title: [Physical activity level and physical, mental and social factors in community-dwelling elderly people].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study was conducted to examine the relationship between physical activity level (PAL) and physical, mental and social factors in community-dwelling elderly people.
  
  
  METHODS
  The subjects comprised 428 residents aged 70 or over living in Kusatsu-machi, Gunma, who took part in an interview and tests of physical fitness as part of the "NIKKORI-KENKOSODANJIGYO". Data for 330 out of the 428 residents were adopted for this study. The PAL was evaluated with a questionnaire developed by Naito et al. (2003). Subjects were interviewed on physical, mental and social functioning including the Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Gerontology (TMIG) Index of Competence and cognitive function (Mini Mental State Examination: MMSE). Physical fitness tests included assessment of handgrip strength, usual and maximal walking speed, and one-leg standing balance with eyes open.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Correlations between PAL and the TMIG Index of Competence, physical (e.g. physical fitness), mental (e.g. depression) and social (e.g. roles at home) factors, and smoking status were significant by ANCOVA adjusted for age and sex. Analysis using a general linear model indicated that smoking status, usual walking speed, depression, roles at home, frequency of going outdoors and visual impairment all together explained 13.5% of the PAL variance.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The findings indicate that PAL in the community-dwelling elderly aged 70 years or over is associated with physical, mental and social factors.
authors.affiliation: Obirin University.
authors.forename: Chiaki
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Tanaka
authors.forename: Hiroto
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yoshida
authors.forename: Hidenori
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Amano
authors.forename: Shu
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kumagai
authors.forename: Yoshinori
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Fujiwara
authors.forename: Yumiko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tsuchiya
authors.forename: Shoji
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Shinkai
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003071:Cognition; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D008019:Life Style; D008297:Male; D009043:Motor Activity; D010809:Physical Fitness; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D012907:Smoking; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires