PubMed Health⌕ Search

SEARCH · PubMed Health

Results for “Physical Functional Performance”

Explore indexed PubMed citations for clinical trials, systematic reviews and public health research. Read source abstracts and follow each citation to its original PubMed record.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 253 records · Page 14Linked to original sources
PubMed1997

Musculoskeletal health surveillance. Eight simple, self-administered tests to add to symptom registration: a preliminary report.

STUDY DESIGN: A population-based evaluation including cross-sectional comparisons of eight simple function tests (mobility and strength) and answers on questions concerning lifestyle factors, work environment, and health. The study population was randomly selected among people 35-45 years old. OBJECTIVES: To construct a simple, self-administered surveillance system to test musculoskeletal function to be mailed to a sample population along with a questionnaire. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: A surveillance system should be easy to use, detect treatable symptoms at an early stage, and detect change of function or symptoms. METHOD: Questionnaires, which also contained instructions in performing the eight tests of musculoskeletal function, were sent to a randomly selected sample population. The questionnaire covered type and level of musculoskeletal problems, and lifestyle and occupational factors. RESULTS: The questionnaire and the self-administered test were completed by 834 people. The test movements could be performed and the questions answered by the study population. The tests discriminated between those with and without moderate or severe problems. Performance of physically heavy work did not significantly correlate with the test results. The results of the physical function test discriminated significantly between those with different levels of fear of movement (odds ratio, 2.2) and the degree of current somatic distress (odds ratio, 5.9). CONCLUSION: The test of physical function could be performed and the questionnaire completed by this randomly selected cohort, and the results discriminated significantly between groups.

Adult↗
PubMed2002

[Influence of lifestyle, biological and other factors on subjective evaluation of physical functioning].

OBJECTIVE: To assess the strength of relationship between various lifestyle, biological, psychosocial factors, chronic conditions, pain and subjective physical performance, evaluated by "Physical functioning" scale from "Rand-36 Health Survey" questionnaire. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We used a standardized generic health related quality of life questionnaire. The study population was based on the original sample, formerly explored during the study, carried out by the Department of Propedeutics to Internal Medicine. It enroled 575 primary care patients from seven small towns located in Kaunas region. The effect exerted by various factors on ratings of subjective physical performance was evaluated by means of multiple logistic regression. Ratings of the "Pain" scale, as well as subjective rating of change in health during preceding year were included in the analysis. RESULTS: The biggest influence on rating of physical functioning was exerted by reported deterioration in health during preceding year and severity of pain. Among biological factors, age, diastolic blood pressure (>80 mmHg), body mass index (> or =35) and FEV1 (%) were adversely related to subjective ratings of physical health. Smoking status, chronic respiratory conditions, disablement group, perceived lack of social support, reported shortage of food expenditures and being pensioned off, all remained significant predictors of worsened physical functioning. CONCLUSIONS: Perceived physical health is affected by both objective biological and subjective factors related to the history of disease as well as psychosocial factors. These should be taken into account when planning clinical trials where health-related quality of life is intended to be analyzed among outcomes of interest.

Aged↗
PubMedDate not supplied

A bivariate genetic analysis of cerebral white matter hyperintensities and cognitive performance in elderly male twins.

White matter hyperintensities (WMHs) are frequently observed on MRI scans of elderly nondemented people and have been associated in the past with cognitive impairment and physical dysfunction. Individual differences in the prevalence and severity of WMHs have been documented and more recently we reported on the significant contribution of genetic influences to this variability. The objective of the present study was to further investigate, in the context of a behavioral genetic paradigm, the nature of the association between WMHs and cognitive and physical function. MRI brain scans and a battery of neuropsychological and physical function tests were given to 142 male-male twin pairs [72 monozygotic (MZ) and 70 dizygotic (DZ)], participants in the 4th exam of the NHLBI Twin Study. Biometric genetic modeling was used to estimate the genetic and/or environmental covariation between WMHs and cognitive and physical summary scores. The phenotypic association between WMHs and cognitive function in this sample of twins was modest but statistically significant. Genetic analyses of cognitive and physical function summary scores found that 55% to 70% of the observed variability was due to genetic influences. A further decomposition of the phenotypic association between WMHs and cognitive function found that 70% to 100% of the phenotypic covariation was due to common genetic effects. Similar results explained the association between WMHs and performance on two physical function tests. We conclude from these analyses that common genetic influences explain to a large extent previously observed phenotypic associations between large amounts of WMHs and poor cognitive and physical function in the elderly.

