Virtual reality-enhanced exergames for weight control: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

Background: Obesity is an important public health issue. Virtual reality provides an opportunity to increase benefits of traditional exercise programs with more immersive, interactive, and enjoyable experiences for weight control.

Objectives: This study aimed to explore the efficacy of virtual reality-enhanced exergames for obesity-related outcomes, including body weight, body mass index, body fat, and waist circumference.

Vision-Based Assessment of Skeletal Muscle Decline: Correlating Gait Variance with SPPB Performance.

Background: With the global population aging, the proportion of the elderly is increasing, leading to health challenges. The decline in the elderly's physical function raises their fall risk, which affects their health and burdens the healthcare system. Traditional fall risk assessment methods like Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB) have limitations, while computer vision technology shows potential but also has drawbacks.

The effectiveness of orienteering exercise on improving physical fitness and cognitive functions in non-athletes: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Objectives: Orienteering exercise combines physical and cognitive function training, but its interventional effects remain unclear. Hence, in this study, we examined the effectiveness of orienteering exercise interventions in improving physical fitness and cognitive functions by a systematic review, meta-analyses, subgroup analyses, and meta-regression.

Study Design: Systematic review and meta-analysis.

Increased body mass index may have more happiness, life satisfaction, and self-rated health in the aging process: A 10-year longitudinal study.

Understanding intricate relationships among various determinants of overall well-being is crucial for promoting healthy aging. The body mass index (BMI), happiness, life satisfaction, and self-rated health are key indicators of well-being in older adults. However, the dynamic interplay among these factors and the BMI was previously unclear.

Internet access and use for health information and its association with health outcomes in older adults in 30 countries.

Background: Older adults, as a vulnerable population, typically show lower engagement with eHealth technologies. Limited internet access and low use for health information may contribute to poorer health outcomes.

Objectives: The purposes of this study were to examine differences in socio-demographics and compare healthy lifestyles, health statuses and attitudes toward online health information among different groups of internet access and use for health information.

Virtual cycling in urban green and blue vs gray spaces: The efficacy of mental health and physical activity.

Objectives: An urban environment may be stressful, potentially leading to poor mental health. Natural elements are important in urban environments with many restorative and potential health benefits compared to artificial elements. Virtual reality can simulate an urban environment in a digital world.

The mediating role of step counts in the relationship between diverse neighbourhood destinations and older adults' physical function.

Research has shown that access to activity-supportive neighbourhood destinations is associated with physical activity levels and physical functioning in older adults. However, the relative importance of different destinations and the mechanisms underlying these relationships remain unclear. We investigated (i) the relationships between the availability of diverse neighbourhood destinations and physical functioning in Taiwanese older adults and (ii) whether step counts mediated these relationships.

Influence of physical function and frailty on unplanned readmission in middle-aged and older patients discharged from a hospital: a follow-up study.

Background: Unplanned readmissions are associated with increased mortality among older patients. This study investigated the effects of changes in physical function and frailty on unplanned readmissions in middle-aged and older patients after discharge.

Methods: This longitudinal study recruited participants through convenience sampling from the general wards of a medical center in northern Taiwan.

The mediating role of health literacy for COVID-19 between preventive behaviors and quality of life.

Background: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic rapidly developed around the world. Plenty of health information about the virus was available from multiple media platforms, but such information was not always accurate. Identifying misinformation depends on an individual's health literacy.

Efficacy of a Wearable Activity Tracker With Step-by-Step Goal-Setting on Older Adults' Physical Activity and Sarcopenia Indicators: Clustered Trial.

Background: Smart wearable technology has potential benefits for promoting physical activity and preventing sarcopenia.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to explore the efficacy of a wearable activity tracker with 2-stage goal-setting for daily steps on older adults' physical activity and sarcopenia indicators.

Methods: The study used a clustered trial design and was conducted in March to June 2022.

Actual and Virtual Parks Benefit Quality of Life and Physical Activity: A Cluster Trial.

Urban parks provide connectedness to nature as a health resilience environment for promoting health. Virtual reality can provide opportunities for urban citizens to be exposed to natural elements with health benefits. The purpose was to explore the effects of actual and virtual parks on the quality of life and physical activity of urban residents.

The Effect of Social Robots on Depression and Loneliness for Older Residents in Long-Term Care Facilities: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.

Objectives: Depression and loneliness are challenges facing older residents living in long-term care facilities. Social robots might be a solution as nonpharmacologic interventions. The purpose of this study was to explore the effects of concrete forms of social robots on depression and loneliness in older residents in long-term care facilities by a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

Leisure Participation for Mental Health Promotion in Later Life: A Six-Year Longitudinal Study.

