AUTHOR=Li RuiQi , Dai YaLun , Han YiWen , Zhang Chi , Pang Jing , Li Jian , Zhang TieMei , Zeng Ping 

TITLE=Doing housework and having regular daily routine standing out as factors associate with physical function in the older people

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Public Health

VOLUME=11

YEAR=2023

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/public-health/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2023.1281291

DOI=10.3389/fpubh.2023.1281291

ISSN=2296-2565

ABSTRACT=<sec id="sec1"><title>Background and objectives</title><p>Nationwide data were used to explore factors associated with physical function in order to identify interventions that could improve and maintain physical function in the older people.</p></sec><sec id="sec2"><title>Methods</title><p>The physical function was assessed by gait speed (GS). We selected 2,677 male and 2,668 female older adults (aged ≥60) who could perform the GS test as study subjects. GS was measured by having subjects walk across and back a 10-m course. A gait speed less than 20% that of a reference population (&lt;0.7 m/s) was used as the definition of slow gait speed (SGS). Co-morbidity, polypharmacy, medical expenses, need for care, and hospitalization were used to evaluate health status. A stepwise logistic regression model was used to determine factors associated with SGS.</p></sec><sec id="sec3"><title>Results</title><p>SGS was associated with poorer health status, higher medical cost, lower ranking on the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) and decreased Mini-mental State Examination (MMSE). Co-morbidity (<italic>OR</italic> = 1.81, 1.58–2.07), polypharmacy (<italic>OR</italic> = 1.47, 1.25–1.74), MMSE &lt;24 (<italic>OR</italic> = 1.85, 1.54–2.22), and GDS ≥ 11 (<italic>OR</italic> = 1.40, 1.18–1.65) were associated with SGS. In contrast, doing housework (DHW, <italic>OR</italic> = 0.43, 0.38–0.49), having a regular daily routine (RDR, <italic>OR</italic> = 0.64, 0.45–0.91), and current alcohol consumption (<italic>OR</italic> = 0.74, 0.62–0.90) were inversely associated with SGS. DHW plus having RDR could greatly reduce the risk of SGS (<italic>OR</italic> = 0.29, 0.19–0.43).</p></sec><sec id="sec4"><title>Conclusion</title><p>Poor physical function is associated with poorer health status in Chinese older people. Maintaining a regular daily routine and doing some housework may be important factors that can help older people preserve their physical function.</p></sec>