Aged↗
PubMed2006

Determinants of physical health in frail older people: the importance of self-efficacy.

OBJECTIVE: There is continued uncertainty regarding the strength of association between performance-based and self-report measures of physical functioning, and of their relationship to self-efficacy and health-related quality of life (HRQoL). This study assessed the inter-relationships between such measures, and the predictors of 'physical' aspects of HRQoL in frail older patients. DESIGN: We used statistical models to determine the predictors of 'physical' HRQoL, according to the physical component summary score and the physical functioning domain of the 36-item short form (SF-36) questionnaire. SETTING: Patients were recruited from hospitals in Australia and New Zealand and followed up in their homes. SUBJECTS: Two hundred and forty-three frail older patients. MAIN MEASURES: Physical functioning was assessed using three performance-based measures (Timed Up and Go Test, gait speed and the Berg Balance Scale) and five self-report measures, including the modified falls self-efficacy scale, at three and six months after registration. RESULTS: A moderate association (r = 0.48-0.55) was found between each of the performance-based and self-report measures, including the SF-36 physical component summary score. Multiple linear regression analyses showed that the performance-based measures and falls self-efficacy predicted 33% of the SF-36 physical component summary score. Falls self-efficacy was the single highest predictor of both the SF-36 physical component summary score and SF-36 physical functioning domain. A curvilinear relationship was found between the SF-36 physical functioning domain and two variables: falls self-efficacy and the Berg Balance Scale. CONCLUSIONS: Although performance-based and self-report measures provide complementary but distinct measures of physical function, psychosocial factors such as self-efficacy have a strong influence on the HRQoL of frail older people.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMed1993

The reliability and validity of two HIV-specific health-related Quality-of-Life measures: a preliminary analysis.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the reliability and validity of two HIV-specific Quality-of-Life (QoL) questionnaires in a UK sample. METHOD: Subjects were 99 HIV-seropositive gay men (23 were asymptomatic, 41 were asymptomatic, 35 had AIDS). QoL was measured using two HIV-specific QoL questionnaires. MEASURES: An adaptation of the Medical Outcomes Study questionnaire and a self-completion version of the Health-Related Quality-of-Life Questions. Affect was measured using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression (HAD) Scale. Disease measures included Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) stage, and CD4 and CD8 cell count. RESULTS: Both QoL instruments showed good internal reliability on all scales used. Many of the scales, particularly those related to physical health and functional performance, showed significant correlations with CD4 cell count and other measures of disease progression. Measures of physical health showed a deterioration in QoL as disease progressed from asymptomatic disease to AIDS. In contrast, most subscales purporting to measure psychological aspects of QoL did not correlate significantly with measures of disease progression, nor was there any difference between CDC stages. Subjects' global ratings of QoL were most strongly correlated with the HAD depression scale, although there were also significant correlations with most other QoL scales. CONCLUSION: This study provides further evidence for the reliability and validity of two HIV-specific QoL questionnaires in a wider range of disease stages than hitherto reported and raises issues relevant to the practical use of QoL scales in HIV disease.

CD4 Antigens↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Psychosocial predictors of physical performance in disabled individuals with chronic pain.

OBJECTIVES: First, to identify what physical performance differences existed between a group of disabled individuals with chronic pain and a control group of pain-free individuals with comparable disabilities; and second, to test a psychosocial model designed to evaluate which psychosocial constructs were predictive of performance in disabled individuals with chronic pain. DESIGN: Case-comparison study. SETTING: Ambulatory university laboratory. PARTICIPANTS: A community sample of 62 individuals with lower limb amputations or paraplegia, 31 with chronic pain and 31 pain-free. INTERVENTION: Standardized lifting and wheel-turning tasks. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Static strength, endurance, lifting speed, lateral and anterior-posterior sway, and multidimensional psychosocial measures. RESULTS Disabled individuals with chronic pain had decreased endurance for both the lifting (p <0.001) and the wheel-turning (p <0.05) tasks. A psychosocial model of physical performance also was evaluated. Using confirmatory factor analysis, 31 measures were used to validate 8 theoretical constructs: emotional functioning, pain intensity, pain cognitions, physical functioning, social functioning, task-specific self-efficacy, performance outcome, and performance style. Regression analyses indicated that more than 90% of the variance in performance was predicted by psychosocial factors, with self-efficacy, perceived emotional and physical functioning, pain intensity, and pain cognitions showing the highest associations. CONCLUSIONS: Chronic pain was found to significantly reduce the performance in individuals with lower limb amputations and paraplegia. A strong association was found between performance and psychosocial factors in disabled individuals with chronic pain. These findings extend the existing literature by validating that psychosocial models of chronic pain can be applied to the disabled population, with results similar to those of other chronic pain samples.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed1994

Correlates of impaired function in older women.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the factors associated with impaired function in older women. DESIGN: Cross-sectional analysis of baseline data collected for a multicenter, prospective study of risk factors for osteoporotic fractures. SETTING: Four clinical centers in Portland, Oregon, Minneapolis, Minnesota, Baltimore, Maryland, and the Monongahela Valley, Pennsylvania. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 9,704 ambulatory, non-black women, aged 65 years and older, recruited from population-based listings. MEASUREMENTS: Independent variables, including demographic and historical information (medical conditions, health habits, and medications) and physiologic measures (anthropometry, blood pressure, mental status, vision, and neuromuscular performance) were obtained from a baseline questionnaire, interview, and examination. Measurement of function was assessed by self-reported ability to perform six physical and instrumental activities of daily living (ADL) and impaired function (dependent variable) was defined as difficulty performing three or more physical and instrumental ADLs. RESULTS: In order of decreasing strength of association, hip fracture, osteoarthritis, parkinsonism, slower walking speed, lower hip abduction force, back pain, greater Quetelet index, osteoporosis, former alcohol use, stroke, never drinking alcohol, lower mental status, use of anxiolytics and/or sleeping medications, inability to hold the tandem position, postural dizziness, cataracts, greater waist to hip ratio, lower physical activity in the past year, greater lifetime cigarette consumption, and lower grip strength were independently associated with impaired function in multivariate analyses. Age, low educational level, diabetes, current heavy alcohol use, postural hypotension, depth perception, and contrast sensitivity were not independent predictors. A combination of neuromuscular performance measures, including decreased muscle strength and impaired balance and gait, appeared to account for the effect of age on disability. CONCLUSION: A combination of many factors, including medical conditions, health habits such as obesity, smoking, alcohol abstinence, and physical inactivity, and direct measures of neuromuscular performance are associated with impaired function in older women.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMed1998

[A longitudinal study on deterioration of physical function in people aged over 55 in Beijing].

The objective of this study is to explore the index of physical performance test in detecting physical functional status among elderly people. Physical performance test, recommended by Yale University in EPESE was used in the study. A total number of 1,986 people aged 55 and over in urban and rural area of Beijing was studied in a three-year longitutinal observation. Among 1,986 cases studied in 1992, 168 died between 1992-1994. The mortality rate increased along with the degree of functional disablement, lowest in non-disabled (3.4%), followed by mild ones (5.2%), moderate (10.5%) and highest in severely disabled (18.4%). It is shown that performance test can be used as a tool in observing and detecting risk groups in the progress of functional disability It's an important index describing the decline of health status.

