title: Association of thoracic kyphosis with subjective poor health, functional activity and blood pressure in the community-dwelling elderly.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The prevalence of thoracic kyphosis is considered to increase as the population is ageing in Japan. However, little is known about the clinical and preventive significance of kyphosis. The purpose of the study is to assess the association of kyphosis with subjective poor health and functional activity in the community-dwelling Japanese elderly. The relation of kyphosis with blood pressure, as a subclinical indicator of arteriosclerosis, is also examined.
  
  
  METHODS
  The subjects consisted of 536 (male 241, female 295) elderly persons aged 65 years old and older. Trained examiners measured thoracic kyphosis using a flexicurve, and kyphosis index was calculated. Information on the subjects' subjective poor health and functional activity were collected through a face-to-face interview, and blood pressure was measured by a conventional method.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In females, their kyphosis index increased with age increased, whereas in males, there was no clear age-related change. An increased kyphosis index was associated with subjective poor health only among females. Compared with the lowest kyphosis index tertile, adjusted odds ratios for being in poor health were 5.4 (95% confidence interval: 1.1-27.4) in the middle tertile, and 6.4 (95% confidence interval: 1.3-32.1) in the highest tertile. Kyphosis index did not seem to be associated with functional activity score and blood pressure both in males and females even after adjustment.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Kyphosis is associated with subjective poor health in the community-dwelling female elderly in this study population, but not with functional activity and blood pressure both in males and females.
authors: Department of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, School of Medicine, Keio University, Shinanomachi 35, Shimiyuku-ku, 160-8582, Tokyo, Japan, nishiwaki@se.jte.keio.ac.jp.
authors: Yuji
authors: Y
authors: Nishiwaki
authors: Yuriko
authors: Y
authors: Kikuchi
authors: Kazufumi
authors: K
authors: Araya
authors: Michiko
authors: M
authors: Okamoto
authors: Shingo
authors: S
authors: Miyaguchi
authors: Noriyuki
authors: N
authors: Yoshioka
authors: Naoki
authors: N
authors: Shimada
authors: Hiroshi
authors: H
authors: Nakashima
authors: Takamoto
authors: T
authors: Uemura
authors: Kazuyuki
authors: K
authors: Omae
authors: Toru
authors: T
authors: Takebayashi