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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]

Background: There are several markers for the suspicion, identification, and confirmation of sarcopenia. Objectives: To analyse the importance of several markers for assessing sarcopenia by classifying phenotypes based on five domains: symptomatology, muscle function, muscle mass, physical performance, and physical function. Methods: A cross-sectional study analysing 312 older adults (72.6±7.8 yrs) was conducted in Novo Aripuanã, Amazonas, Brazil. Symptoms of sarcopenia were determined with the SARC-Calf; muscle function was assessed using the 30-Chair Stand test (CST), 30-CST power, and handgrip strength (HGS) with and without normalisation for body mass/height; the skeletal muscle mass index (SMMI) was estimated from anthropometry; physical performance was determined through the 4-m gait speed (GS) and 6-min walking test (6MWT); and physical function was determined with the Composite Physical Function Scale (CPF). Results: Cluster analysis revealed two phenotypes (at risk vs not at risk for sarcopenia) and the contribution of each marker (ranged from 0 to 1). In men, the contribution of each marker was: 1 for SARC-Calf, 0.18 for SMMI, 0.09 for 30-CST power and 0.06 for HGS; in women: 1 for SARC-Calf, 0.25 for 30-CST power, 0.22 for SMMI, 0.06 for GS, 0.04 for HGS, and 0.03 for CPF. Considering the cutoff values proposed by Rikli and Jones (2013) for physical function and Cruz-Jentoft et al. (2019) for the other domains, the risk profile for sarcopenia was characterized by: high SARC-Calf in both sexes (men:51.8 vs 3.6%, p<0.001; women:71.2 vs 1.1%, p<0.001), low SMMI (men:73.2 vs 44.6%, p<0.002; women:44.1 vs 23.6%, p = 0.002); in women, low GS (38.7 vs 12.4%, p<0.001) and low CPF (29.7 vs 15.7%, p = 0.020), and no differences in HGS between groups in both sexes. Conclusions: SARC-Calf, SMMI, and 30-CST were more relevant markers for sarcopenia risk in older adults of both sexes, GS and CPF played also an important role in women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Currently, little is known about the long-term outcomes of COVID-19 in the pediatric population. The aim of this study was to investigate the long-term clinical outcomes of pediatric patients hospitalized with COVID-19. Methods: This was a prospective cohort study involving unvaccinated children and adolescents admitted to a tertiary hospital in southern Brazil with a COVID-19 diagnosis. Data were collected from electronic medical records for one year after the diagnosis. Results: A total of 66 children were included: the median age was 2.9 years; 63.6% were male; and 48.5% were under 2 years of age. Over 70% had at least one comorbidity prior to the COVID-19 diagnosis. During the one-year follow-up period, 59.1% of the children revisited the emergency department, 50% required readmission, and 15.2% died. Younger children with longer hospital stays were found to be at greater risk of readmission. Having cancer and impaired functionality were found to increase the risk of death within one year. Conclusions: Our findings indicate that most children hospitalized with COVID-19 have comorbidities. Younger age at admission and a longer hospital stay seem to be risk factors for readmission. In addition, the presence of cancer and impaired functionality are apparently associated with the poor outcome of death within the first year after the diagnosis of COVID-19. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study aimed to propose a link between Functional Independence Measure (FIM) levels and International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) qualifiers for use in low- or middle-income countries such as Brazil. Method: A multidisciplinary committee was formed to discuss the need for standardisation of the classification so that different professionals could accurately record the functioning and for the standardisation to be meaningful for the individual and his /her support group, allowing observation and participation in the rehabilitation process. The proposed steps to adapt linking ICF qualifiers with FIM scores and functional levels were: 1. Inversion, 2. Parity, 3.Transposition, and 4. Adaptation. Results: FIM's seven levels of functioning have been linked to the five ICF qualifiers. FIM levels "7 (independent)" and "6 (modified independence)" have been linked to qualifiers "0 (no problem)" and "1 (mild problem)", respectively. FIM levels "4" and "5" have been grouped and linked to ICF qualifier "2 (moderate)". FIM levels "3" and "2" have been related to qualifier "3 (severe)". FIM level "1" which indicates complete dependence has been linked to qualifier "4 (complete)". Conclusion: This methodology allows for the creation of a link between the FIM and ICF, preserving clinically important information and having a description and clear relationship. It is thus able to facilitate clinical use of the ICF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The scientific literature mentions the existence of factors associated with fear of falling in older adults. However, the direct and indirect paths of its predictors have not yet been fully explored. This study aimed to analyze the socioeconomic, clinical, and health factors directly