Aged↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Evaluating and understanding performance testing in COPD patients.

PURPOSE: There is increasing interest in the use of performance tests to assess physical function among patients with debilitating diseases. The purpose of this study was to describe the measurement properties of a performance test battery used in the Reconditioning Exercise and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Trial and to explore how well-selected physiologic and psychosocial measures explained test performance. METHODS: To assess test-retest reliability of the performance tests, older patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (n = 30) completed, on two different occasions, a 6-minute walk for distance, a timed stair climb, and a timed elevated-arm task. In addition, stepwise regression analyses were conducted on a larger sample (n = 209) to examine how effective conceptually relevant physiologic and psychosocial variables were at explaining variation in task performance. RESULTS: Results showed that all three performance tasks had good test-retest reliability (all coefficients > 0.80) and shared variance in expected directions with VO2peak, forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1), and self-reported disability. Regression analyses suggest that VO2peak, FEV1, self-efficacy, and self-reported disability are important variables to consider in attempts to understand performance-related disability in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). CONCLUSIONS: The physical performance test battery appears to be a reliable means of assessing physical functioning in older patients with COPD. Furthermore, findings support the important role that VO2peak plays in task performance and suggest that patients' perceptions should be given careful consideration when attempting to understand physical decline in clinical settings.

Aged↗
PubMed2002

Complexities in ETS-domain transcription factor function and regulation: lessons from the TCF (ternary complex factor) subfamily. The Colworth Medal Lecture.

The ETS-domain transcription factor family can be divided into a series of subfamilies. Elk-1 represents the founding member of the ternary complex factor (TCF) subfamily. By focusing on the TCF subfamily, we can demonstrate the complexities that exist in the function and regulation of ETS-domain transcription factors. This article focuses on Elk-1 in detail and summarizes the functions of other TCFs. The key themes covered include the domain structure of the TCFs, the mechanisms of complex formation with serum response factor, regulation of TCFs by mitogen-activated protein kinase cascades, and transcriptional regulatory properties of the TCFs. Finally, the emerging role of the TCFs in vivo is discussed. A picture is developing indicating that, while these proteins exhibit significant sequence and functional conservation, key differences in their structure and regulation are being identified which may relate to unique functions of these proteins in vivo.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1994

Do specific nucleotide bases constitute the centromere?

It is becoming increasingly clear that the underlying base composition of the DNA located in the centromere region is vastly different in different organisms. The chromosomes of related species or even the various chromosomes of the same species differ widely in their so-called centromeric DNA. Yet all centromeres appear physically alike and perform similar functions. The present communication proposes that the physical properties of the centromere are not due to its base composition but due to stereophysical make-up of the DNA segment constituting the centromere. This unique make up might reflect some physical parameter, like curvature, of the DNA present in the centromere constriction. It is further proposed that a proteinaceous factor, centromerase, is responsible for holding the centromeres as one unit until meta-anaphase.

Animals↗
PubMed2006

Postoperative physical training following colorectal surgery: a randomised, placebo-controlled study.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Major surgery is often followed by fatigue and reduced physical function. We wished to study if postoperative physical training reduced fatigue and improved physical function. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Randomised, placebo-controlled, single-blinded study. Participants were unselected patients > or = 60 years undergoing elective colorectal surgery without disseminated cancer or inflammatory bowel disease. Group A trained muscular strength and work capacity. Group B performed relaxation exercises and received hot wrappings and massage. Main outcome measures were: fatigue (visual analogue scale), muscular strength, walking speed, physical performance test, and physical function questions (SF-36). RESULTS: Preoperatively the two groups were similar except that A was more fatigued than B. By postoperative day seven fatigue had increased compared to preoperatively, more in B than A, but by day 30 and 90 there were no significant differences between groups. All indices of physical function decreased postoperative day seven and were at the preoperative level day 90 with no significant differences between groups in change in function. Day seven the change in knee extension strength tended to be lower in B than A but by day 30 changes were similar in both groups. CONCLUSION: Postoperative training did not improve physical function, but reduced fatigue in hospital.

