0000000000711782
AUTHOR
Päivi Sainio
Postural Balance in a Random Sample of 7,979 Subjects Aged 30 Years and Over
<i>Background:</i> Reliable normative data for force platform measurements of postural balance have not been available. <i>Methods:</i> Data on postural balance were collected from a representative nationwide sample of a Finnish population aged ≧30 years (n = 7,979). As part of a comprehensive health survey <i>(Health 2000)</i>, postural balance was measured with the help of a force platform system in four test conditions: normal standing with eyes open and closed (both for 30 s), semi-tandem (20 s) and tandem stand with eyes open (20 s). In addition, balance abilities were also evaluated by a non-instrumented field test. <i>Results:</i> The m…
Additional file 3: of Hearing loss and use of health services: a population-based cross-sectional study among Finnish older adults
Table on the associations between self-reported hearing difficulty and health service use in older adults when accounting for missing data with maximum likelihood. Multivariable adjusted odds ratios (OR) for self-reported hearing difficulty explaining use of health services when accounting for missing data with maximum likelihood method (N = 2144). (PDF 6 kb)
Additional file 2: of Hearing loss and use of health services: a population-based cross-sectional study among Finnish older adults
Table on health service use in older adults with (pure-tone hearing level > 25 dB) and without hearing loss. Age-sex adjusted proportions person with (N = 787) and without hearing loss (better-ear hearing level at frequencies 0.5–2 kHz >25 dB, N = 893) and multivariable-adjusted odds ratios for hearing loss explaining use of health services. (PDF 234 kb)
Obesity History as a Predictor of Walking Limitation at Old Age*
Objective: To study whether walking limitation at old age is determined by obesity history. Research Methods and Procedures: In a retrospective longitudinal study based on a representative sample of the Finnish population of 55 years and older (2055 women and 1337 men), maximal walking speed, body mass, and body height were measured in a health examination. Walking limitation was defined as walking speed <1.2 m/s or difficulty in walking 0.5 km. Recalled height at 20 years of age and recalled weight at 20, 30, 40, and 50 years of age were recorded. Results: Subjects who had been obese at the age of 30, 40, or 50 years had almost a 4-fold higher risk of walking limitation compared to non-obe…
Peripheral arterial disease, diabetes and postural balance among elderly Finns: a population-based study
Background and aims: Little is known about the role of peripheral arterial disease (PAD)in the development of balance impairment. The aim of this study was to assess postural balance among people having PAD or PAD combined with diabetes. Methods: As part of the comprehensive health examination of the Health 2000 survey (two-stage stratified cluster sampling), 1323 people aged 65 years or older took part in balance assessments using a force platform system. The presence of PAD was confirmed with data from the National Hospital Discharge Registry. Individuals with hospitalization due to PAD were regarded as having severe disease, whereas those with solely self-reported diagnosis were consider…
Sleep-Related Factors and Mobility in Older Men and Women
SHORT and long sleep duration, sleep-related disturbances, and their daytime consequences are common in older adults, and they are associated with decreased health and increased mortality (1–4). Because aging is associated with decline in physical performance often leading to physical disability and loss of independence, concomitant sleep problems may exacerbate the age-related decline in physical function. Previous studies suggest that self-reported and measured insomnia and sleep-related problems are associated with decline in psychomotor performance (5) as well as with poor balance and increased risk of falls (6–8). In addition, Goldman and coworkers (2007) (9) reported that short (<6 ho…
Additional file 1: of Hearing loss and use of health services: a population-based cross-sectional study among Finnish older adults
Table on the associations between hearing loss and health service use in older adults when accounting for missing data with maximum likelihood. Multivariable adjusted odds ratios (OR) for hearing loss explaining use of health services when accounting for missing data with maximum likelihood method (N = 2144). (PDF 211 kb)
Effect of co-morbidity on the association of high body mass index with walking limitation among men and women aged 55 years and older.
