Relationship between Asymmetries and Functional Autonomy in Older Chilean Adults

Abstract

The objectives of this study were: (a) to determine asymmetries, both lower limb (LL) and upper limb (UL), in Chilean older adults, and (b) to relate asymmetries to FA in both LL and UL. Forty-one older adults voluntarily participated in this study (mean ± standard deviation [SD]: age 72.0 ± 8.0 years, LL asymmetries 13.78 ± 14.87%, UL asymmetries 10.70 ± 8.85%, FA 40.35 ± 16.26 points). The variables were: (1) asymmetries of LL and UL, assessed through a force platform and handgrip, respectively; (2) FA, assessed through the Latin American Group for Maturity (GDLAM) and the GDLAM index of autonomy (GI) protocol. The relationship between the variables was performed through Spearman’s correlation. The analysis showed that 39% of the participants presented asymmetries above 15% in the LL. Likewise, this 39% of older adults presented a lower FA than their peers with asymmetries below 15% in the LL (≤15%: 35.64 ± 12.26 points vs. >15%: 47.69 ± 19.23 points, p = 0.003). The analysis showed a small correlation between LL and GI asymmetries (r = 0.27, p = 0.07) and a small but negative correlation between UL and GI (r = −0.21). The mean values of asymmetries of both LL and UL are within ‘normal’ parameters. However, several older adults were identified as being at risk. In parallel, older adults who presented a higher level of asymmetries in LL showed a lower level of FA.

Environmental pollution and health in Chilean older adults: Impact on quality of life and functional autonomy

“…This protocol consists of five functional tests: (a) put on and take off a T‐shirt (PTS), (b) stand up from the sitting position (SSP), (c) stand up from the prone position (SPP), (d) walk 10 m (W10 m), and (e) sit and get up from the chair and move around the house (SCMA), all of them evaluated in seconds (s) (Figure 1). The five functional tests are described by Huerta Ojeda et al 31 The results of the five tests are then used to calculate the score point of the GDLAM index of autonomy (GI) using the following formula 28 : $$$\text{GI}=[(\text{PTS}+\text{SSP}+\text{SPP}+{\rm{W}}10\,{\rm{m}})\times 2]+\text{SCMA}]/4.$$$…”

Test-retest reliability of Latin American Group for Maturity (GDLAM) protocol in older women

“…The unit of measurement for all tests is time in s. A digital stopwatch Casio1 HS-70W-1 model (Tokyo, Japan) was used for the time evaluation of the five functional tests. The five functional tests were described by Huerta Ojeda et al [33]:…”

“…Concerning the SSP test evaluated in the present study, our results showed a CV equivalent to 9.01% (95% CI = 7.37-11.61) and an ICC equivalent to 0.79 (95% CI = 0.64-0.89), evidencing acceptable reliability and high interday reproducibility in OW. The different SSP or similar protocols used to assess the ability to stand and sit have shown a positive association between lower limb strength and higher FA on OW [33]. In parallel, SSP, as an activity…”

Incidence of Muscular Strength, Anthropometry, and Asymmetry in the General Index of Autonomy in Older Chilean Women

“…In this sense, in the research carried out by Huerta Ojeda et al FA (2022) asymmetries were determined, from muscle strength tests, of the lower and upper limbs in Chilean OP and, later, they were related to FA. At the end of the study, it is ruled out that a higher level of asymmetries in the older adults (OA) shows a lower level of FA (Huerta Ojeda et al, 2022). These antecedents show that early evaluation allowed an intervention to be correctly channeled, as well as the evidence which relates muscle strength, anthropometry, and asymmetries with FA in this segment of the Chilean population is scarce.…”

“…To the best of our knowledge, in Chile there is limited information on the relationship between muscle strength levels and asymmetries in FA in OW (Huerta Ojeda et al, 2022). In this sense, in the research carried out by Huerta Ojeda et al FA (2022) asymmetries were determined, from muscle strength tests, of the lower and upper limbs in Chilean OP and, later, they were related to FA.…”