[OES-1-3] Physical activity ratio using Occupation based Physical Activity Questionnaire (OPAQ)
Background
The prevention of frailty in the elderly is an important issue. The Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW) recommends that the elderly engage in physical activity (activities of daily living and exercise) to prevent frailty. However, MHLW does not mention the type of physical activity, but only recommends higher-intensity activities. However, preventing frailty is not only about exercise, but also about the need to customize the type of activity according to the individual's physical and mental characteristics and condition. The purpose of this study was to examine the activity types and ratios that are effective in preventing frailty.
Methods
The subjects were elderly people living in the community who attended a salon in Akashi City. This study was conducted after obtaining the approval of the Ethical Review Committee of Akashi University, and after obtaining explanations and consent from the subjects. The survey was conducted with the cooperation of the Akashi City Welfare Department. The survey was conducted using two questionnaires: basic checklist and Occupation based Physical Activity Questionnaire (OPAQ).
The basic checklist used 20 items, and those with five or more applicable items were defined as frailty; the OPAQ is an assessment chart we developed to extract the amount of occupation based physical activity with reference to the " occupation" category in Domain and Process.
Cluster analysis was performed based on the amount and content of physical activity calculated from the OPAQ, and the χ² test and residual analysis were used to confirm the relationship between the groups in terms of the frailty rate for each extracted group. The significance level was set at 5%.
Result
The analysis included 499 subjects (430 women, mean age 79.3±6.1 years). They were classified into 5 groups by cluster analysis. Each group was named based on the main activity characteristics of the cluster, and the frailty rate in each group was confirmed. The IADL group had the highest percentage of frailty at 51%, followed by the gymnastics group at 49%, the social participation group at 40%, the productive activity group at 37%, and the walking and cycling group at 35%. The residual analysis showed that the frailty rate was significantly higher in the "IADL group" than in the other groups, and significantly lower in the "walking and bicycling group" than in the other groups (P<0.05).
Discussion
The results of this study showed that the frailty rate was lower when the main activity item involved going outside. This suggests the importance of selecting activities that not only increase the amount of physical activity, but also expand the scope of one's life. In addition, it is thought that the OPAQ cluster analysis method could be used to select recommended activities from the perspective of activity ratios and provide highly individualized feedback when providing lifestyle guidance to the elderly in the community.
The prevention of frailty in the elderly is an important issue. The Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW) recommends that the elderly engage in physical activity (activities of daily living and exercise) to prevent frailty. However, MHLW does not mention the type of physical activity, but only recommends higher-intensity activities. However, preventing frailty is not only about exercise, but also about the need to customize the type of activity according to the individual's physical and mental characteristics and condition. The purpose of this study was to examine the activity types and ratios that are effective in preventing frailty.
Methods
The subjects were elderly people living in the community who attended a salon in Akashi City. This study was conducted after obtaining the approval of the Ethical Review Committee of Akashi University, and after obtaining explanations and consent from the subjects. The survey was conducted with the cooperation of the Akashi City Welfare Department. The survey was conducted using two questionnaires: basic checklist and Occupation based Physical Activity Questionnaire (OPAQ).
The basic checklist used 20 items, and those with five or more applicable items were defined as frailty; the OPAQ is an assessment chart we developed to extract the amount of occupation based physical activity with reference to the " occupation" category in Domain and Process.
Cluster analysis was performed based on the amount and content of physical activity calculated from the OPAQ, and the χ² test and residual analysis were used to confirm the relationship between the groups in terms of the frailty rate for each extracted group. The significance level was set at 5%.
Result
The analysis included 499 subjects (430 women, mean age 79.3±6.1 years). They were classified into 5 groups by cluster analysis. Each group was named based on the main activity characteristics of the cluster, and the frailty rate in each group was confirmed. The IADL group had the highest percentage of frailty at 51%, followed by the gymnastics group at 49%, the social participation group at 40%, the productive activity group at 37%, and the walking and cycling group at 35%. The residual analysis showed that the frailty rate was significantly higher in the "IADL group" than in the other groups, and significantly lower in the "walking and bicycling group" than in the other groups (P<0.05).
Discussion
The results of this study showed that the frailty rate was lower when the main activity item involved going outside. This suggests the importance of selecting activities that not only increase the amount of physical activity, but also expand the scope of one's life. In addition, it is thought that the OPAQ cluster analysis method could be used to select recommended activities from the perspective of activity ratios and provide highly individualized feedback when providing lifestyle guidance to the elderly in the community.