A preliminary reliability and validity study of the Chinese version of the self-efficacy for exercise scale for older adults

Background

Population ageing affects most undeveloped, developing and developed countries. Less than a quarter of older people undertake a level of physical activity worldwide that is sufficient to lead to health benefits. Understanding older people’s confidence regarding engaging in exercise helps to structure physical activity interventions that motivate them to initiate and adhere to regular exercise. Estimates of the reliability and validity of the English version of the self-efficacy for exercise (SEE) scale has been widely tested and shown to be valid for use in various settings and among older people. The reliability and validity of a Chinese version of the SEE for older adults has not been tested.

Aim

To undertake a preliminary assessment of the reliability and validity of the SEE scale when applied to the older Chinese adults.

Methods

The Chinese version of the self-efficacy for exercise (SEE-C) scale was tested on a sample of 192 older people from Taiwan with a mean age of 71.2 years recruited between October and December 2003.

Results

There was acceptable internal consistency of the SEE-C scale. The fit of the measurement model to the data for the SEE-C scale was acceptable. There was evidence of validity of the measure based on hypothesis testing: health status predicted exercise self-efficacy, and exercise self-efficacy predicted physical activity. Those who exercised regularly (n = 102) had a higher mean SEE-C score (5.3) than those who did not (2.9, n = 90).

Conclusion

This preliminary validation study provided evidence for the reliability and validity of the Chinese version of the SEE scale. Future testing of the SEE-C scale needs to be carried out to see whether these results are generalisable to older Chinese people living in urban areas and with different characteristics. A test of the scale among younger adults for a wider use of the instrument is also warranted.     

Lack of β2‐AR improves exercise capacity and skeletal muscle oxidative phenotype in mice

β₂‐adrenergic receptor (β₂‐AR) agonists have been used as ergogenics by athletes involved in training for strength and power in order to increase the muscle mass. Even though anabolic effects of β₂‐AR activation are highly recognized, less is known about the impact of β₂‐AR in endurance capacity. We presently used mice lacking β₂‐AR [β₂‐knockout (β₂ KO)] to investigate the role of β₂‐AR on exercise capacity and skeletal muscle metabolism and phenotype. β₂ KO mice and their wild‐type controls (WT) were studied. Exercise tolerance, skeletal muscle fiber typing, capillary‐to‐fiber ratio, citrate synthase activity and glycogen content were evaluated. When compared with WT, β₂ KO mice displayed increased exercise capacity (61%) associated with higher percentage of oxidative fibers (21% and 129% of increase in soleus and plantaris muscles, respectively) and capillarity (31% and 20% of increase in soleus and plantaris muscles, respectively). In addition, β₂ KO mice presented increased skeletal muscle citrate synthase activity (10%) and succinate dehydrogenase staining. Likewise, glycogen content (53%) and periodic acid‐Schiff staining (glycogen staining) were also increased in β₂ KO skeletal muscle. Altogether, these data provide evidence that disruption of β₂‐AR improves oxidative metabolism in skeletal muscle of β₂ KO mice and this is associated with increased exercise capacity.     

Physical exercise on the rat ventral prostate: Steroid hormone receptors,apoptosis and cell proliferation

Studies have investigated the effect of exercise on prostate cancer risk. However, there are still doubts regarding the correlation between physical activity and the steroid hormones with respect to the reduction of the risk for prostatic lesions. We evaluated the levels of corticosterone, dihydrotestosterone (DHT), testosterone, estradiol, and steroid hormone receptors, and investigated the relationship between apoptosis and cell proliferation in the rat ventral prostate after training. Two groups were included in this study: control and trained. The trained group was submitted to training for 13 weeks (1 week of adaptation). Two days after the last training session, all animals were euthanized, and the intermediate and distal regions of the ventral prostate were collected and processed for immunohistochemistry, Western blotting and hormonal analyses. Physical exercise increased the corticosterone plasma, DHT and testosterone. In addition, androgen receptor expression was lower and estrogen receptor (ER) α and ER β expression were higher in the trained group. However, the trained group showed disruption of the ratio of apoptotic to proliferating cells, indicating a predominance of apoptosis. We conclude that physical exercise alters the sex hormones and their receptors and is associated with the disruption of the balance between apoptosis and cell proliferation in the rat ventral prostate.     

Effects of eccentric training on hand strength in subjects with lateral epicondylalgia: a randomized-controlled trial

The main aim of this study was to evaluate the short-term effects of daily eccentric exercises on functional pain-free hand strength in subjects with long-term lateral epicondylalgia. Forty-two subjects with lateral epicondylalgia were randomly assigned either to a 6-week home exercise regimen receiving eccentric training for their wrist extensors and a forearm band or to a control group receiving a forearm band only. The main outcomes were pain-free hand-grip and wrist-extensor strength at mid- and end-intervention follow-ups, 3 and 6 weeks after inclusion, respectively. Secondary outcomes were a change in the proportion of cases with epicondylalgia and ratings of perceived pain (VAS) at follow-up. Thirty-seven (88%) subjects completed both the mid- and the end-intervention follow-up. Exercise members had significantly higher pain-free hand-grip (P=0.025) and wrist-extensor strength (P<0.001) at the end of follow-up, although there was no such effect at mid-intervention. Regression analysis showed a reduction in the proportion of cases in the exercise group at the end of follow-up (P=0.035). However, no between-groups effect emerged for perceived pain. These data suggest that the daily home eccentric exercise regimen is effective in increasing functional pain-free grip strength and reducing cases suffering from lateral epicondylalgia. However, no effect emerged for global perceived pain during the last week.     

