Factors influencing the physical functional ability among older women

The final issue for the 2019 year is a diverse collection of manuscripts focusing on factors influencing the physical functional ability among older women. The Encyclopedia of Public Health (2008) defines functional ability as “the actual or potential capacity of an individual to perform the activities and tasks that can be normally expected” (https://link.springer.com/referenceworkentry/10.1007%2F978-1-4020-5614-7_1209, retrieved 11-13-19). The functional ability of older adults can be disrupted by medical conditions that impede the normal functioning of bodily processes. Decreased functional ability is one of the most prevalent concerns among older adults (Hoogerduijn, Schuurmans, Duijnstee, de Rooij, & Grypdonck, 2007). Older adults experiencing a decline in their physical functioning are often constrained in their ability to attend to their necessary activities of daily living (basic ADL) and instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) (Dillman, 2007). The ability to appropriately assess functional skills among older adults has important implications for their wellbeing and their ability to live independently.

In the article, Lower Quarter Y-Balance Test in healthy women 50–79 years old, Freund and colleagues explore a measure of dynamic balance in older adults. Older adults who experience difficulty with their gait are at risk for falling and fractures. The Lower Quarter Y-Balance Testy has been typically used in young adults, and its application to older women addresses an essential gap in the literature.

Some other reasons older adults are at risk for fractures have been attributed to osteoporosis. Two articles in this issue explore osteoporosis risk among older adults – an animal science model and a clinical intervention. The article, Resveratrol restores the level of key inflammatory cytokines and RANKL/OPG ratio in the femur of rat osteoporosis model (Khera, Kanta, Kalra, and Dumir), offers an animal science model that explains the effects of Resveratrol on bone mineral density (BMD) and cytokines in ovariectomized (postmenopausal) rats. The study’s findings suggest Resveratrol may be a promising intervention for bone mineral density. In addition, this issue of the journal also includes a report of clinical interventions for osteoporosis in older adults. Mugnier and colleagues’ article (Mugnier, Daumas, Couderc, Mizzi, Gonzalez, Amrani, Leveque, Aymes, Argenson, and Villani), Clinical effectiveness of osteoporosis treatment in older patients: A fracture liaison service-based prospective study, weighs the use of anti-osteoporotic treatments with a risk reduction of refractures.

Another type of functional ability is related to the older adult’s musculoskeletal functioning. The article Implications on older women of age- and sex-related differences in activation patterns of shoulder muscles: A cross-sectional study examines differences in neuromotor attributes of shoulder muscle among older women. Lirio-Romero and colleagues explain in this manuscript that understanding musculoskeletal aging in women has important implications for physical therapy interventions.

Assessments and interventions of functional ability in older women are particularly important, given that women tend to have a longer lifespan compared to their male counterparts. Functional impairments can adversely impact the quality of their lives. These articles make a valuable contribution to improving our understanding of functional impairment in older adults.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.