Age-related deterioration in flexibility is associated with health-related quality of life in nonagenarians.
OBJECTIVE
Studies indicate that age is associated with deterioration in physical function and a concomitant decrease in health-related quality of life (HRQL). The contribution of physical function to HRQL in nonagenarians (ages 90-99) is unknown. The purposes of this study were to examine age-related changes in physical function and HRQL among community-dwelling nonagenarians and to determine the relationship between their physical function and HRQL.


METHODS
Seventy-four community-dwelling nonagenarians participated. The Continuous Scale Physical Function Performance Test-10 (CS-PFP10) was used to measure their physical function and the Short Form (SF)-36 was used to measure their HRQL. Pearson correlations were used to assess associations among age, physical function, and HRQL scores.


RESULTS
Age was inversely associated with the upper body flexibility (r = -.365, p = .001) subscale of the CS-PFP10, but not significantly associated with any other physical function or HRQL score. Significant associations between physical function and HRQL were limited to those between upper body flexibility and the physical function subscale (r = .424, p < .001) and physical function component summary score (r = .376, p = .001) of the SF-36.


CONCLUSIONS
These data suggest that upper body flexibility continues to decline during the 10th decade of life and has implications for influence on aspects of HRQL in this segment of the population.
Louisiana State University, Department of Kinesiology, Baton Rouge, LA 70803, USA. jfabre3@lsu.edu
Jennifer M
JM
Fabre
Robert H
RH
Wood
Katie E
KE
Cherry
L Joseph
LJ
Su
M Elaine
ME
Cress
Christina M
CM
King
Melissa J
MJ
deVeer
Rebecca
R
Ellis
S Michal
SM
Jazwinski
D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000367:Age Factors; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D005260:Female; D015577:Geriatric Assessment; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010809:Physical Fitness / Q000502:physiology*; D018583:Pliability / Q000502:physiology*; D011788:Quality of Life