PHYSICAL FITNESS OF GERIATRIC POPULATION OF AHMEDABAD, INDIA

N. Shah¹, M. Sheth¹, M. Purohit¹, P. Gahlot¹

¹SBB College of Physiotherapy, Physiotherapy, Ahmedabad, India

Background: As per Health Statistics and Information,WHO,Most developed world countries have accepted the chronological age of 65 years as a definition of 'elderly' or older person (WHO). UN agreed cutoff is 60 + years to refer to the older population. Between 2015 and 2050, the proportion of the world's population over 60 years will nearly double from 12% to 22%. In 2050, 80% of older people will be living in low- and middle-income countries. Age related physiological changes include reduced muscle strength and physical performance, neurological, neuropsychiatric and cognitive disorders, hearing loss and declining health related quality of life. Musculoskeletal changes in geriatric population like increased bone fragility,loss of cartilage resilience,sarcopenia, loss of mobility and reduced physical independence due to joint degeneration and fractures lead to overall reduction in physical fitness and performance.

Purpose: Aging leads to decline in Physical Activity, decline in overall fitness and decline in Physical performance. Hence this study aims at assessing pain by visual analog scale, physical fitness of geriatric population using Senior fitness test - chair stand test, arm curl test, back scratch test and sit and reach test, and fear of fall by fall efficacy scale-I. The study also aims to find out association between these parameters.

Methods: Study was approved by Institutional Ethics committee. After the approval, retrospective data of 200 geriatric subjects more than 60 years of age visiting Geriatric Physiotherapy Department of SVP Hospital for health checkup was collected for assessing Physical fitness. Data collected consisted of Pain using VAS, Senior fitness test using chair stand test for lowerlimb strength, arm curl test for upper limb strength, back scratch test for upper limb flexibility and sit and reach test for lowerlimb flexibility and fear of fall using fall efficacy scale. Data was analyzed and association was found between the parameters.

Results: Mean Age of the subjects was 68.04 ± 6.13.72% of the subjects were performing some form of exercises like walking,Yoga and some mobility exercises as a routine. Mean of Arm curl test (ACT)-13.52 ± 4.18,Mean of BST(right):(-3.5 ± 6.56) and (left):(-5.67 ± 7.53),CST: (9.77 ± 3.10) Sit & reach (right):(-1.46 ± 4.44 & (left):(-1.59 ± 4.91) and FES:(12.3 ± 9.15).There was no association found between lowerlimb strength and fear of fall (r=-0.058, p= 0.416). Out of the total patient data analyzed,70 had knee pain,49 had back pain, 24 had neck pain and 24 had shoulder pain. There was no association found between knee pain and lowerlimb strength (r=-0.154, p =0.216), Backpain and lowerlimb strength (r=-0.097, p=0.521), Neckpain and upper limb strength (r=-0.045, p=0.836) and Shoulderpain and upper rlimb strength (r=0.177, p=0.409).

Conclusions: It can be concluded that there is reduction in Upper Extremity flexibility and strength of lower extremity. No association was seen among the parameters.

Implications: Older people visiting a tertiary care hospital for a routine check-up are aware about their health and take good care of themselves to stay physically fit and the complain of pain was less. There was a reduction in strength of LLand flexibility of UL.However data from a larger population including those who are not doing regular check-ups is lacking and future studies can be done targeting this population.

Funding acknowledgements: None

Keywords:
Physical Fitness
Geriatric
Lower limb Strength

Topics:
Older people
Health promotion & wellbeing/healthy ageing/physical activity
Disability & rehabilitation

Did this work require ethics approval? Yes

Institution: SBB College of Physiotherapy, Ahmedabad, India

Committee: Institutional Review Board, SBB College of Physiotherapy

Ethics number: PTC/IEC 49/2022-23