Aged↗
PubMed1997

Health-related quality of life assessed before and during chemotherapy predicts for survival in multiple myeloma. Nordic Myeloma Study Group.

Measurement of health-related quality of life was integrated into a randomized trial (NMSG 4/90) comparing melphalan/prednisone to melphalan/prednisone + interferon alpha-2b in newly diagnosed multiple myeloma. One of the aims of the study was to assess the prognostic significance of quality-of-life scores, using the EORTC QLQ-C30 questionnaire. Univariate analysis showed a highly significant association with survival from the start of therapy for physical functioning as well as role and cognitive functioning, global quality of life, fatigue and pain. In multivariate analysis, physical functioning and W.H.O. performance status were independent prognostic factors (P values = 0.001 for both) when analysed in a Cox regression model with the somatic variables beta-2 microglobulin, skeletal disease and age. The best prediction for survival from the start of therapy was obtained by combining the beta-2 microglobulin and physical functioning scores in a variable consisting of three risk factor levels with an estimated median survival of 17, 29 and 49 months, respectively. At a 12 months landmark analysis, the relative risk for patients with physical functioning score 0-20 v 80-100 was 5.63 (99% CI 2.76-11.49), whereas the relative risk for patients without an objective response to chemotherapy compared to those with at least a minor response was 2.32 (99% CI 1.44-3.74). Quality-of-life assessment may be an independent and valuable addition to the known prognostic factors in multiple myeloma.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Metabolic and cardiorespiratory responses to maximal and submaximal exercise in eutrophic and stunted girls].

OBJECTIVE: The metabolic and cardiovascular responses of eutrophic girls and girls who underwent early undernutrition, were examined during physical exercise, in order to verify whether previous undernutrition could, in addition to cause a deficit in the children's height, and limit their functional capability to perform a maximal and submaximal exercise in an ergometric bicycle. SUBJECTS: Our sample was composed of 24 girls, of which 12 were eutrophic, with 9.13 +/- 0.79 years (mean +/- s.d.), 27.64 +/- 3.64 kg of body weight, and 131.31 +/- 6.04 cm in height. The 12 early undernourished girls were 9.75 +/- 1.1 years old, 25.16 +/- 2.33 kg, and 125.06 +/- 3.9 cm high. MEASUREMENTS: The method included clinical evaluation and ergo-spirometric test on an ergometric bicycle, from which all the metabolic and cardiac-respiratory variables were obtained and analyzed. The test protocol was an initial two minutes period with 25 watts, followed by increments of 15 watts every two minutes, until exhaustion. RESULTS: Analysis of the results of the test of maximal effort did not reveal significant differences between eutrophic (E) and early undernourished (UN) girls in any of the variables: VO2max expressed in l/min (E = 1.11 +/- 0.25; UN = 1.02 +/- 0.19); VO2max expressed in ml/min/kg (E = 40.23 +/- 6.98; UN = 40.53 +/- 6.32), VEmax (E = 40.61 +/- 8.79; UN = 38.25 +/- 8.95), R (E = 1.13 +/- 0.07; UN = 1.13 +/- 0.05), HRmax (E = 195.33 +/- 9.13; UN = 193.85 +/- 11.18), previous % HRmax (E = 92.87 +/- 4.33; UN = 92.80 +/- 4.87), and maximum watts (E = 90.00 +/- 20.56; UN = 91.25 +/- 11.33). Analysis of the results obtained in test of submaximal effort, reflected by the intensity of effort in the anaerobic threshold (AT), showed differences between the groups in the following variables: VO2max expressed in l/min. (E = 0.77 +/- 0.14; UN = 0.62 +/- 0.13), % of VO2max (E = 70.07 +/- 7.52; UN = 61.21 +/- 9.83), HR (E = 166.58 +/- 14.25; UN = 146.33 +/- 17.40), % HRmax (E = 85.31 +/-6.41; UN = 75.50 +/- 7.73), VE (E = 24.18 +/- 5.81; UN = 17.69 +/- 4.30), % VEmax (E = 59.64 +/- 8.45; UN = 46.95 +/- 10.59). No differences were found for VO2max, expressed in l/min/kg (E = 28.06 +/- 4.87; UN = 24.81 +/- 5.31) and watts (E = 51.25 +/- 17.47; UN = 45.00 +/- 9.77). CONCLUSION: The reestablishment of the ratio weight/height in early undernourished girls is also useful to indicate lack of limitation of functional capability to perform physical exercises.

