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Background: Lung cancer resection is associated with high rates of prolonged hospital stay. It is presumed that preconditioning with aerobic exercise can shorten the postoperative duration of hospital stay, but this has not yet been demonstrated in trials after lung cancer surgery. The aim of this study was to perform a RCT to determine whether Move For Surgery (MFS), a home-based and wearable technology-enhanced preconditioning program before lung cancer surgery, is associated with a lower incidence of prolonged hospital stay when compared to usual preoperative care. Methods: Patients undergoing lung resection for early-stage non-small cell lung cancer were enrolled before surgery into this blinded, single-site RCT, and randomized to either the MFS or control group in a 1 : 1 ratio. Patients in the MFS group were given a wearable activity tracker, and education about deep breathing exercises, nutrition, sleep hygiene, and smoking cessation. Participants were motivated/encouraged to reach incrementally increasing fitness goals remotely. Patients in the control group received usual preoperative care. The primary outcome was the difference in proportion of patients with hospital stay lasting more than 5 days between the MFS and control groups. Results: Of 117 patients screened, 102 (87.2 per cent) were eligible, enrolled, and randomized (51 per trial arm). The majority (95 of 102, 93.1 per cent) completed the trial. Mean(s.d.) age was 67.2(8.8) years and there were 55 women (58 per cent). Type of surgery and rates of thoracotomy were not different between arms. The proportion of patients with duration of hospital stay over 5 days was 3 of 45 (7 per cent) in the MFS arm compared to 12 of 50 (24 per cent) in the control arm (P = 0.021). Conclusion: MFS, a home-based and wearable technology-enhanced preconditioning program before lung cancer surgery, decreased the proportion of patients with a prolonged hospital stay. Registration number: NCT03689634 (http://www.clinicaltrials.gov). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mobility is often referred to as a 'sixth vital sign' because of its ability to predict critical health outcomes in later adulthood. In the World Health Organization (WHO) World Report on Aging and Health, mobility is described as movement in all its forms whether powered by the body or a vehicle. As such, mobility encompasses basic physical actions such as getting up from a chair and walking, as well as activities such as exercising, driving and using public transportation. A plethora of measurement tools have been developed to assess various aspects of mobility; however, there is wide variability in the mobility constructs being measured which limits standardisation and meaningful comparison across studies. In this paper, we propose a comprehensive framework for measuring mobility that considers three distinct facets of mobility: perceived mobility ability ('what can you do'), actual mobility ability ('what you actually do') and locomotor capacity for mobility ('what could you do'). These three facets of mobility are rooted in the three components of healthy aging endorsed by the WHO: functional ability, intrinsic capacity and environments. By proposing a unified framework for measuring mobility based on theory and empirical evidence, we can advance the science of monitoring and managing mobility to ensure functional ability in older age. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Preserving and enhancing mobility is an important part of healthy ageing. Life-space mobility is a construct that captures actual mobility within the home and the community. The objective of this systematic review was to synthesise the measurement properties and interpretability of scores produced by life-space mobility measures in community-dwelling older adults. Methods This systematic review followed Consensus-based Standards for the selection of health Measurement Instruments (COSMIN). Multiple databases were searched to identify potentially relevant articles. Data extraction and assessment of methodological quality was conducted by two independent reviewers. When possible, results were quantitatively pooled for each measurement property. If studies could not be combined quantitatively, then findings were summarised qualitatively using means and percentage of confirmed hypothesis. Synthesised results were assessed against the COSMIN criteria for good measurement properties. Results A total of 21 full text articles were included in the review. The University of Alabama at Birmingham Study of Aging Life-Space Assessment (LSA) was the most evaluated life-space mobility measure. The LSA demonstrated content validity, internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha 0.80–0.92), reliability [intra-class correlation value 0.89 (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.80, 0.94)] and convergent validity with measures of physical function in community-dwelling older adults. Conclusion This systematic review summarised the measurement properties of life-space mobility measures in community-dwelling older adults following COSMIN guidelines. The LSA has been translated into multiple languages and has sufficient measurement properties for assessing life-space mobility among community-dwelling older adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Previous sarcopenia definitions have poor discriminatory accuracy for identifying people with/without relevant health outcomes, and poor agreement between methods of