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Populations become increasingly feminized with age. Since older women are more vulnerable to poverty, they may find it more difficult than men to access health care. This study examines factors that may constrain older persons in Southeast Asia from meeting their health-care needs when sick. Our analysis of household survey data from Cambodia, the Philippines, and Viet Nam shows that women are more likely to have reported sickness or injury than men, a difference that is meaningful and statistically significant. While women in Cambodia and the Philippines are more likely to seek treatment than men, the gender difference is reversed in Viet Nam where the stigma and discrimination associated with some diseases may more strongly deter women. The probability of seeking treatment rises with age more sharply for women than men in all countries. However, for the subsample of elders, the gender difference is not significant.

Sleep disturbances are a particularly common problem in the elderly. The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of auricular therapy on sleep behaviors in the elderly. One hundred and twenty participants of 60 years old or above and who were suffering from sleep disturbances were invited to participate in this study. Eligible participants were randomly allocated to receive auricular therapy using Junci Medulla (Group A = 30), Semen Vaccariae (Group B = 30) or magnetic pearls (Group C = 60). Groups A and B were the control groups, while Group C was the experimental group. Seven auricular points which are thought to have an effect on promoting sleep were selected. The total treatment course lasted for three weeks. Objective measurement using actigraphic monitoring was performed before the therapy commenced, in the middle period of the therapy, and within one week after the therapy had been completed. After the therapy, there were significant differences among the three groups in terms of the nocturnal sleep time (NST) (F_{2, 117} = 6.84, p < 0.05) and sleep efficiency (SE) (F_{2, 117} = 7.69, p < 0.05). Significant improvement in the sleep behaviors was observed in the experimental group using magnetic pearls. In a backward multiple regression, the effect of auricular therapy on SE after allowing for age in female participants is of high statistical significance (F_{3, 106} = 9.04, p < 0.001). The paper concludes that auricular therapy using magnetic pearls is an effective means of improving the quantity and quality of sleep in the elderly.

The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of 18-week Tai Chi training on body balance in dynamic trial among elderly men. The study covered 49 subjects from age 60 to 82.1 years, who had osteopenia or osteoporosis. The subjects were recruited from the community by direct mailings and community efforts to participate in studies. The participants were randomly assigned to either the exercise intervention (n = 25) or control groups (n = 24). The Tai Chi group participated in an 18-week exercise class held for 45 min, twice a week. Body balance was assessed using a Computer Posturographic System PE 90 produced by the Military Institute of Aviation Medicine in Warsaw with modified software made in Pro-Med. During the measurement of body balance, the capacity to perform specific tasks was analyzed (deflections in the set scope and direction). In the Tai Chi group, an increase (p ≤ 0.01) in effectiveness of balance task performance was noted from 80.95% to 84.45% after the training. In the control group, no statistically significant improvement in the level of body balance was found in the same period. Thus, an 18-week period of Tai Chi exercises twice a week for 45 min is beneficial for dynamic balance. It can be important for reducing fall risk factors.

Previous studies have suggested that Taiji practice may improve immune function. This study was intended to examine whether 5 months of moderate Taiji and Qigong (TQ) practice could improve the immune response to influenza vaccine in older adults. Fifty older adults (mean age 77.2 ± 1.3 years) participated in this study (TQ N = 27; wait-list control [CON] N = 23). Baseline pre-vaccine blood samples were collected. All subjects then received the 2003–2004 influenza vaccine during the first week of the intervention. Post-vaccine blood samples were collected 3, 6 and 20 weeks post-intervention for analysis of anti-influenza hemagglutination inhibition (HI) titers. We found a significant (p < 0.05) increase in the magnitude and duration of the antibody response to influenza vaccine in TQ participants when compared to CON. The vaccination resulted in a 173, 130, and 109% increase in HI titer at 3, 6, and 20 weeks post-vaccine, respectively, in the TQ group compared to 58, 54, and 10% in CON. There was a significant between group difference at 3 and 20 weeks post-vaccine and at 20 weeks the TQ group had significantly higher titers compared to the pre-vaccine time point, whereas the CON group did not. A higher percentage of TQ subjects also responded to the influenza A strains with a protective (> 40HI) antibody response (37% TQ vs. 20% CON for the H1N1 strain and 56% TQ vs. 45% CON for the H3N2 strain), but the differences between groups were not statistically significant. Traditional TQ practice improves the antibody response to influenza vaccine in older adults, but further study is needed to determine whether the enhanced response is sufficient to provide definitive protection from influenza infection.

