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Aim: To design a digital template for form building, data collection and data management to assess the diet and oral health of elite athletes. Subject and methods: A web-based open-source platform, KoboToolbox (KBTB), was used to aid design and manufacture of a digital data collection form for use in oral health surveys. KBTB frontend form builder was used to create a customised questionnaire. Dental charting systems for the chosen indices were designed using XLSForms, converted to XForm and uploaded to the KBTB interface to create a single form for digital data input. This template was used to collect data for a cross-sectional study investigating the diet and oral health of a convenience sample of elite athletes in Ireland. Results: A digital data collection (DDC) form was designed for use in oral health surveys. The customised form was then used to collect data for a survey of 88 elite athletes on the KBTB platform. Dietary behaviours were recorded by the participants using KBTB. Following data collection, the dataset was downloaded from KBTB and cleaned for subsequent analysis. Conclusion: The design of a versatile form and oral health questionnaire template using digital tools customised for elite athletes was useful for efficient, comprehensive field data collection. DDC tools are convenient for data form design, collection, and storage. This template can be easily modified for use by other researchers planning oral health surveys. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Data on the prevalence of sarcopenia among older adults in Ireland are lacking. Aims: To assess the prevalence and determinants of sarcopenia among community-dwelling older adults in Ireland. Methods: This cross-sectional analysis involved n = 308 community-dwelling adults aged ≥ 65 y living in Ireland. Participants were recruited via recreational clubs and primary healthcare services. Sarcopenia was defined according to the 2019 European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People (EWGSOP2) criteria. Skeletal muscle mass was estimated using bioelectrical impedance analysis, strength was measured via handgrip dynamometry, and physical performance was assessed using the Short Physical Performance Battery. Detailed information was collected on demographics, health, and lifestyle. Dietary macronutrient intake was measured via a single 24 h recall. Binary logistic regression was used to examine potential demographic, health, lifestyle, and dietary determinants of sarcopenia (where both probable and confirmed sarcopenia were combined). Results: The prevalence of EWGSOP2-defined probable sarcopenia was 20.8% and confirmed sarcopenia was 8.1% (5.8% had severe sarcopenia). Polypharmacy (OR 2.60, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.3, 5.23), height (OR 0.95, 95% CI 0.91, 0.98), and Instrumental Activities Of Daily Living (IADL) score (OR 0.71, 95% CI 0.59, 0.86) were independently associated with sarcopenia (probable and confirmed combined). There were no independent associations between energy-adjusted macronutrient intakes, as determined by 24 h recall, and sarcopenia. Conclusion: Sarcopenia prevalence within this sample of community-dwelling older adults in Ireland is broadly similar to other European cohorts. Polypharmacy, lower height, and lower IADL score were independently associated with EWGSOP2-defined sarcopenia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVE: Barriers and facilitators of exercise maintenance and residual effects of exercise training intervention on physical and cognitive function after the cessation of training are inadequately described in older adults. DESIGN AND SETTING: One year after the cessation of a supervised exercise training intervention, a mixed methods approach employed a quantitative phase that assessed body composition and physical and cognitive function and a qualitative phase that explored determinants of exercise maintenance after participation in the intervention. PARTICIPANTS: Community‐dwelling older Irish adults (aged >65 years) who had completed 12 weeks of supervised exercise training 1 year previously. MEASUREMENTS: Fifty‐three participants (male/female ratio = 30:23; age = 70.8 ± 3.9 years) completed the follow‐up testing comprising body composition and physical and cognitive function. Semistructured interviews were conducted with 12 participants (male/female ratio = 6:6) using the Theoretical Domains Framework to inform the interview guide. RESULTS: At 1 year follow‐up, body fat increased (mean = 4.3%; 95% confidence limit = 2.2% to 6.3%), while lean body mass (mean = −0.6%; 95% confidence limit = −1.2% to −0.1%), strength (leg press, mean = −5.6%; 95% confidence limit = −8.3% to −2.8%; chest press, mean = −11.0%; 95% confidence limit = −14.8% to −7.8%), and cognitive function (mean = −3.7%; 95% confidence limit = −5.7% to −1.8%) declined (all P <.05). Interviews revealed key facilitators (social aspects and beliefs about benefits of exercise) and barriers (affordability and general aversion to gyms) to exercise maintenance in this population. CONCLUSION: Key barriers and facilitators to exercise maintenance were identified, which will inform the development of future behavior change interventions to support exercise participation and maintenance in older adults to mitigate adverse changes in body composition and physical and cognitive function with advancing age. J Am Geriatr Soc 68:163–169, 2019 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective(s): This study aimed to examine recent trends in maternal obesity.Study Design: This retrospective observational study used routinely computerised clinical and sociodemographic data of women who presented for antenatal care in a large maternity hospital in Ireland during the eight years 2010-17. Women with complete body mass index (BMI) data who delivered a baby weighing ≥500 g were included in the study. BMI was based on the measurement of weight and height and was categorised into the World Health Organizations (WHO) classifications.Results: The number of women delivered was 67,949 and 99.1% had complete data. The overall obesity rate increased from 16.0% (95% CI 15.3-16.8%) in 2010 to 18.9% (95% CI 18.0-19.7%) in 2017 (+18.1%, p < 0.001). This increase occurred in the mild, moderate and severe obesity subcategories (all p < 0.01). Overall, obesity was associated with multiparity, maternal age, maternal birth in Ireland or the United Kingdom (UK), depression, unemployment and unplanned pregnancy. The increase in obesity was more pronounced in nulliparas than in multiparas, particularly nulliparas <30 years. The increased obesity levels were accompanied by major sociodemographic changes in the hospital population from 2010 to 2017 with an increase in the average maternal age from 30.5 years to 32.2 years (p < 0.001) and a decrease in the proportion of nulliparas aged <30 years (from 40.6% to 28.8%, p < 0.001).Conclusion(s): It is likely that the escalating maternal obesity levels will lead to further increases in obstetric complications and interventions. The escalation was accompanied by major sociodemographic changes which have implications for healthcare planning and public health interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]