operationalizing sarcopenia criterion. The 2020 Sarcopenia Definitions and Outcomes Consortium (SDOC) definition recommends grip strength (absolute, or standardized to body mass index, total body fat, lean arm mass, or weight), and gait speed. The agreement between methods of operationalizing grip strength and discriminatory accuracy of the SDOC definition for health outcomes such as activities of daily living (ADL) disability is unknown. Methods Cross-sectional analyses of 27 924 Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging participants aged 45–85 at baseline (2012–2015) stratified by sex. The associations of the SDOC definitions with ADL disability were assessed using logistic regression. Area under the curve (AUC) analyses were conducted to assess discriminatory accuracy. Agreement between methods of operationalizing grip strength was measured using Cohen's kappa. Results Sarcopenia was associated with 1.60 (1.42–1.80) to 5.80 (4.89–6.88) greater odds of ADL disability with AUC values between 0.60 and 0.81. Agreement between methods of operationalizing grip strength was between 0.10–0.80 for grip strength alone and 0.45–0.91 when combined with gait speed. Conclusions The SDOC-suggested criteria of grip strength and gait speed are significantly associated with ADL disability and have high discriminatory accuracy. However, the agreement between methods of operationalizing grip strength tended to be modest, and AUC, sensitivity, and specificity differed depending on the definition. We suggest a single measure of grip strength be considered and age-stratified cutoff values to improve AUC values. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective Participation in life situations is a critical aspect of health recognized by the World Health Organization. Guidelines to prevent spreading of COVID-19 place older adults at risk of worsening participation. The purpose of this study was to identify the factors associated with participation during the COVID-19 pandemic among community-dwelling older adults living in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. Methods Participants were recruited from identified census dissemination areas in Hamilton. Participants completed surveys either by phone or online during the months of May to August 2020. Measures were organized into factors related to body functions and structures, activities, participation, as well as personal and environmental contextual factors using the International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health (ICF) framework. Multivariable regression analysis was conducted to identify factors associated with participation as measured by the Late-Life Disability Instrument's (LLDI) frequency and limitations scales. Results A total of 272 older adults completed the survey (78 [7.3] years; 70% female). Use of a walking aid, driving status, perceived mental health status, nutrition risk, and physical function explained 48.2% of the variance observed in the LLDI-frequency scale scores. Use of a walking aid, driving status, perceived mental health status, receiving health assistance, and physical function explained 38.5% of the variance observed in the LLDI-limitation scale scores. Conclusion Results highlighted factors across multiple ICF domains that are associated with participation restriction among a sample of community-dwelling older adults during the pandemic. Participation during the pandemic was greatest in those that were able to walk without needing to use a walking aid, being a licensed and current driver, perceiving good to excellent mental health, and having greater physical function. Impact Our findings contribute to the literature on older adult participation during lockdowns, restrictions, pandemics, and/or other similar circumstances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objectives The World Health Organization's International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) recognizes participation in life situations as a major component of health. Identifying interventions that target this component is critical, particularly in older adulthood, where declines in physical functioning can impact participation. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of lifestyle or behavior change interventions on the ICF participation domain in older adults. Research Design and Methods MEDLINE (Ovid), Embase (Ovid), CINAHL (EBSCO), AgeLine (EBSCO), PsycINFO (Ovid), and AMED (Ovid) were searched from inception to April 2020 for randomized controlled trials comparing the effects of any behavior change or lifestyle intervention to usual care among community-dwelling adults ≥60 years with respect to participation-related domains of the ICF. The protocol was registered with Prospero (CRD42019125334). Results Eight studies with a total of 1,548 participants were included. No significant effect on participation outcomes was found (standardized mean difference 0.04; 95% CI −0.19 to 0.26; p =.76) and the quality of evidence was judged to be very low. Discussion and Implications Lifestyle or behavior change interventions showed limited effect on participation in later life. However, there remains much uncertainty in the estimate of this effect due, in part, to the low quality of the included studies. Measurement tools that are responsive to changes in participation in older adulthood should be used to determine the effect of such interventions. Improving study design will lead to more efficacious interventions that promote participation for our aging population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Guidelines