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

我们开发了一种仪器来持续监测个人在日常生活中的身体活动，我们还为生活在社区的体弱老年人开发并实施了一项运动训练计划。1)日常身体活动连续监测仪器的研制。我们结合加速度计和气压计，研制了一种新的日常身体活动连续监测仪器，命名为“Intelligent Calorie Counter: ICC”。加速度计的设计是为了对人体运动的三维（垂直-横向-正反）敏感。测氧仪可用于区分一个人是在平地上向上（如上楼梯）还是向下（如下楼梯）运动。与传统的体力活动测量仪器相比，该仪器具有更高的准确度和灵敏度。2)社区老年体弱受试者运动训练计划。该训练计划的目的是双重的；改善运动功能，促进日常生活中的体力活动。我们招募了居住在仙台市鹤谷区的70岁及以上的体弱男女。在86名符合条件的受试者中，我们随机分配43名受试者为干预组，其余43名受试者为对照组。两组受试者每周进行1次2小时的运动训练，持续6个月。干预组的受试者进一步参加了一项生活方式干预，在该干预中，一名教练指导受试者如何在日常生活中增加他们的体育活动水平。结果表明，干预后，干预组的平均体力活动水平上升，而对照组的平均体力活动水平下降。我们将对受试者进行随访，以检查干预组增加的体力活动是否会持续下去。

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.