The intervention study to increase physical activity among the sedentary elderly in the community

我们开发了一种持续监测个人日常生活体力活动的仪器，我们还开发并实施了针对居住在社区的体弱老年人的运动训练计划1)开发了一种同时使用加速度计和气压计的日常生活体力活动连续监测仪器，我们开发了一种新的个人日常生活体力活动连续监测仪器，名为智能卡路里计数器：ICC。设计了一种对人体三维运动(垂直-横向-前后)敏感的加速度传感器。在区分个人是在平地上移动、向上移动(例如，上楼)还是向下移动(例如，下楼)时，边界计很有用。与传统的体力活动测定仪相比，该仪器具有更高的准确性和敏感性。2)针对社区体弱老年人的运动训练计划，其目的有两个：改善运动功能和促进日常生活中的体力活动。我们招募了居住在仙台市Tsurugaya区的70岁及以上的虚弱男女。在符合条件的86名受试者中，我们随机将43名受试者分为干预组，其余43名受试者分为对照组。两组受试者均参加每周1次、每次2小时的运动训练，共6个月。干预组的受试者还参加了一项生活方式干预，由教练指导受试者如何在日常生活中增加体力活动水平。结果表明，干预后干预组的平均体力活动水平有所提高，而对照组的平均体力活动水平有所下降。我们将对受试者进行跟踪调查，以检查干预组增加的体力活动是否会继续下去。

We developed an instrument to continuously monitor physical activity of the individuals at daily life, and we also developed and implemented an exercise training program for the frail elderly subjects living in the community.1)Development of an instrument to continuously monitor physical activity at daily lifeWith application of both an accelerometer and a barometer, we developed a new instrument to continuously monitor physical activity of the individuals at daily life, named as "Intelligent Calorie Counter : ICC". An accelerometer is designed to be sensitive to three dimension of human movement (vertical-lateral-anteropostal). A borometer is useful in distinguishing whether an individual is moving at flat ground, upward (e.g., ascending the stairs), or downward (e.g., descending the stairs). As compared with conventional instrument for physical activity measurement, this ICC was proved to be more accurate and sensitive.2)Exercise training program for the frail elderly subjects living in the communityThe purpose of this training program was two-fold ; improvement of motor function and promotion of physical activity in daily life. We recruited the frail men and women aged 70 years and over living at the Tsurugaya District of Sendai City. Out of 86 eligible subjects, we randomly allocated 43 subjects into the intervention group and the remaining 43 subjects into the control group. The subjects at the both groups participated in 2-hour session of exercise training once a week for 6 months. The subjects at the intervention group further participated in a lifestyle intervention in which an instructor guided the subjects how to increase their physical activity levels in daily life. The results indicated that, after the intervention, the mean physical activity level increased in the intervention group but decreased in the control group. We would follow up the subjects in order to examine whether the increased physical activity in the intervention group would continue.