Engaging in leisure activities is essential for mental health in older adults. This longitudinal study ( = 1,101, mean age = 69.20 ± 6.

Prevalence of sarcopenia and its association with diet and physical activity in older adults with type 2 diabetes: A cross-sectional study.

This cross-sectional study explored the prevalence of sarcopenia in older adults with type 2 diabetes and investigated the effects of diet and physical activity on sarcopenia. In total, 577 older adults with diabetes were recruited from a teaching hospital in Taiwan. Diet and physical activity were assessed using self-rated questionnaires, including the Healthy Diet Inventory, the Mini Nutritional Assessment-Short Form, and the International Physical Activity Questionnaire-Short Form.

Associations between older adults' social media use behaviors and psychosocial well-being.

Background: Research examining associations between social media use behaviors and psychosocial well-being among older adults are limited.

Aims: To explore associations between older adults' social media (social networking services and instant messaging applications) use behaviors and psychosocial well-being.

Methods: This was a secondary data analysis.

Health comparisons between active and inactive transport modes in urban adults with chronic conditions: A cross-sectional study.

An active transport mode provides an opportunity for integrating physical activity into one's daily life through walking, cycling, and the use of public transportation. The purpose of this study was to compare urban adults with chronic conditions who used active and inactive transport modes and to find differences in their health outcomes. A cross-sectional study was conducted from September 2019 to May 2020.

Awareness of and subjective needs for post-discharge healthcare services among older adult patients.

Background: Increasing patient awareness of post-discharge care resources is an effective strategy to reduce rehospitalization rates and medical costs. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to explore hospitalized older adult patients' awareness of and subjective demands for post-discharge healthcare services.

Methods: A cross-sectional study design was conducted from November 2018 to May 2020.

Effects of virtual reality natural experiences on factory workers' psychological and physiological stress.

Introduction: Manufacturing facilities and factories are stressful work environments. Interventions to improve factory workers' stress is necessary to promote occupational health. This study aimed to examine the effects of virtual reality natural experiences on furniture factory employees' psychological and physiological stress.

An Exploration of Sedentary Behavior, Physical Activity, and Quality of Life During the COVID-19 Outbreak.

Staying physically active is a cost-efficient strategy for disease prevention during a pandemic. The purposes of this study were to explore precautionary behaviors, psychological factors associated with physical activity and sedentary behavior, and impacts of active and sedentary lifestyles on the quality of life in the early stage of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak. Participants were community-dwelling adults aged over 20 years who had not been infected with COVID-19 and who lived in the United States.

Substituting sedentary time with physical activity in youngest-old to oldest-old community-dwelling older adults: Associations with body composition.

Introduction: Several studies have suggested that physical activity and sedentary behavior are strongly and independently associated with body composition and obesity. However, few studies have investigated whether substituting sedentary time with moderate-to-vigorous physical activity is associated with body composition in older adults, especially among those older than 75 years.

Methods: This study examined the associations between replacing sedentary time with physical activity and obesity indices in a sample of 199 community-dwelling older Taiwanese adults (52.

Smartphone app-based interventions targeting physical activity for weight management: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

Background: Being overweight and obese are major public health challenges worldwide. Smartphone apps are an innovative platform to deliver physical activity modifications for weight management. This study aimed to explore the efficacy of smartphone app-based interventions targeting physical activity for obesity-related outcomes and compare the efficacy among behavioral change techniques.

Domain-specific Physical Activity and the Risk of All-cause Mortality Among Middle-aged and Older Adults in Taiwan: A Prospective Cohort Study.

Background: The impact of meeting leisure-time physical activity (LTPA) recommendations and household physical activity (HPA) on all-cause mortality in the Taiwanese population is unclear. We aimed to investigate the relationship between sufficient LTPA and all-cause mortality in middle-aged and older Taiwanese adults and the role of HPA in those with insufficient LTPA.

Methods: This nationwide prospective cohort study included 4,960 participants aged ≥50 years from the Taiwan Longitudinal Study in Aging (TLSA) survey.

Effects of Probiotic Supplementation on Immune and Inflammatory Markers in Athletes: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Clinical Trials.

: Probiotic supplementation can prevent and alleviate gastrointestinal and respiratory tract infections in healthy individuals. Markers released from the site of inflammation are involved in the response to infection or tissue injury. Therefore, we measured the pre-exercise and postexercise levels of inflammation-related markers-tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, interleukin (IL)-6, IL-8, IL-10, interferon (IFN)-γ, salivary immunoglobulin A (IgA), IL-1β, IL-2, IL-4, and C-reactive protein (CRP)-in probiotic versus placebo groups to investigate the effects of probiotics on these markers in athletes.