Age‐related declines in pulmonary function and immune regulation increase morbidity and mortality in older adults. Physical activity mitigates these effects, but the isolated impact of resistance training (RT) on lung function and immune responses remains unclear. Sixty‐nine older adults without participation for at least one year in structured exercise programs (aged 60–85 years) were recruited from a community extension program at a Brazilian university and randomized into an RT group ( n = 31) or a control group ( n = 38). This randomized controlled trial evaluated the effects of a 12‐week supervised RT program performed three times per week. Primary outcomes included spirometry parameters (FVC, FEV 1 , FEV 1 /FVC, PEF, and FEF 25 – 75 %), respiratory muscle strength (MIP and MEP), and inflammatory biomarkers (IL‐6, IL‐10, TNF‐α, and Klotho) in plasma and exhaled breath condensate. Secondary outcomes included handgrip strength, sit‐to‐stand performance, oxygen saturation, and body composition. Normally distributed outcomes were analyzed using repeated‐measures ANOVA, whereas non‐normally distributed longitudinal outcomes were analyzed using the Brunner–Langer approach for factorial longitudinal data. Between‐group differences in pre‐to‐post changes were additionally estimated using bootstrap 95% confidence intervals. No significant Group × Time interactions were observed for spirometric parameters. Significant Group × Time interactions were observed for MIP and MEP; however, significant pre‐to‐post changes were observed in the control group but not in the RT group. A significant Group × Time interaction was also observed for sit‐to‐stand performance, with improvement in the control group but not in the RT group. No significant Group × Time interactions were observed for handgrip strength or oxygen saturation. Significant Group × Time interactions were observed for plasma IL‐6, IL‐10, and Klotho (all p < 0.001), as well as exhaled breath condensate IL‐6 ( p = 0.006) and Klotho ( p = 0.003). In contrast, no significant interactions were observed for plasma TNF‐α, exhaled breath condensate IL‐10, or exhaled breath condensate TNF‐α. Twelve weeks of supervised RT were associated with differential changes in respiratory muscle strength, functional capacity, and selected systemic and airway biomarkers in older adults. Significant Group × Time interactions were observed for MIP, MEP, the 1‐min sit‐to‐stand test, and selected inflammatory and aging‐related biomarkers, but not for pulmonary function. These findings indicate that the effects of RT varied across outcomes, rather than demonstrating consistent improvement across all assessed measures. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT06682221
Background Evidence on sex differences in cognition and dementia is inconsistent, and it is unclear whether such differences are explained by dementia risk factors. Objective To assess (i) sex differences in cognitive decline and dementia risk, (ii) the extent to which modifiable and nonmodifiable risk factors explain these differences and (iii) whether birth cohort and apolipoprotein (APOE)‐Ꜫ4 carrier status modify sex differences in cognitive decline. Methods Data from the Whitehall II study were analysed to examine cross‐sectional and longitudinal associations between sex, cognitive decline and dementia risk. Cognitive outcomes included verbal memory and verbal fluency, assessed from Phase 5 onward, with over 16 years of follow‐up. Test scores were standardised using means and standard deviations from the baseline cognitive tests to generate z‐scores. All‐cause dementia was ascertained through linkage to three electronic health record databases. Results Among 5920 participants aged 44.8–68.2 years, women demonstrated better baseline performance than men in memory (adjusted mean difference = −0.2, p < 0.0001), phonemic fluency (−0.1, p = 0.001) and semantic fluency (−0.2, p < 0.0001). Men exhibited a steeper decline in semantic fluency (adjusted β = −2.6, p < 0.0001) and a nominal decline in phonemic fluency (−1.7, p = 0.007). Sex differences remained after adjustment for covariates. Dementia incidence did not differ significantly by sex. Birth cohort and APOE‐Ꜫ4 carrier status did not meaningfully modify associations between sex and cognitive outcomes. Conclusion Cognitive advantages observed in women in midlife did not translate into lower dementia risk. Further research incorporating biological, psychosocial and life‐course factors, as well as the timing and heterogeneity of underlying disease processes, is needed to better understand sex differences in cognitive ageing and dementia.