We performed a systematic review of studies regarding the effects of Tai Chi on the body balance of people older than 60 years. The Medline, SPORTDiscus and Academic Search Complete databases were searched for relevant studies published after the year 2000. Original randomized controlled trials, non-randomized controlled studies and observational studies were included in this review if they evaluated Tai Chi for the treatment of body balance disorder or fall prevention, and if they contained at least one of the following key words: Tai Chi, body balance, stability, elderly, old, training or posturography. These studies suggest that participation in Tai Chi may improve the body balance of elderly people; however, more information is needed to determine the extent to which Tai Chi is more effective than other methods, especially different types of physical exercise. In addition, subgroup analyses should be performed to determine the effects of Tai Chi in people with different physical characteristics. Directions for future research are discussed.

Tai Chi has frequently been used as a preventive measure against falling in at-risk populations. However, studies have yielded contradictory results, and literature reviews have considered only a small number of trials and have not addressed some key aspects, such as sources of heterogeneity and publication bias. This study includes 13 controlled trials published before June 2015 that analyzed the effectiveness of Tai Chi in fall prevention in populations of frail and at-risk adults. The effect measure used in this meta-analysis was absolute risk reduction (ARR) with a 95% confidence interval (CI). According to our findings, practice of Tai Chi significantly prevents the risk of falling (ARR, $-0.10$; 95% CI: $-0.06$, $-0.15$). The heterogeneity of results across the trials was low, with a reduced risk of publication bias, and no significant effect differences were observed between studies comparing Tai Chi with other interventions or non-treatment. We therefore conclude that Tai Chi is more effective than other measures, or no intervention, for fall prevention in at-risk populations. Further research is warranted to analyze the consequences of falls and to study the episodes rather than the cases of falls.

As the old Chinese saying goes, “raise children to fight against aging” is used to describe the most desirable life arrangement for Chinese elderly people, as it reflects the core idea of filial piety that lies near the heart of the Confucian doctrine regulating society. In a fast-changing economy, are these traditional values still hold for Chinese elderly? Applying the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS), we explore the determinants of elderly’s wellbeing in modern China. We have a particular interest in whether living with their children, receiving pecuniary/material transfer or support from children or having more children significantly affects the wellbeing of the elderly. We find that these factors have no significance in affecting the wellbeing of the elderly in China. Furthermore, among the factors significantly determining the wellbeing of Chinese elderly people, pensions and health care are very important, particularly to the elderly in rural areas. Notably, gross domestic product (GDP) level of the province or municipality, where the elderly habitats have a significant impact on elderly’s wellbeing and this echoes with some contemporary research.

In this paper, we evaluate the preventive behaviors for middle age people in Taiwan through survey wave comparisons for the period 1993–2007. We first investigate the determinants of preventive behavior and how their effects change over time by using the seemingly unrelated bivariate probit model. Evidence shows that income and education levels do have a significantly positive relation with preventive behavior models, while reported poor health, inpatient and outpatient services, and regions are essential determinants of preventive behaviors. Then, we investigate the impact of Taiwan’s National Health Insurance (NHI) on preventive behaviors based on the difference-in-difference (DID) analysis. The results show a lack of evidence for the moral hazard effect on preventive care and regular exercise panels over the period 1993–2007.

Elderly patients suffering from avascular necrosis of a carpal bone in both wrists are extremely rare. We report a case of an elderly kendo (Japanese fencing) competitor who sustained Preiser's disease in the left hand following the occurrence of Kienböck's disease in the right hand. The current case demonstrates the importance of raising awareness of these diseases as potential sports-related problems in the elderly.

Although scaphoid fractures are relatively common encounters in orthopaedic and trauma surgery, the demographics of these injuries are not well studied. The classical teaching in the subject limits scaphoid fractures in the age between ten and 60 years (or 70 years in other sources). The incidence or the prevalence of scaphoid fractures in the elderly population is not focused on and not studied or explored.