for fall prevention in older adults recommend mobility screening for fall risk assessment; however, there is no consensus on which test to use and at what cutoff. This study aimed to determine the accuracy and optimal cut-off values of commonly used mobility tests for predicting falls in the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging (CLSA). Methods Mobility tests at baseline included the Timed Up and Go (TUG), Single Leg Stance (SLS), chair-rise and gait speed. Inclusion criteria were: age ≥ 65 years and meeting first-level fall screening criteria (i.e. history of a fall or mobility problem) at baseline. Accuracy of fall prediction at 18-months for each test was measured by the area under the receiver operating curve (AUC). Results Of 1,121 participants that met inclusion criteria (mean age 75.2 ± 5.9 years; 66.6% women), 218 (19.4%) reported ≥one fall at 18 months. None of the tests achieved acceptable accuracy for identifying individuals with ≥one fall at follow-up. Among women 65–74 and 75–85 years, the TUG identified recurrent fallers (≥two falls) with optimal cut-off scores of 14.1 and 12.9 s (both AUCs 0.70), respectively. Among men 65–74 years, only the SLS showed acceptable accuracy (AUC 0.85) for identifying recurrent fallers with an optimal cutoff of 3.6 s. Conclusions Our findings indicate that commonly used mobility tests do not have sufficient discriminability to identify fallers in a population-based sample of community-dwelling older adults. The TUG and SLS can identify recurrent fallers; however, their accuracy and cut-off values vary by age and sex. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The aim of this study was to determine the relative and absolute reliabilities of 5 key performance-based measures of physical function in the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging (CLSA).Methods: An age-stratified subsample of 147 participants from the CLSA who were undergoing their 3-year data collection visit participated in 2 repeat visits (within 1 week). Participants underwent tests of grip strength, 4-m gait speed, Timed Up and Go (TUG), chair rise, and single-leg stance (left, right, mean, maximum). Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs), standard error of measurement, and minimal detectable change (MDC) values were calculated.Results: The relative reliability for grip strength was excellent (ICC = 0.95); the TUG and single-leg stance tests had good reliability (ICC = 0.80 or 0.78-0.82, respectively); gait speed and the chair-rise test had moderate reliability (ICC = 0.64 for both) for participants overall. For participants between 50 and 64 years, TUG and gait speed had poor reliabilities (ICC = 0.38 or 0.33, respectively). For participants aged 75 years and older, the single-leg stance had poor reliability (ICC = 0.30-0.39). The MDC90 was about 6 kg for grip strength, 2.3 seconds for TUG, 0.2 m/second for gait speed, 5.2 seconds for chair rise, and ranged from 22.8 to 26.2 seconds for the single-leg stance.Conclusions: Among community-dwelling Canadians older than 50 years, the reliabilities of the CLSA measures were moderate to excellent. The TUG and gait speed in the youngest age group, and the single-leg stance in the oldest age group, showed poor reliability. MDC values can be used to interpret changes over time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Physical function limitations precede disability and are a target to prevent or delay disability in aging adults. The objective of this article was to assess the relationship between self-report and performance-based measures of physical function with disability.Methods: Baseline data (2012-2015) from the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging (n = 51,338) was used. Disability was defined as having a limitation for at least one of 14 activities of daily living. Physical function was measured using 14 questions across three domains (upper body, lower body, and dexterity) and five performance-based tests (gait speed, timed up and go, single leg stance, chair rise, and grip strength). Logistic regression was used to assess the relationship between physical function operationalized as (i) at least one limitation, (ii) presence or absence of limitations in each individual domain/test, and (iii) number of domains/tests with limitations, with disability.Results: In the 21,241 participants with self-reported function data, the odds of disability were 1.87 (95% CI: 1.56-2.24), 6.78 (5.68-8.08), and 14.43 (11.50-18.1) for one, two, and three limited domains, respectively. In the 30,097 participants with performance-based measures of function, the odds of disability ranged from 1.53 (1.33-1.76) for one test limited to 14.91 (11.56-19.26) for all five tests limited.Conclusions: Both performance-based and self-report measures of physical function were associated with disability. Each domain and performance test remained associated with disability after adjustment for the other domains and tests. Disability risk was higher when the number of self-report domains and performance-based limitations increased. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The Late-Life Function and Disability Instrument (LLFDI) is a well-validated and frequently used patient-reported outcome for older adults. The aim of this study was to estimate the minimal clinically important difference (MCID) of the LLFDI-Function Component (LLFDI-FC) and its subscales among community-dwelling older adults with mobility limitations.Methods: We performed a secondary analysis of the Boston Rehabilitative Impairment Study of the Elderly, a longitudinal cohort study of older adults with mobility limitations residing in the community. The MCID for each LLFDI-FC scale over 1 year of follow-up was estimated using both anchor- and distribution-based methods, including mean change scores on a patient-reported global rating of change in function scale, the standard error of measurement (SEM), and the minimal detectable change with 90% confidence (MDC90).Results: Data from 320 older adults were used in the analysis (mean age 76 years, 69% female, mean of four chronic conditions). Meaningful change estimates for "small change" based on the global rating of change and SEM were 2, 3, 4, and 4 points for the LLFDI-FC overall function scale and basic lower-extremity, advanced lower-extremity, and upper-extremity subscales, respectively. Estimates for "substantial change" based on the global rating of change and minimal detectable change with 90% confidence were 5, 6, 9, and 10 points for the overall function scale and basic lower-extremity, advanced lower-extremity, and upper-extremity subscales, respectively.Conclusion: This study provides the first MCID estimates for the LLFDI-FC, a widely used patient-reported measure of function. These values can be used to interpret the outcomes of longitudinal investigations of functional status in similar populations of community-dwelling older adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. The World Health Organization recognizes participation in meaningful life roles as a key component of health. However, the evidence base for interventions to improve participation remains inconclusive. In particular, whether exercise interventions improve participation in life roles is unclear. Purpose. The aim of this review was to evaluate the effect of physical exercise interventions on participation in life roles in older adults residing in the community. Data sources. The PubMed, Embase, CINAHL, Cochrane, and PEDro databases were searched from inception through March 2015. Study selection. Randomized controlled trials comparing the effects of an exercise intervention to usual care on participation in life roles in adults who were 60 years of age or older were included in this review. Data extraction. Teams of 2 investigators independently extracted data on participation. Methodological quality was appraised using the Cochrane tool for assessing the risk of bias. The protocol was registered with Prospero (CRD42014014880). Data synthesis. Eighteen randomized controlled trials with a total of 2,315 participants met the inclusion criteria. Standardized mean differences (SMDs) with 95% CIs were calculated using a random-effects model. A meta-analysis of 16 studies showed no overall effect of the exercise interventions on participation (SMD = 0.03; 95% CI = -0.10 to 0.16). Subgroup analysis showed that exercise interventions lasting 12 months or more had a small positive effect on participation (SMD = 0.15; 95% CI = 0.02 to 0.28). Limitations. Limitations included variability in definitions and measures of participation. Conclusions. In general, exercise interventions do not improve participation in life roles in older adults. The results do not support the implicit assumption that exercise-based interventions associated with improved function/activity also result in improved participation. Investigation of complex interventions that go beyond exercise to address participation in life roles for older adults is warranted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The physical impairments that affect participation in life roles among older adults have not been identified. Using the International Classification of Functioning Disability and Health as a conceptual framework, we aimed to determine the leg and trunk impairments that predict participation over 2 years, both directly and indirectly through mediation by changes in activities.Methods: We analyzed 2 years of data from the Boston Rehabilitative Impairment Study of the Elderly, a cohort study of 430 primary care patients with self-reported mobility limitation (mean age 77 years; 68% female; average of four chronic conditions). Frequency of and limitations in participation were examined using the Late-Life Disability Instrument. Baseline physical impairments included: leg strength, leg speed of movement, knee range of motion (ROM), ankle ROM, leg strength asymmetry, kyphosis, and trunk extensor endurance. Structural equation modeling with latent growth curve analysis was used to identify the impairments that predicted participation at year 2, mediated by changes in activities. Models were adjusted for baseline participation, age, and gender.Results: Leg speed and ankle ROM directly influenced participation in life roles during follow-up (βdirect = 1.39-4.53 and 4.70, respectively). Additionally, ankle ROM and trunk extensor endurance contributed indirectly to participation score at follow-up via effects on changes in activities (βindirect = -1.06 to -4.24 and 1.01 to 4.18, respectively).Conclusions: Leg speed, ankle ROM, and trunk extensor endurance are key physical impairments predicting participation in life roles in older adults. These results have implications for the development of exercise interventions to enhance participation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Patient-reported and performance-based measures (PBMs) are commonly used to measure physical function in studies of older adults. Selection of appropriate measures to address specific research