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Objective: To analyze the factors associated with low functional mobility in older adults residing in Alcobaça, BA. Methods: This is an epidemiological survey with a cross‐sectional design, conducted in 2015 with 473 older adults (62.4% women; mean age 70.2 ± 8.2 years) from Alcobaça, BA. The interview script addressed sociodemographic characteristics, health, and behavioral aspects. Functional mobility was assessed using the Short Physical Performance Battery (≤6 points). Inferential analyses were conducted using the Mann–Whitney U test and Poisson regression (with robust variance and estimation of prevalence ratios and their respective 95.0% confidence intervals). Results: The prevalence of low functional mobility was 9.6%, with associated factors including the use of alcoholic beverages (PR = 1.7, 95% CI: 1.01–1.13) and the number of repetitions in elbow flexion (PR = 1.01, 95% CI: 1.01–1.05). Additionally, older adults with low mobility had lower height, thigh circumference, and lower performance in handgrip strength tests, elbow flexion, and flexibility. They also spent more time in sedentary behavior and less time in physical activity compared to older adults with preserved mobility (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Older adults with low mobility exhibit poorer values in anthropometric parameters, lower performance in motor tests, spend less time engaged in physical activities, and more time in sedentary behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Prolonged joint immobilization causes muscle hypotrophy and joint stiffness, which worsen as the immobilization time increases. Muscle remobilization is essential to restore muscle mass and activity as soon as possible. There are various treatments for muscle remobilization, but therapeutic ultrasound has proved to be a promising technique, with thermal and athermic actions, generating possibilities for increasing tissue extensibility and cell metabolism, helping with the anabolic effects of static stretching. Objective. To evaluate the histopathological changes in the tibialis anterior muscle of Wistar rats after remobilization using therapeutic ultrasound, using the histopathological index. Methods. 21 male Wistar rats were used, divided into 3 groups (n = 7): immobilization group, immobilization and free remobilization group, immobilization and remobilization with ultrasound group. Immobilization was carried out with the knee flexed at 120° and total ankle plantiflexion for three weeks. Ultrasound was used at a frequency of 1.0 MHz with an intensity of 0.5 w/cm², lasting 2 minutes on the knee and a further 2 minutes on the ankle. Analyses were carried out using the histopathological index to measure the level of alterations and lesions in the muscle tissue, classifying them as severe, moderate or mild. Conclusions. It was concluded that the anabolic stimulus of ultrasound was favorable to the trophic recovery of muscle tissue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]