and indirectly associated with fear of falling in community-dwelling older adults. This is a cross-sectional study conducted in older adults (n = 410 – 70.11 ± 7.22 years). Clinical and health-condition data were collected, as were data on fear of falling using the Falls Efficacy Scale International—Brazil (FES-I Brazil). It was found that being female and having a higher number of self-reported morbidities, worse physical performance, and a higher number of depressive symptoms were directly associated with greater fear of falling. Regarding indirect associations, physical inactivity, mediated by a greater number of morbidities, worse physical performance, and a greater number of depressive symptoms, was associated with greater fear of falling. In addition, worse self-rated health, mediated by a greater number of depressive symptoms, as well as older age, mediated by worse physical performance, were associated with the outcome. This study provides information on the predictors directly and indirectly associated with fear of falling, expanding current understanding of this relationship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: the purpose of this pre-feasibility study was to examine perceptions and experiences of a Sit-to-stand activity with urban Brazilian community-dwelling older people in their homes. Method: the exploration method was focused ethnography. Purposive sampling was used to recruit 20 older people. Five means of data generation were used, namely: socio-demographic surveys, participant observations, informal interviews, formal semi-structured interviews, and field notes. Data analysis was qualitative content analysis. Results: the experience of mobility-challenged older people with the Sit-to-stand activity was dependent on their mobility expectations involving many factors that worked together to influence their beliefs and attitudes towards the activity, preferences, behaviors, and cultural perceptions. The participants of this study seemed to find the activity enjoyable; however, the most noticeable shortcomings for their engagement in the Sit-to-stand activity emerged as gaps in their personal and intrapersonal needs. Conclusion: the recommendations generated from the study findings call for the design of implementation strategies for the Sit-to-stand intervention that are tailored to this particular population's needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Fisioterapia e Pesquisa is the property of Universidade de Sao Paulo, Faculdade de Medicina and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Brazilian Journal of Kineanthropometry & Human Performance is the property of Brazilian Journal of Kineanthropometry & Human Performance and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Revista Brasileira de Prescrição e Fisiologia do Exercício is the property of Instituto Brasileiro de Pesquisa e Ensino em Fisiologia do Exercicio and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Background: Patients undergoing cardiac surgery can experience functional impairment. Objective: Assess the influence of Perme Score on the intensive care unit (ICU) length of stay in patients after cardiac surgery. As a secondary objective, investigate if preoperative variables can predict the patient's mobility status after surgery. Methods: A prospective observational study was conducted in ICU in a university hospital. The mobility status (Perme Score) was collected from the first postoperative day until ICU discharge. The preoperative assessment of respiratory muscle strength, pulmonary function, and handgrip strength were collected. Results: A total of 44 patients, mean age of 62.3 years, 28 men were included in the study. A high Perme Score on the second postoperative day among patients who underwent Coronary artery bypass grafting and the third postoperative day on three types of intervention (Coronary artery bypass grafting, valve replacement, or both simultaneously) was associated with shorter ICU length of stay). The preoperative pulmonary function was one of the main independent predictors of mobility status on the first three days of ICU stay, in addition to left ventricular ejection fraction and cardiopulmonary bypass time on the first day, age, and left ventricular ejection fraction on the second day and maximum expiratory pressure on third day. Conclusion: An increase in mobility status (Perme Score), mainly on the third postoperative day, reduced the ICU stay, mainly influenced by preoperative pulmonary function. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Retos: Nuevas Perspectivas de Educación Física, Deporte y Recreación is the property of Federacion Espanola de Asociaciones de Docentes de Educacion Fisica and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Fisioterapia e Pesquisa is the property of Universidade de Sao Paulo, Faculdade de Medicina and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Background: Anemia is the most common hematological abnormality among older adults, and it is associated with decreased physical performance. But the role of hemoglobin in the absence of anemia remains unclear. Thus, this study aimed to assess the impact of hemoglobin levels on physical performance in Brazilian older adults without anemia.Methods: The study is longitudinal in that it relies on two waves of the Saúde, Bem-Estar e Envelhecimento (SABE; Health, Well-being, and Aging) study: 2010 and 2015-2016. Mixed-effects linear regression was used to determine the effects of the hemoglobin concentrations on the Short Physical Performance Battery-SPPB over time among the 1,023 who had complete data and did not have anemia in 2010. In the follow-up, there were 567 without anemia.Results: In analyses adjusted for age, education, comorbidities, body mass index, and physical inactivity, we found a differential association between hemoglobin concentration and SBBP by sex, with a positive interaction (β Hb*female= 0.20, 95% CI 0.04,0.37). At lower levels of hemoglobin, women have lower levels of SPPB than men, but at higher levels of hemoglobin concentration, there are no sex differences in physical performance. In addition, higher age was negatively associated with SPPB levels and cardiometabolic diseases, other diseases, and physical inactivity. Education was positively associated with physical performance.Conclusion: Our study demonstrates that higher hemoglobin levels were associated with better physical performance among older adults without anemia in Brazil. However, there were sex differences in this association. This finding is important because, in clinical practice, most health professionals focus on the World Health Organization definition of anemia. Our study suggests the importance of hemoglobin levels among older adults, even those without anemia, and highlights sex differences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has led to abrupt restrictions of lile-space mobility. The impact of shelter-in-place orders on older adults' health and well-being is still unclear. Objective: To investigate the relationship between life-space mobility and quality of life (QoL) in older adults with and without frailty during the COVID-19 pandemic. Design: Multicenter prospective cohort study based on structured telephone interviews. Setting: Four geriatric outpatient clinics in the metropolitan area of Sao Paulo, Brazil. Participants: 557 community-dwelling adults aged 60 years and older. Measurements: The Life-Space Assessment was used to measure community mobility before and during the COVID-19 pandemic, and a previously validated decrease of ≥ 5 points defined restricted life-space mobility. Frailty was assessed through the FRAIL (fatigue, resistance, ambulation, illnesses, and loss of weight) scale. The impact of shelter-in-place orders on QoL was evaluated with the question «How is the COVID-19 pandemic affecting your QoL?», to which participants could respond «not at all», «to some extent», or «to a great extent». We used ordinal logistic regressions to investigate the relationship between restricted life-space mobility and impact on QoL, adjusting our analyses for demographics, frailty, comorbidities, cognition, functionality, loneliness, depression, and anxiety. We explored whether frailty modified the association between life-space mobility and impact on QoL. Results: Participants were on average 80±8 years old, 65% were women, and 33% were frail. The COVID-19 quarantine led to a restriction of community mobility in 79% of participants and affected the QoL for 77% of participants. We found that restricted life-space mobility was associated with impact on QoL in older adults during the pandemic, although frailty modified the magnitude of the association (P-value for interaction=0.03). Frail participants who experienced restricted life-space mobility had twice the odds of reporting an impact on QoL when compared with non-frail individuals, with respective adjusted odds ratios of 4.20 (95% CI=2.36–7.50) and 2.18 (95% CI=1.33–3.58). Conclusion: Older adults experienced substantial decreases in life-space mobility during the COVID-19 pandemic, and this unexpected change impacted their QoL. Providers should be particularly watchful for the consequences of abrupt life-space restrictions on frail individuals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Brazilian Journal of Kineanthropometry & Human Performance is the property of Brazilian Journal of Kineanthropometry & Human Performance and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Revista Brasileira de Prescrição e Fisiologia do Exercício is the property of Instituto Brasileiro de Pesquisa e Ensino em Fisiologia do Exercicio and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Background: Obesity in Brazil is increasing with 54% of the Brazilian population being overweight, of which 20% is obese. Obesity is a risk factor for non-communicable diseases such as cardiovascular disease: the leading cause of mortality in Brazil. This study aims to identify the barriers and facilitators to weight loss as perceived by patients with a view to reducing the burden of obesity-related diseases on patients and healthcare services. Methods: Fifteen qualitative, semi-structured, in-depth interviews were conducted in the preventive medicine department in a private health clinic in Bauru, Southeast Brazil. Inductive thematic analysis was conducted. Results: The barriers and facilitators were classified into three themes: lifestyle, motivation and education. Barriers include cost of a healthy lifestyle, time management, personal safety, mobility, junk