This study indicates that spinal inclination is associated with future dependence in ADL among older adults.

BackgroundAlthough knee pain is common in older persons and can cause ambulatory limitation, its impact on self-reliance has rarely been examined in Japan, particularly in a community setting. The aim of this 3-year cohort study was to investigate the association of knee pain with dependence in activities of daily living (ADL) and mortality in community-dwelling older Japanese adults.MethodsIn 2005, presence of knee pain was assessed by a home visit survey of 1391 older adults aged 65 years or older (participation proportion = 97.3%). A total of 1265 participants who were ADL-independent at baseline were followed for 3 years, and information on outcomes, namely death and dependence in ADL, was collected.ResultsParticipants who always had knee pain were more likely to become dependent in ADL than those who reported no knee pain (multivariate-adjusted OR, 1.98; 95% CI, 1.03–3.83); however, always having knee pain was not associated with mortality or a composite outcome of ADL dependence and death. Further analyses of each component of ADL dependence revealed that knee pain was associated with a need for assistance at home (long-term care eligibility, bathing, dressing, and transferring), but not with institutionalization.ConclusionsThe participants were highly representative of the target population and the rate of follow-up was almost perfect (99.4%). The results suggest that knee pain is associated with future dependence in ADL, particularly a need for assistance at home.

Our results suggest that inaccurate BMIs due to kyphosis lead to substantial numbers of older adults being misclassified as normal weight or overweight, which can cause significant distortions in data on the impact of underweight and overweight on health outcomes.

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Background: Eye diseases including cataract, keratitis and pterygium have been reported to be sun exposure-related. The association between macular degeneration and blue light has also been discussed. Moreover, it is hypothesized that retinal exposure to blue light may influence the human circadian rhythm. However, no monitoring devices exist that can measure eyes exposure to visible and ultraviolet (UV) radiation over time, therefore accurate personal exposure assessment has not been possible. Objectives & Methods:We developed a novel mobile sensing system ?Ray Sensing Glass System, RaySeG System? that can continuously measure and record the composition and intensity of light. Subjects wearing the RaySeg System were instructed to walk under various light conditions such as indoor and outdoor all day long. Results:The RaySeg System consists of three sensors embedded in eyeglass. The three sensors are for UV (260-400nm), visible lights (red 615, green 540 and blue 465 nm, peak wavelength each) and illumination intensity, respectively. The total weight of the system is about 100 grams, and the size is comparable with digital audio player. The system continuously recorded a change of visible and UV light exposure under various conditions. Conclusions:After accuracy validation, further experiments with larger numbers of subjects are required. Our final goal is to apply the system for evaluating personal eye exposure to UV and visible light in field epidemiological studies, which outcomes are eye diseases and circadian rhythm abnormality.