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Nutritional Status, Physical Activity and Quality of Life in the Elderly

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A special issue of International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (ISSN 1660-4601). This special issue belongs to the section "Global Health".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (28 February 2022) | Viewed by 25221

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Prof. Dr. Elisabetta Marini

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Guest Editor

Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, Neuroscience and Anthropology Section, University of Cagliari, 09124 Cagliari, Italy
Interests: anthropology; human biology; body composition analysis; aging
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Dr. Luis Alberto Gobbo

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Guest Editor

Department of Physical Education, São Paulo State University, Sao Paulo 19060-900, Brazil
Interests: resistance; training; body composition; aging; exercise
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The aging process causes a progressive change in body mass and composition, which occurs even in the absence of diseases. The main variations are the reduction of muscle mass, muscle strength, and physical performance. Such variations can lead to sarcopenia, which in turn leads to a general deterioration in the quality of life and to an increased risk of mortality.

Furthermore, physiological aging can expose the elderly population to the risk of malnutrition. This risk is increased when physiological factors are combined with nonphysiological ones, such as psychological disorders, physical inactivity, and poor dietary habits.

For these reasons, maintaining a good quality of life is important for the health and wellbeing of a fragile portion of the population, such as the elderly.

The aim of this Special Issue is to collect information concerning physiological ageing and its main correlates, which can be useful to defining strategies to slow down the process.

In particular, the purpose of this research collection is implementing the knowledge on:
- Age-related changes of total and regional body composition in the two sexes and in different populations;
- Prevalence and impact of sarcopenia;
- Age-related changes of nutritional status, body satisfaction, and psychological condition;
- Effect of physical activity on the quality of life in the elderly;
- Evidence on activities/strategies that preserve wellbeing at late age.

Researchers who have conducted studies on these topics are invited to submit manuscripts for consideration for this Special Issue in IJERPH.

Prof. Elisabetta Marini
Prof. Luis Alberto Gobbo
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2500 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

body composition
physical health
nutritional status
aging
sarcopenia
physical activity
psychological wellbeing
malnutrition

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Related Special Issue

Second Edition: Nutritional Status, Physical Activity and Quality of Life in Older Adults in International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

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8 pages, 912 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Body Composition Symmetry in Long-Term Active Middle-Aged and Older Individuals

by Silvia Stagi, Alessia Moroni, Margherita Micheletti Cremasco and Elisabetta Marini

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(11), 5956; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18115956 - 2 Jun 2021

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2840

Abstract

This study aimed to analyze body composition and strength symmetry in a sample of 165 middle-aged and elderly Italian volunteers, which included 97 active (67 men and 30 women; 61.17 ± 7.56 years) individuals regularly engaged in Tai Chi Chuan, tennis, or running, and a control group of 59 age-matched sedentary (27 men and 32 women) individuals. Anthropometric and bioelectrical measurements and hand grip strength of both sides were collected. Segmental body composition was analyzed through specific bioelectrical impedance vector analysis. The body composition of the right and left limbs was similar among active individuals (arms: T² = 6.3, n.s.; legs: T² = 5.0, n.s.), with a similar pattern in the three different disciplines. By contrast, the control group showed bilateral asymmetry (arms: T² = 6.8, p < 0.001; legs: T² = 8.8, p < 0.001), mainly because of the higher values of specific reactance (t = 2.4; p = 0.018) and phase angle (t = 2.0; p = 0.054) in the dominant arm, and the higher specific vector length (t = −3.0; p = 0.027) in the left leg. All of the groups showed a higher hand grip strength in the dominant arm (active: t = 7.0, p < 0.001; control: t = 2.9; p < 0.01). In conclusion, the active individuals showed stronger body composition symmetry than the controls, thus indicating a previously undetected positive effect of sport in middle-aged and older adults. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nutritional Status, Physical Activity and Quality of Life in the Elderly)

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12 pages, 1849 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Effect of a Mixed Circuit of Aerobic and Resistance Training on Body Composition in Older Adults—Retrospective Study

by Anna Pieczyńska, Ewa Zasadzka, Tomasz Trzmiel, Małgorzata Pyda and Mariola Pawlaczyk

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(11), 5608; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18115608 - 24 May 2021