Background and aims: Obesity among older persons is rapidly increasing, thus affecting their mobility negatively. The aim of this study was to examine the association of high body mass index (BMI) with walking limitation, and the effect of obesity-related diseases on this association. Methods: In a representative sample of the Finnish population of 55 years and older (2055 women and 1337 men), maximal walking speed, chronic diseases, and BMI were ascertained in a health examination. Walking limitation was defined as maximal walking speed of less than 1.2 m/s or difficulty in walking 500 meters. To analyze the effects of chronic conditions, smoking, marital status, and education on BMI class…
Long-Term Determinants of Muscle Strength Decline: Prospective Evidence from the 22-Year Mini-Finland Follow-Up Survey
Objectives: To examine long-term changes in handgrip strength and the factors predicting handgrip strength decline. Design: Longitudinal cohort study with 22 years of follow-up. Setting: Population-based Mini-Finland Health Examination Survey in Finland. Participants: Nine hundred sixty-three men and women aged 30 to 73 at baseline. Measurements: Handgrip strength was measured using a handheld dynamometer at baseline and follow-up. Information on potential risk factors, namely lifestyle and chronic conditions, and their changes throughout the follow-up were based on health interviews. Results: Based on linear mixed-effect models, midlife physically strenuous work, excess body weight, smokin…
Psychomotor speed in a random sample of 7,979 subjects aged 30 years and over.
Background and aims: Slowing of psychomotor speed among older individuals has been shown in numerous studies. However, in most cases these studies were based on small and selected groups of people and, in some cases, the test procedures did not allow separation of decision time and motor components of the overall performance. The purpose of the present study was to analyse in a large, randomly selected population sample the differences in decision and movement times in simple and multiple-choice test conditions. The association of educational background with psychomotor speed was also examined. Methods: Data on psychomotor speed were collected from a representative nation-wide sample of the…
Hearing loss and use of health services : a population-based cross-sectional study among Finnish older adults
Background Older adults with hearing difficulties face problems of communication which may lead to underuse of health services. This study investigated the association of hearing loss and self-reported hearing difficulty with the use of health services and unmet health care needs in older adults. Methods Data on persons aged 65 and older (n = 2144) drawn from a population-based study, Health 2000, were analyzed. Hearing loss was determined with screening audiometry (n = 1680). Structured face-to-face interviews were used to assess self-reported hearing difficulty (n = 1962), use of health services (physician and nurse visits, health examinations, mental health services, physical therapy, he…
Association between Obesity History and Hand Grip Strength in Older Adults-Exploring the Roles of Inflammation and Insulin Resistance as Mediating Factors
Background: To examine the association between obesity history and hand grip strength, and whether the association is partly explained by subclinical inflammation and insulin resistance. Methods:Data are from 2,021 men and women aged 55 years and older participating in the representative population-based Health 2000 Survey in Finland. Body mass and body height, maximal hand grip strength, C-reactive protein, and insulin resistance based on homeostasis model assessment (HOMA-IR) were measured in a health examination. Recalled weight at 20, 30, 40, and 50 years of age were recorded to obtain a hierarchical classification of obesity history. Obesity was defined as body mass index ≥ 30 kg/m2. R…
Hand-Grip Strength Cut Points to Screen Older Persons at Risk for Mobility Limitation
Objectives To determine optimal hand-grip strength cut points for likelihood of mobility limitation in older people and to study whether these cut points differ according to body mass index (BMI). Design Cross-sectional analysis of data. Setting Data collected in the Finnish population-based Health 2000 Survey. Participants One thousand eighty-four men and 1,562 women aged 55 and older with complete data on anthropometry, hand-grip strength and self-reported mobility. Measurements Mobility limitation was defined as difficulty walking 0.5 km or climbing stairs. Receiver operating characteristic analysis was used to estimate hand-grip strength cut points for likelihood of mobility limitation.…