only greater moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) was significantly associated with higher levels of PF variables in both men and women. Thus, time spent in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) can help older adults maintain or improve their physical function.

Purpose: Chronic pain may accelerate the development of frailty in older adults through a variety of mechanisms. There are no published investigations of the influence of neuropathic-like symptoms on physical frailty. We investigated the association between chronic pain types (nociceptive and neuropathic-like symptoms) and frailty in community-dwelling Japanese older adults. Participants and Methods: This was a population-based cross-sectional study conducted in 2017 in the city of Itoshima, Japan of 917 participants aged 65– 75 years, not in need of long-term care, who had completed the physical function tests and questionnaires administered at measurement sessions held at community centers at three sites over a 1- to 2-month period. Their chronic pain types were classified as no-chronic pain, nociceptive pain, and neuropathic-like symptoms according to their painDETECT scores. Frailty phenotypes were defined by the following five components: unintentional weight loss, low grip strength, exhaustion, slow gait speed, and low physical activity. A logistic regression model was used to compute the odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence interval (CIs) for frailty status outcomes. Results: The prevalence of pre-frailty was 51.9%, and that of frailty was 5.1%. In multinomial logistic regression analyses, compared to the no-chronic pain group, the OR for the presence of pre-frailty among the participants with nociceptive pain was 1.54 (95% CI: 1.04– 2.30, p=0.03), and the OR for the presence of frailty among the participants with neuropathic-like symptoms was 4.37 (95% CI: 1.10– 17.37, p=0.04). The neuropathic sensory symptoms of burning, tingling/prickling, and numbness were each associated with frailty, but not with the risk of pre-frailty. Conclusion: Neuropathic-like symptoms were significantly associated with the presence of frailty in community-dwelling Japanese older adults. Chronic pain types might have different effects on frailty status.

Background: The association of the individual and combined effects of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and sleep quality with physical frailty in community-dwelling older adults is still unknown. Subjects and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted with a sample of older adults who had not required nursing care or support services. Physical frailty was assessed using Liu’s definition based on Fried’s concept. MVPA was measured by a triaxial accelerometer, and individuals who met either moderate physical activity (MPA) for ≥300 min/week, vigorous physical activity (VPA) for ≥150 min/week, or both were defined as “MVA⁺”. “SLP⁺” was defined as a Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index score of <5.5 points. Results: A total of 811 participants were included in the final analysis. After adjusting for the multivariable confounding factors, the odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for physical pre-frailty and frailty in the MVA⁻SLP⁺ (OR, 2.56; 95%CI, 1.80–3.62) and the MVA⁻SLP⁻ group (OR, 3.97; 95%CI, 2.33–6.74) were significantly higher compared with the MVA⁺SLP⁺ group. Conclusion: Community-dwelling older adults who did not meet the MVPA criteria, regardless of sleep quality, had a higher prevalence of physical frailty.