Changes in motor unit characteristics after eccentric elbow flexor exercise

Morphological evidence suggests that fast-twitch fibers are prone to disruption of their membrane structures by eccentric exercise. However, it is unclear how this is reflected in the discharge rate and action potential propagation of individual motor units, especially at high contraction levels. High-density surface electromyograms were recorded from biceps brachii muscle and decomposed to individual motor unit action potentials at isometric contraction levels between 10% and 75% of maximal voluntary contraction (MVC) before intermittent maximal elbow flexor eccentric exercise, and two hours (2H), two days (2D) and four days (4D) post-exercise. Maximal voluntary force decreased by 21.3±5.6% 2H and by 12.6±11.1% 2D post-exercise. Motor unit discharge rate increased and mean muscle fiber conduction velocity decreased, at the highest isometric contraction levels only (50% and 75% of MVC) at 2H post-exercise. These results indicate that eccentric exercise can disturb the function of motor units active at high contraction levels in the early stages after exercise, which seems to be compensated by the central nervous system with an increase in neural drive during submaximal isometric contractions.     

Exercise and Arrhythmias: A Double‐Edged Sword

Ample evidence indicates that moderate regular exercise is beneficial for both normal individuals and patients with cardiovascular (CV) disease. However, intense and strenuous exercise in individuals with evident or occult underlying CV abnormalities may have adverse effects with provocation and exacerbation of arrhythmias that may lead to life‐threatening situations. Both of these aspects of exercise‐induced effects are herein reviewed.     

Mitral annular excursion during exercise in endurance athletes

The aim of the present study was to quantify the left ventricular (LV) longitudinal motion during exercise at rest and during upright exercise in 24 healthy male endurance athletes. By using M-mode and two-dimensional echocardiography, the relative mitral annular motion and the absolute LV longitudinal axis was measured at end-diastole and end-systole at rest and during exercise. From rest to peak exercise at a heart rate of 160 beats per minute (bpm) the mitral annular motion increased in the septal and lateral annular borders by 68% and 49% respectively. At rest, mitral annular excursion was significantly (13%) higher in the lateral than in the septal wall but at peak exercise at a heart rate of 160 bpm there was no difference between the septal and lateral annular motion. The total end-diastolic LV axial length did not increase from rest to peak exercise. In conclusion, during upright exercise, mitral annular motion increased significantly with no difference between the septal and lateral annular excursion at peak exercise. The absolute increase in mitral annular motion during exercise was explained by a decrease in axial end-systolic length.     

Temporal Relationship Between Exercise and QT Shortening in Patients with QT Pacemakers

The present study was undertaken to examine the temporal relationship between exercise and QT interval shortening as one of the principal determinants for the functioning of QT pacemakers. Ten patients (mean age of 72.6 years) with implanted QT pacemakers were subjected to supine bicycle exercise with two different slopes, 90% and 80%. The QT interval as seen by the pacemaker was monitored by telemetry and stored on magnetic tape. After the beginning of exercise QT prolongation of a few msec occurred up to 40 sec in most patients. The earliest QT shortening of 4 msec was noted after 63.4 sec with 90% slope and 75.7 sec with 80% slope. The difference was not significant. The further time course was dependent on slope and pacemaker algorithm. Maximal QT shortening was 65.9 msec with 90% and 69.8 msec with 80% slope. It was seen 29.2 sec after termination of exercise with 90% slope and 69.5 sec with 80% slope (P < 0.05). There was no correlation of the measured delays with age. Earliest rate response in QT driven pacemakers is determined by earliest QT shortening on one hand and by the slope setting of the pacemaker on the other, where the limiting parameter appears to be QT shortening, which occurs after the first minute of exercise.     

单次高强度抗阻训练与间歇有氧运动对中年人基础代谢率的影响

目的:研究单次高强度抗阻训练和单次高强度间歇有氧运动之后12h及24h基础代谢率的变化。方法:将66例受试者随机分为抗阻训练组22例、有氧训练组22例、对照组22例,所有组员训练前、训练后12h和训练后24h后均采用间接测热法,通过K4b2型心肺功能测定仪进行基础代谢率(BMR)测定。抗阻训练运动方式为肩负杠铃垂直下蹲,强度为80%一次最大重复负荷(1RM),每组10次,共4组;有氧训练运动方式为功率自行车,强度为90%最大摄氧量(VO2max),共4组训练,每组以5min训练、5min休息的间歇训练模式进行。结果:训练前三组间的基础代谢率均无明显差异(P0.05);训练后12h基础代谢率,抗阻训练组和有氧训练组较对照组明显升高(P0.05),且抗阻训练组增加更显著(P0.05);训练后三组间24h基础代谢率无明显差异(P0.05)。结论:单次高强度抗阻训练和单次高强度间歇有氧运动均能够明显提高运动之后12h内的能量消耗,且与单次高强度间歇有氧运动相比,单次高强度抗阻训练对基础代谢率的提高更显著。     

品管圈在提高胃肠道术后患者功能锻炼依从性中的应用

目的探讨品管圈在提高胃肠道手术患者术后功能锻炼依从性中的应用效果。方法便利抽样选取2012年3-11月在南京军区福州总医院普通外科行胃肠道手术患者104例,按照入院时间分为对照组和观察组。对照组58例患者术后行常规胃肠道护理,观察组46例患者实施品管圈护理管理,通过同一评定标准评价两组患者功能锻炼的依从率。结果品管圈活动实施后,患者术后功能锻炼依从率从41.38%提升至82.61%,差异有统计学意义(P0.01)。结论品管圈活动的开展有利于提高胃肠道手术患者术后功能锻炼的依从性。