questions is complex and requires knowledge of relevant psychometric properties.The aim of this study was to examine the predictive validity for adverse outcomes and responsiveness of a widely used patient-reported measure, the Late-Life Function and Disability Instrument (LLFDI), compared with PBMs. Methods. We analyzed 2 years of follow-up data from Boston RISE, a cohort study of 430 primary care patients aged >65 years. Logistic and linear regression models were used to examine predictive validity for adverse outcomes and effect size and minimal detectable change scores were computed to examine responsiveness. Performance-based functional measures included the Short Physical Performance Battery, 400-m walk, gait speed, and stair-climb power test. Results. The LLFDI and PBMs showed high predictive validity for poor self-rated health, hospitalizations, and disability.The LLFDI function scale was the only measure that predicted falls. Absolute effect size estimates ranged from 0.54 to 0.64 for the LLFDI and from 0.34 to 0.63 for the PBMs. From baseline to 2 years, the percentage of participants with a change > minimal detectable change was greatest for the LLFDI scales (46-59%) followed by the Short Physical Performance Battery (44%), gait speed (35%), 400-m walk (17%), and stair-climb power test (9%). Conclusions. The patient-reported LLFDI showed comparable psychometric properties to PBMs. Our findings support the use of the LLFDI as a primary outcome in gerontological research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. The prevalence of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and mobility limitations is high among older adults. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between MCI status and both performance-based and self-report measures of mobility in community-dwelling older adults. Methods. An analysis was conducted on baseline data from the Boston Rehabilitative Impairment Study in the Elderly study, a cohort study of 430 primary care patients aged 65 or older. Neuropsychological tests identified participants with MCI and further subclassified those with impairment in memory domains (aMCI), nonmemory domains (naMCI), and multiple domains (mdMCI). Linear regression models were used to assess the association between MCI status and mobility performance in the Habitual Gait Speed, Figure of 8 Walk, Short Physical Performance Battery, and self-reported Late Life Function and Disability Instrument’s Basic Lower Extremity and Advanced Lower Extremity function scales. Results. Participants had a mean age of 76.6 years, and 42% were characterized with MCI. Participants with MCI performed significantly worse than participants without MCI (No-MCI) on all performance and self-report measures (p < .01). All MCI subtypes performed significantly worse than No-MCI on all mobility measures (p < .05) except for aMCI versus No-MCI on the Figure of 8 Walk (p = .054) and Basic Lower Extremity (p = .11). Moreover, compared with aMCI, mdMCI manifested worse performance on the Figure of 8 Walk and Short Physical Performance Battery, and naMCI manifested worse performance on Short Physical Performance Battery and Basic Lower Extremity. Conclusions. Among older community-dwelling primary care patients, performance on a broad range of mobility measures was worse among those with MCI, appearing poorest among those with nonmemory MCI. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Background. Balance is a composite ability requiring the integration of multiple systems. The Balance Evaluation Systems Test (BESTest) and 2 abbreviated versions (the Mini-BESTest and the Brief-BESTest) are balance assessment tools that target these systems. To date, no normative data exist for any version of the BESTest. Objective. The purpose of this study was to determine the age-related normative scores on the BESTest, Mini-BESTest, and Brief-BESTest for Canadians who are healthy and 50 to 89 years of age. Design. A cross-sectional study design was used. Methods. Seventy-nine adults who were healthy and aged 50 to 89 years (mean age=68.9 years; 50.6% women) participated. Normative scores were reported by age decade. Results. Mean BESTest scores were 95.7 (95% confidence interval [CI] =94.4- 97.1) for adults who were aged 50 to 59 years, 91.4 (95% CI=89.8-93-0) for those who were aged 60 to 69 years, 85.4 (95% CI=82.5-88.2) for those who were aged 70 to 79 years, and 79.4 (95% CI=74.3-84.5) for those who were aged 80 to 89 years. Similar results were obtained for the Mini-BESTest and the Brief-BESTest, and all 3 tests showed statistically significant differences in scores among the age cohorts. Limitations. Because only adults who were 50 to 89 years of age were tested, there are still no normative data for people outside this age range. Also, the scores presented may not be generalizable to all countries. Conclusions. These normative data enhance the clinical utility of the BESTest, Mini-BESTest, and Brief-BESTest by providing clinicians with reference points to guide treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The author discusses a report on the development and validation of a balance screening test for younger older adults aged 60 to 70 years of age. Topics mentioned include the use of the term "preclinical mobility limitation" in aging research, the probability of developing incident mobility difficulty over 18 months in women with preclinical mobility limitation in the Women's Health and Aging Study II, and identification of preclinical mobility limitation in middle-aged and older adults.