We reviewed the literature for any available epidemiological studies of scaphoid fractures. We also sought the available data of scaphoid fractures in the elderly population in case series and case reports which have relevant data on the subject. Four epidemiological studies, two case series, and one case report are included. We discuss the available data in these articles and conclude that scaphoid fractures in the elderly, although rare, have been reported. However, there are not enough epidemiological studies to draw figures. Ignorance of this proportion of population could result in missed fractures in the elderly. Therefore, we encourage researchers to carry out epidemiological studies of scaphoid fractures with more focus on this population group.

We retrospectively analyzed clinical results of 107 hands of an elderly idiopathic carpal tunnel syndrome group (65 years old and older) and 234 hands of a younger group (under 65 years old) following endoscopic carpal canal release surgery. There were statistical differences in recovery rates for tingling, pain sensation and touch sensation (p < 0.01) and recovery periods of touch sensation (p < 0.05). There were no statistical differences in recovery rates, periods of thumb abduction muscle power, and recovery rates of electrophysiological examination results. Cervical spondylosis may affect postoperative recovery of subjective sensory disturbance, especially in the elderly group. From these results, in elderly patients we recommend primary minimally invasive endoscopic carpal canal release surgery and only apply primary opponoplasty in cases when the patient strongly wishes reconstruction faster than six months.

We report a case of an elderly female who sustained a severely comminuted distal radial and ulnar fracture, treated by shortening of the forearm, combined with a primary Sauvé-Kapandji procedure and volar plating of the distal radius.

Ultrasonography is frequently used to measure the rectus femoris muscle cross-section area, and has been suggested to associate with poor health condition. However, no validation studies have been performed to compare rectus femoris muscle ultrasonography (RFMS) with anatomical planimetry when measuring the muscle cross-sectional area (CSA). This validation study compared the two methods of CSA measurement of unfixed (frozen) and fixed (unfrozen) rectus femoris muscle specimens obtained from elderly human cadavers. Agreement between tests was studied by Bland–Altman analysis. We found a significant difference between planimetry and RFMS of unfixed (frozen) muscle specimens (mean difference, -0.389 cm²; 95% CI, -0.144 to -0.634), p = 0.022. No significant difference was observed between the two methods when measuring fixed (unfrozen) muscle specimens (mean difference, 0.032 cm², 95% CI, -0.007 to -0.070), p = 0.107. In fixed specimens, the 95% limit of agreement between the two methods ranged between 0.12 cm² and -0.06 cm² (<10% deviation); while in unfixed muscle specimens, the range was between 0.28 cm² and -1.06 cm² (~50% deviation). In light of the similar results obtained in fixed specimens, ultrasound is a safe and accurate method of rectus femoris muscle size assessment. In clinical practice, RFMS may be used to detect a decrease in rectus femoris muscle mass, typically associated with malnutrition of the elderly, and may therefore be a simple and practical tool for the screening of malnutrition.

Design: Preoperative hematological markers were used. Objectives: The aim was to assess the preoperative nutritional status of hip fracture patients. Background data: There were only a few studies, related to the preoperative nutritional and immune status of the fracture patients. None conducted solely the preoperative nutritional status of the hip fracture patients up to now in Korea. Material and Methods: One hundred and sixteen hip fracture patients, ranged from 4th decade up to over 10th decade, were subjected to this study on the basis of the listed survey chart, particularly the serum albumin level, albumin/globulin ratio, lymphocyte count, and lymphocyte–monocyte ratio. Results: Overall average three physical factors, such as height, weight, and body mass index, were 159$\pm$2.6cm, 56$\pm$11.1kg, and 22.2$\pm$3.6kg/m². Average hemoglobin, lymphocyte count, monocyte count, L/M ratio, serum albumin and globulin, and A/G ratio were 11.7$\pm$2.0g/dL, 1490$\pm$994mm³, 514$\pm$250/mm³, 1 versus 2.8, 3.6$\pm$0.49g/dL, 2.8$\pm$0.45g/dL and 1.2, respectively. Twenty-seven patients (22.6%) had normal nutrition, whereas the incidence of single hypoalbuminemia and single lymphocytopenia was 18 (15.1%) and 43 (36.1%) patients. Patients’ numbers showing the combined hypoalbuminemia and lymphocytopenia were 31 (26.5%) out of 116 patients. Conclusion: About 77.3% of elderly hip fracture patients had preoperative malnutrition, although the cause of such high rate was not clarified yet. In those cases, pre- and postoperative nutritional management is essential to bring about the early physical recovery including wound healing and to reduce the infection risk.

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