Identification of obesity indicators as predictors of physical function decline in the early elderly

2021 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 18K17661
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 58080:Gerontological nursing and community health nursing-related
• Research Institution: Senri Kinran University
• Principal Investigator: Fujita Tomoko 千里金蘭大学, 看護学部, 教授 (00453134)
• Project Period (FY): 2018-04-01 – 2022-03-31
• Keywords: 身体組成 / 握力低下 / 歩行速度低下 / 地域高齢者

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Changes in body composition, grip strength, and walking speed were observed over a 3-year period, using FY 2018 as a baseline through FY 2021.A repeated analysis of variance was performed on 45 men and 89 women who were 65 years of age or older in FY 2018 and who were also measured in FY 2021. Both grip strength and walking speed decreased significantly in men and only walking speed significantly in women, indicating a decline in physical function over the 3-year observation. There was no effect of body fat percentage, BMI, SMI, protein deficiency, or mineral deficiency on walking speed and grip strength at baseline, but there was a significant interaction of mineral deficiency on changes in grip strength for women depending on whether these changed over the three-year period.

Free Research Field

看護学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

地域高齢者の身体機能の低下を予防することは介護予防につながる。高齢者の身体機能の低下には筋肉量が影響すると考えられているが、本研究では身体をつくる要素であるミネラル量の低下が歩行速度や握力の低下に影響していることが明らかになったことから、タンパク質だけでなく、あらたにミネラル量不足を補う栄養指導等を検討することで高齢者の身体機能低下を予防し、ひいては介護予防に寄与できる。