Background: Changes in social and behavioral rhythms (SBR) in elderly are related to health status. Nevertheless, there is no data on factor analysis of the Brief Social Rhythm Scale (BSRS) an internationally well-known tool in this field. The aim was to analyze, in elderly, the factorial structure of the Italian version of BSRS.Design and Methods: Principal Component Analysis of the BSRS carried out in elderly living at home.Results: Sample of 141 participants (83 Females, 58,9%), aged 72.3±4.8. All the items of the questionnaire were related and could compose a single factor, explaining 56% of variance. A solution adopting two factors, the first (including items 1,2,3,4,9,10), the second (including items 5,6,7,8), covered cumulatively 78.8% of the variance.Conclusion: The study confirms that the BSRS is consistent with the idea for which it was built and can be useful for the study of regularity of SBR in old adults.

Background: Physical activity is associated with a higher quality of life (QoL) in older adults, but there is no evidence whether its effects on healthy individuals or individuals with a mild disability performing a medium-intensity exercise program can be assessed. Objective: This randomized controlled trial aims to evaluate whether moderate exercise training can improve QoL, and whether this model is suitable for older adults with mild chronic diseases living in the community. Methods: 120 participants, randomized 1/1 to either perform a physical exercise protocol or to undergo a social program (control group), were recruited in a 12-week randomized controlled trial registered at ClinicalTrials.Gov (NCT03858114). QoL was measured through the Health-Related Quality of Life Survey Short Form - 12 items tool (SF-12). Results: The participants involved in the exercise-training program had a moderate QoL improvement, compared to those involved in cultural activities, who experienced no change or even a worsening of their QoL. However, the between-groups differences did not attain the statistically significant threshold, when globally assessed, F[1, 103] = 2.98, p = .087, nor when the analysis was restricted to the physical (F[1, 103] = 2.78, p = .099) or mental components (F[1, 103] = 3.83, p = .053). Conclusion: Data from this study are not conclusive, although suggestive of possible efficacy. An effort to collect a larger amount of evidence is advisable. Research published only as protocols, not providing final results, might be useful to demonstrate or reject the hypothesis that physical exercise improves QoL in older adults. On a heuristic level, the sum of results that are not conclusive individually might be decisive if meta-analyzed. (Randomized Controlled Blind trial NCT03858114).