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 4335

Abstract

Ageing is inevitably associated with body composition changes, such as loss of muscle mass, increase in the total fat mass, and unfavorable reduction of subcutaneous fat. Physical activity exerts significant effects on the body composition. The aim of the study was to investigate the effects of two different weekly doses of resistance-aerobic training on the body composition in older people. The study consisted in a retrospective data analysis of fitness club members aged ≥60. The trainees participated in resistance-aerobic training sessions two or three times/week for a minimum of two months. A body composition analysis was performed before and after the training sessions. Group 1 (36 subjects) and Group 2 (28 subjects) had two and three training sessions/week, respectively. A higher skeletal muscle mass was found in Group 1 and lower waist-hip-ratio indices were observed in Group 2. No statistically significant differences were found in the body mass, skeletal muscle mass, fat mass, total body water, lean mass, body mass index, visceral fat area between both groups. The number of training session/week proved to be statistically insignificant for all investigated variables. Resistance-aerobic training with two sessions/week may be as effective in maintaining proper body composition in older people as the same training at the dose of three sessions/week. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nutritional Status, Physical Activity and Quality of Life in the Elderly)

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13 pages, 506 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Sedentary Patterns Are Associated with Bone Mineral Density and Physical Function in Older Adults: Cross-Sectional and Prospective Data

by Luís Alberto Gobbo, Pedro B. Júdice, Megan Hetherington-Rauth, Luís B. Sardinha and Vanessa Ribeiro Dos Santos

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2020, 17(21), 8198; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17218198 - 6 Nov 2020

Cited by 10 | Viewed by 3136

Abstract

Aging causes some unfavorable morphological and functional changes, such as the decline in bone mineral density (BMD) and physical function. Moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and sedentary time seem to be related with these alterations, but the impact of distinct patterns remains unclear. The aim of this study was to cross-sectionally and prospectively assess the association between objectively measured MVPA and sedentary patterns (bouts and breaks) with BMD and physical function in older adults. The study considered 151 Brazilians (aged ≥ 60 years), out of which 68 participants completed 2-year follow-up measurements. MVPA and sedentary patterns were measured by means of accelerometry, BMD—(total proximal femur and lumbar spine (L1-L4)) by means of dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA), and physical function—by means of physical tests. In older women, sedentary bouts >60 min were inversely associated with handgrip strength (β = −2.03, 95% CI: from −3.43 to −0.63). The prospective analyses showed that changes in sedentary bouts (20 to 30 min and >60 min) were inversely associated with changes in the lumbar spine’s BMD (β = −0.01, 95% CI: from −0.01 to −0.00 and β = −0.03, 95% CI: from −0.06 to −0.01) and the lumbar spine’s T-score (β = −0.06, 95% CI: from −0.10 to −0.01 and β = −0.27, 95% CI: from −0.49 to −0.04), respectively. In older women, sedentary patterns are cross-sectionally associated with handgrip strength and prospectively associated with BMD independent of MVPA. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nutritional Status, Physical Activity and Quality of Life in the Elderly)

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10 pages, 796 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effects of Pyramid Resistance-Training System with Different Repetition Zones on Cardiovascular Risk Factors in Older Women: A Randomized Controlled Trial

by Leandro dos Santos, Alex S. Ribeiro, João Pedro Nunes, Crisieli M. Tomeleri, Hellen C. G. Nabuco, Matheus A. Nascimento, Paulo Sugihara Junior, Rodrigo R. Fernandes, Francesco Campa, Stefania Toselli, Danielle Venturini, Décio S. Barbosa, Luís B. Sardinha and Edilson S. Cyrino

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2020, 17(17), 6115; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17176115 - 22 Aug 2020

Cited by 15 | Viewed by 4378

Abstract

This study analyzed the effects of the pyramidal resistance training (RT) system with two repetition zones on cardiovascular risk factors in older women (≥60 years old). Fifty-nine older women were randomly assigned in three groups: non-exercise control (CON, n = 19), narrow-pyramid system (NPR, n = 20), and wide-pyramid system (WPR, n = 20). Training was performed for eight weeks (eight exercises for the whole-body, 3x/week) in which NPR and WPR performed three sets of 12/10/8 and 15/10/5 repetitions, respectively. Regional body fat was estimated by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry, and blood parameters related to glycemic, lipid, and inflammatory profiles were assessed. After the training period, although no difference was observed for the magnitude of the changes between NPR and WPR, significant group by time interactions indicated benefits with RT compared to CON for reducing body fat (mainly android body fat; −7%) and improving glucose, HDL-C, LDL-C and C-reactive protein (p < 0.05). Composite z-score of cardiovascular risk, created by the average of the intervention effects on the outcomes, indicate similar responses between NPR and WPR, differing from CON (p < 0.001). Results indicate that both the repetition zones of the pyramidal RT reduced similarly the cardiovascular risk in older women. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nutritional Status, Physical Activity and Quality of Life in the Elderly)