food advertising, sustaining weight loss, mental health, lack of support and health education. Facilitators include change in eating habits, sleep quality, cooperative food networks, access to the multidisciplinary team and expert patients as health educators. Conclusion: Expert patients should be utilized as an education method, as they increase motivation, promote the facilitators and provide realistic expectations of the weight loss process. Barriers such as junk food advertising and accessibility to treatment need to be addressed. Abbreviations: BMI: Body Mass Index; NCD: Non-Communicable Disease; SUS: Sistema Único de Saúde; WHO: World Health Organization [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista Brasileira de Prescrição e Fisiologia do Exercício is the property of Instituto Brasileiro de Pesquisa e Ensino em Fisiologia do Exercicio and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

• The chair stand test was a better predictor of mortality than gait speed. • Those with poorer mobility are at increased risk of dying from cardiovascular causes. • Cognitive impairment increased the risk of dying among those with worse mobility. • Multimorbidity also increased the risk of dying among those with worse mobility. • Worst performance in the tests was marginally associated with mortality by neoplasms. A better understanding of performance in functional mobility tasks related to the mortality patterns for the different causes of death for the Brazilian older population is still a challenge. To analyze if gait speed and chair stand test performance are associated with mortality in older adults, and if the overall mobility status changes the effect of other mortality risk factors. The data were from SABE (Health, Well-being and Aging Study), a multiple-cohort study conducted in São Paulo, Brazil, with a representative sample of people aged 60 and more. Cox regression models were used to analyze 10-year all-cause and cause-specific mortality with consideration for gait speed and the chair stand test. Of the 1411 participants, 26% died during the follow-up. The performance in the chair stand test had a more consistent association with mortality (hazard ratio (HR)=1.03, 95%CI: 1.00, 1.05) than gait speed. Being unable to perform the test also increased the risk to die by all-cause (HR=1.71, 95%CI: 1.21, 2.42) and by diseases of the circulatory system (HR=2.14, 95%CI: 1.25, 3.65). The stratified analysis of mobility performance changed the effects of some of the mortality risk factors, such as cognitive impairment and multimorbidity. The chair stand test could be a better choice than 3-meters walking test as a mortality predictor. In addition, the impact of cognitive decline and multimorbidity were greater among those with reduced mobility, supporting the development of preventive interventions and public policies targeted at more vulnerable groups of older adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The rapid population ageing has been accompanied by a growing number of older adults experiencing chronic conditions, especially diabetes and hypertension, which are conditions associated to the decline in physical functioning. The aim of this study was to investigate changes in the strength of the association between mobility and two chronic conditions (hypertension and diabetes) in a large representative sample of Brazilian older adults over a ten year period. Methods: The data came from the Brazilian National Household Sample Survey (PNAD) of 1998, 2003 and 2008. The sample comprised 28,943 participants aged 60 years and older investigated in 1998, 35,042 in 2003 and 41,269 in 2008, totalling 105,254 older adults. The dependent variable was the physical mobility index (PMI) constructed based on the Item Response Theory (IRT) using five physical mobility indicators. The chronic conditions were self-reported and the confounders included: age, sex, schooling, ethnicity, family income, household composition, other co-morbidities and use of health services. The association between physical mobility (three different groups) and chronic conditions (hypertension and diabetes) was performed using multinomial logistic regression. Results: Over the ten year period the prevalence of hypertension increased from 44 % (1998), 49 % (2003) to 53 % (2008) (p < 0.001). Similar pattern was observed for the prevalence of diabetes: 10 % in 1998, 13 % in 2003 and 16 % in 2008 (p < 0.001). Overall, physical mobility showed a statistical significant association with both chronic diseases studied even after adjusting for potential confounders. The time-disease interaction term was significant (p < 0.05) for the two chronic conditions studied, and the strength of the associations decreased over the first five years, but it was not sustained between 2003 and 2008. Conclusions: Despite the increases observed in the prevalence of the hypertension and diabetes over the ten year period, the decrease in strength of the association with physical mobility during the first period could be explained by improvements in health services and treatment of older adults. Special attention should be given to the treatment and management of diabetes in order to avoid declines in physical mobility levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]