Body Height↗
PubMed2004

Using compensations to assess physical performance for ambulatory outpatients.

OBJECTIVE: To construct a physical performance scale for community-dwelling ambulatory outpatients that is linear, includes high functioning tasks, and uses common compensations to assess difficulty levels. DESIGN: Calibrated subject performances on 19 tasks were rated by an examiner, timed, and had compensations recorded. SETTING: Ambulatory outpatient physical therapy (PT) department of a tertiary care center. PARTICIPANTS: Convenience sample of 50 community-dwelling patients with difficulties in mobility referred for PT. INTERVENTIONS: Not applicable. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The Community Ambulatory Physical Performance Scale (CAPPS) constructed by using Rasch analysis, the Lower Extremity Functional Scale (LEFS), and the six-minute walk test (6MWT). RESULTS: The CAPPS showed construct validity after removal of 3 items. Two additional items were removed for improved clinical utility. The person reliability was .89 and item reliability was .98. Subjects' performance on the CAPPS correlated with the 6MWT (r=.79; 95% confidence interval [CI], .65-.87) and with the LEFS (r=.62; 95% CI, .40-.78). CONCLUSIONS: The CAPPS showed good psychometric properties and has utility for assessments of higher-level physical functioning. This standardized approach to performance testing for ambulatory outpatients appears to be a promising method for articulating the compensations persons use to accomplish common tasks. Use of compensatory strategies to assess difficulties in physical performance may assist in delineating interventions directed toward improving task performance.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMed2004

Weight loss intervention for obese older women: improvements in performance and function.

OBJECTIVES: To determine the feasibility of a 3-month weight loss program for obese older women with short-term laboratory, performance, functional, and life quality outcomes. RESEARCH METHODS AND PROCEDURES: This was a pre- and postintervention design. Community-dwelling women (n = 26) > or =60 years old with BMI > or =30 were enrolled in a 3-month weight loss program promoting prudent diet, behavior modification, and physical activity. The primary emphasis of the program was on health, function, and quality of life. The approach was specifically tailored to older subjects through use of large-font instructional materials, supplementation of calcium and vitamin D, and moderate weight loss and physical activity goals. An initial assessment by a bariatric physician was followed by eight visits with a dietitian and a follow-up physician visit. Measurements included anthropometrics, body composition, laboratories, pedometer, physical performance, Short-Form 36 Health Status Survey (SF-36), Life Space Assessment, and dietary assessment. RESULTS: Eighteen participants completed the program. There was a significant decrease in mean body weight (100 +/- 15 vs. 96 +/- 18 kg, p = 0.006), with a mean weight loss of 4.3 +/- 5.5 kg (range -15.5 to +7.20 kg). Significant improvements were observed for diastolic blood pressure, total cholesterol, triglycerides, physical performance, pedometer-measured step counts, and step climb and descent. Self-rated physical functioning (SF-36 subscore) and vitality (SF-36 subscore) were also significantly improved. DISCUSSION: It is feasible for self-selected obese older women to achieve a moderate weight loss and increase in physical activity resulting in short-term improvements in laboratory, physical performance, self-reported function, vitality, and life quality outcomes.

Aged↗