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9 pages, 583 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Interpopulation Similarity of Sex and Age-Related Body Composition Variations Among Older Adults

by Elisabetta Marini, Roberto Buffa, Luis Alberto Gobbo, Guillermo Salinas-Escudero, Silvia Stagi, Carmen García-Peña, Sergio Sánchez-García and María Fernanda Carrillo-Vega

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2020, 17(17), 6047; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17176047 - 20 Aug 2020

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2760

Abstract

The aim of the study was to analyze sex and age-related body composition variations among older adults from the Brazilian, Italian, and Mexican population. A cross-sectional analysis was conducted in 1103 community-dwelling older adults (634 women and 469 men), aged 60 to 89 years, living in Brazil (n = 176), Italy (n = 554), and Mexico (n = 373). Anthropometric measurements were taken, BMI was calculated, and impedance measurements were obtained (resistance, R, reactance, Xc). Specific bioelectrical impedance vector analysis (specific BIVA) was applied, with the specific vector defined by impedance, or vector length (Z = (Rsp² + Xcsp)^0.5), and phase angle (PA = arctan Xc/R 180/π). Population, sex, and age differences in anthropometric and bioelectrical variables were evaluated by means of a two way ANOVA. The mean bioelectrical vectors were graphed by confidence ellipses and statistically compared by the Hotelling’s T² test. The three population groups showed differences in body mass and composition (p < 0.001): the Brazilian sample was characterized by greater body dimensions, longer vectors (higher relative content of fat mass), and lower phase angles (lower skeletal muscle mass). Men were taller and heavier than women (p < 0.001) but had a similar BMI (p = 0.102). They also had higher phase angle (higher skeletal muscle mass) (p < 0.001) and lower vector length (lower %FM) (p < 0.001). In the three population groups, the oldest individuals showed lower anthropometric and phase angle values with respect to the youngest ones (p < 0.001), whereas the vector length did not change significantly with age (p = 0.665). Despite the differences between sexes and among populations, the trend of age-related variations was similar in the Brazilian, Italian, and Mexican older adults. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nutritional Status, Physical Activity and Quality of Life in the Elderly)

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15 pages, 3743 KiB

Open AccessSystematic Review

Correlation between Handgrip Strength and Depression in Older Adults—A Systematic Review and a Meta-Analysis

by Ewa Zasadzka, Anna Pieczyńska, Tomasz Trzmiel, Paweł Kleka and Mariola Pawlaczyk

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(9), 4823; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18094823 - 30 Apr 2021

Cited by 32 | Viewed by 6751

Abstract

Background: Depression remains an important health problem among older adults and it may be correlated with the deterioration of physical fitness, whose chief indicator is hand grip strength (HGS). The aim of the study was to investigate the relationship between depression and HGS among older populations using the available literature. Methods: PubMed, Web of Science and Science Direct databases were searched. The inclusion criteria were as follows: written in English and published after 2009, subject age: ≥60 years, HGS measured using a hand dynamometer, assessment of the depressive symptoms using a validated tool. The following articles were excluded: studies conducted among institutionalized subjects and/or populations with a specific disease. Results: The total combined effect of 33 results presented in 16 studies included in the meta-analysis, converted to the correlation coefficient, was OEr = −0.148 (SE = 0.030, 95%CI: −0.206–−0.091), indicating a weak, negative correlation between HGS and depressive symptoms. Conclusions: The review of the literature and the meta-analysis demonstrated a relationship between low muscle strength and intensified depressive symptoms in older populations. Bearing in mind that depression is often unrecognized or underdiagnosed among older patients, lowered muscle strength should be an important sign for physicians and an incentive to screen them for depression. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nutritional Status, Physical Activity and Quality of Life in the Elderly)

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