Aim This study examined the relationship between appearance management motivation and quality of life in Korean women in their 60s and compared and analyzed the mediating effects of cognitive age identity and ego integrity. Methods An online cross‐sectional survey was conducted with 350 women aged 60–69 living in the Seoul metropolitan area of Korea. Appearance management motivation, cognitive age identity, ego integrity, and quality of life were measured using validated scales. The indirect effect was mediated using 5000 bootstrap samples using Hayes’ PROCESS model. Results Appearance management motivation had a direct positive effect on the quality of life ( β = 0.297, p < 0.001), and two related pathways were identified. First, appearance management motivation significantly reduced cognitive age identity ( β = −0.332, p < 0.001), and as cognitive age identity decreased, there was a tendency for the quality of life to increase ( β = −0.261, p < 0.001). Second, appearance management motivation contributed to increasing ego integrity ( β = 0.442, p < 0.001), and as ego integrity increased, the quality of life also significantly increased ( β = 0.253, p < 0.001). The mediating effect of ego integrity ( β = 0.112) was stronger than that of cognitive age identity ( β = 0.087). Conclusion In a society where appearance is important, appearance management suggests that it can be a psychological mechanism that goes beyond simply pursuing youthfulness and helps with self‐awareness, personal growth, and adaptation to the aging process. Appearance management that fosters self‐expression and personal capabilities can improve the quality of life of older people.
Background Maintaining diverse and outdoor activities is crucial for healthy ageing, yet activity types, environmental settings and health implications have rarely been examined together. Research has characterised activity diversity across cognitive, social and physical domains and a parallel literature has examined the environments in which activity takes place, but activities are typically analysed in isolation from one another and from their settings. What remains less well established is the joint account: work that characterises a range of activity domains as content, locates each in its actual environmental setting and relates that coupling to multidimensional wellbeing. This study takes the out‐of‐home (OOH) trip as its unit of analysis, since it is the smallest unit that carries an activity, a setting and a duration together, and since the settings of OOH activity are those that neighbourhood design, greenspace provision and transport policy are able to shape. It explores the associations between diverse OOH activities, their environmental contexts and health and well‐being outcomes in older adults. Methods Twenty‐five community‐dwelling adults aged 50 and over completed a paper activity diary recording all trips outside the home over seven consecutive days. Diaries were completed at up to four time points between winter 2022 and summer 2023, yielding 54 diaries and 742 recorded trips. The diary captured the purpose, setting, distance from home and time spent walking, in a car, on public transport and sitting for each trip, and these were examined in relation to self‐reported health and well‐being measures. Results Analysis of 742 trips recorded across 54 weekly diary entries showed that trips for utilitarian and social purposes were the most common, but natural environments were the most frequent location. Recreation trips involved the longest walking times, while social engagement involved the shortest. A higher frequency of recreation and exercise trips was linked to better physical function and quality of life; social activities were associated with better perceived health. Conclusion Social engagement appears to be a critical pathway to health, even if sedentary. Nonetheless, natural spaces are chosen environments for a range of OOH activities. We recommend neighbourhoods be designed with multifunctional natural spaces to encourage mobility during OOH trips, supporting ageing‐in‐place.
Background Clinical research often relies on in‐person assessments, which can limit participation among frailer older adults who have difficulty attending clinical settings. Developing valid self‐reported alternatives could improve inclusivity. We aimed to validate self‐reported gait speed and grip strength against objective measures in adults aged ≥ 65 with mild frailty participating in the HomeHealth trial. Methods Participants with paired subjective and objective gait speed and/or grip strength measures were included. Internal consistency was assessed using Cronbach’s alpha for gait speed (4 items) and grip strength (2 items), stratified by sex. Criterion validity was evaluated using sensitivity and specificity of self‐reported measures to identify frailty (Fried phenotype thresholds). Construct validity was examined through regression analyses with instrumental activities of daily living and quality of life outcomes. Results A total of 254 participants were included (161 females, 93 males). Sensitivity and specificity for detecting slow gait speed were 65.5% and 65.8% in men and 79.5% and 59.0% in women. For weak grip strength, sensitivity and specificity were 23.0% and 66.7% in men and 49.3% and 93.3% in women. Internal consistency was low ( α = 0.314–0.574 across measures). Construct validity was moderate, with expected associations observed for functional and quality of life outcomes. Conclusions Self‐reported gait speed and grip strength measures demonstrated limited validity compared with objective assessments in older adults with mild frailty and should be used cautiously as substitutes for measuring weakness and slowness in this population. Trial Registration: ISRCTN Registry: ISRCTN54268283
