Comparison of performance-based measures among native Japanese, Japanese-Americans in Hawaii and Caucasian women in the United States, ages 65 years and over: a cross-sectional study

Abstract

Background: Japanese (both in Japan and Hawaii) have a lower incidence of falls and of hip fracture than North American and European Caucasians, but the reasons for these differences are not clear.

Relationship between lower-limb muscle strength and functional independence among elderly people according to frailty criteria: a cross-sectional study

“…31 Regarding frailty characteristics, a community-based study in the same city showed that females, higher age groups and lower income groups correlated with greater frailty, with more fatigue, less muscle strength and slower gait. 32 Previous studies [33][34][35][36][37][38][39][40] that used the FTSST to measure LLMS among elderly individuals showed higher performance than was observed in the present study, in which the mean time taken in the FTSST was 21.7 seconds. It might be possible to explain this discrepancy in terms of the profile of elderly individuals attended at the outpatient clinic studied, which followed certain inclusion criteria, such as advanced age and functional deficit.…”

Reference values for hand grip strength in Japanese community-dwelling elderly: a meta-analysis

“…On the other hand, there is no marked difference in strength between elderly Japanese women versus elderly Italian women. A study comparing hand grip strength between elderly native Japanese women and Caucasian women found that hand grip strength was greater in native Japanese women than in Caucasian women [11]. It is, therefore, likely that racial differences in hand grip strength may also differ between the sexes.…”

“…However, other reports have suggested that racial differences exist in hand grip strength and other physical performance tests [11,12]. Therefore, reference values not based on measurements in Asians [9] are not appropriate for Japanese people.…”

Reference values for the Timed Up and Go test in healthy Japanese elderly people: Determination using the methodology of meta‐analysis

“…The reference value of TUG has already been reported in a previous meta‐analysis; 15 however, that value was mainly estimated from a sample of African‐American and Caucasian elderly people. On the other hand, it has been shown that physical functions and the fall rate differ between Caucasian and Japanese elderly people 16,17 . It has been suggested that one must consider ethnic differences in the physical functions of elderly people.…”