The aims of this study were to assess the reliability and validity of three methods of bioelectrical impedance analysis (based on induction between the hand and foot, between one foot and the other foot and between one hand and the other hand) and the skinfold method, and to construct prediction equations for total body density by examining cross-validity in young Japanese adult males. The participants were 50 Japanese males aged 18-27 years (height 1.72 +/- 0.06 m, body mass 64.9 +/- 9.0 kg; mean +/- s), each of whom was measured twice using each of the four methods. Relative body fat based on underwater weighing was used as the criterion for validity. To construct prediction equations for body density, we used multiple regression analysis, whereby all possible combinations were examined. The reliability of all three bioelectrical impedance methods was high (R = 0.999). Three new prediction equations were constructed for the hand-foot method, foot-foot method and skinfold method. The cross-validity of the equations was guaranteed. The relative body fat calculated using the new equations did not differ from that based on the underwater weighing method.

The purpose of this study was to clarify the influence of posture change on relative body fat in the bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) method. The subjects were 30 Japanese healthy young adult males (age: 19.8 ± 1.4 years, height: 172.3 ± 5.8 cm, weight: 67.1 ± 8.2 kg). We used devices with different body segment inductions, between the hand and foot (H-F BIA) and between hands (H-H BIA), and set four measurement conditions differing in posture (supine or sitting), during rest and measurement. The reliabilities of %BF in the H-H and H-F BIA methods were very high (r=0.995, 0.966), and the relationship in %BF between the UW method and each BIA method was mid-range (r=0.767, 0.709). Although there were no differences in %BF among different measurement postures in the H-F BIA method, %BF in the H-H BIA method increased significantly when the posture was changed just before measurement. This indicated that it is necessary to pay attention to the posture change just before measurement in the H-H BIA method.

Abstract. The purpose of the present study was to clarify the characteristics of ADL ability among different ambulatory level groups. The subjects were 448 partially dependent older adults (PD; 126 male, 81.7 -8.22 year; 322 female, 82.5 -7.25 year) over 60 years of age, and they were divided into 3 groups based on ambulatory activity level; G1 could not walk without assistance; G2 could walk with a stick; G3 could walk without assistance. The PD were asked 17 ADL questionnaires representing seven ADL domains to evaluate the ADL ability. Total and domain ADL scores, and achievement rates for each item were calculated, and compared among different ambulatory activity groups. It is confirmed that ADL ability level in PD significantly relates to ambulatory level and becomes gradually higher as the ambulatory activity level advances. It is considered that in the G1, lower limb ability level is low, and the contribution of ability level regarding changing posture and manual activities to total ADL ability level is high. On the other hand, in the G3 the achievement levels in manual activities and high-difficulty ADLs using lower limbs reflects the differences in the ADL ability level among individuals. Gender differences for ADL ability are not found in any ADL domain, while age differences are found in only the G3. It is inferred that for the G1, the achievement levels of ADLs are largely influenced by disease morbidity and age contributes very little to the decline of ability level.

In the present study, the ADL index for the partially dependent older people (Demura et al., 1999) was applied to 218 bedridden (BED), 466 partially dependent (PD) and 245 independent living (IL) people in older groups. The purposes of this study were to clarify the meaning of the evaluation of this index and to examine how ADL items are useful in determining each older group. It is suggested that a perfect score with our ADL index means independent living level, and a score of zero means bedridden level. The results of discriminant analysis indicated that four items with low-difficulty, such as "eating," "going to the toilet," "tossing about in bed" and "writing," are useful in determining if the PD is becoming bedridden. While five items with high-difficulty, such as "putting on slacks," "putting on trousers," "standing up from a sitting posture," "going up stairs" and "washing the whole body," are useful in determining if the PD is becoming independent living. Furthermore, it is inferred that the possibility of falling into a bedridden situation increases when the total score is 5 or less, while the functional level is close to independent living when the total score is 13 or more. These findings make clear the m e a n i n g o f t h e e v a l u a t i o n o f o u r A D L i n d e x . Furthermore, the functional level of older population may be screened using evaluation of total and item scores of this ADL index.

The purpose of this study was to propose useful activities of daily living(ADLs)and scales for es − timating ADL ability in healthy older persons ． The subjects were 210001der persons ． A total of 130 items for 57 ADLs were selected from the following 4 domains： 10comotion ， rnanipulation ， stabnity ， and posture − change ． The achievenlent rate for each item was calculated ． First ， 15 more useful AI)Ls， consisting of 45 items ， were selected to estimate ADL ability based on the multiple scale ， considering the achievement rate and interrelationship of each item ， and physical 且tness domains related Inainly to achievement of the ADL ． Second， the scales of 15 ADLs were modified after examining the differ − ence between practical achievelnent rates and the theoretical structure of the scale from the view − points of size and approxirnation of the achievement rate ． Third ， useful ADLs and their scales were proposed based on the analysis and theoretical vahdity ． As a result ， the following 15ADLs were select − ed ； In the locomotion domain， jumping across a ditch ， walking ， ning ， going up and down stairs ， go 血 g up and down bus steps ， transfer ， and jumping ；in the manipulation domain， taking bedding in