The Relationship between Physical Fitness and Activities of Daily Living in Older Adults

<p>　In this study we obtained the following findings by analyzing the relationship between ADL and the results of new physical fitness test advocated by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology in a total of 376 healthy older adults subjects (223 males and 153 females) from the viewpoint of age-related change of physical fitness and ADL.</p><p>1. In respect to physical fitness, sex-related difference was noticed in muscular strength and endurance. However, no sex-related difference was detected in flexibility or sense of balance. Regarding age-related difference, there was not a big difference between the age brackets of the early 60s and late 60s in both sexes but the difference in physical fitness was noticed to be remarkably big in the 70s.</p><p>2. In respect to ADL, sex-related difference was noticed in the questions, which required muscular strength, and the male subjects got high scores in those questions. Regarding age-related difference, ADL was demonstrated to be low in the 70s in both sexes.</p><p>3. In respect to ADL score, both the male and the female subjects got a high score of “three points” in questions about the activities of everyday life, while they got a low score of “one point” in questions which required muscular strength.</p><p>4. In respect to the relationship between physical fitness and ADL, high partial correlation was noticed in question 6 “standing on one leg with eyes open” and question 12 “sitting up from supine position” in both sexes. In addition, it was suggested that women’s ADL could be estimated by a 10-meter hurdle-walking test.</p>