The effects of aging on nutritional status, body composition, health status, physical fitness, and quality of life (QOL) were investigated in 52 elderly male (n=20) and female (n=32) subjects (mean age 74 years) living on a remote isolated island that has undergone a simultaneous rapid decrease in population and rapid growth of the elderly population. Acceleration monitoring (recorded every two minutes) was conducted for eight subjects (four of each gender) on three consecutive days to determine their total daily energy expenditure (TEE).
　Female subjects had higher rates of obesity (62.5%) and hypertension (62.5%) than their male counterparts (20 and 40%, respectively) and had average values for the general national population in Japan. Of four QOL domains, our subjects (particularly females) had higher scores for ‘social relationships’ (3.56±0.48, males and females combined) compared with a previous study for urban elderly populations in Japan (3.25±0.53). This suggests that social communications among neighbors are important for a high QOL in the remote isolated island society. Subjects who had a high grip strength had significantly higher QOL scores than those with a low grip strength.
　The daily physical activity level (PAL) of the subjects was generally low, although it is difficult to evaluate the value, as there are few studies of TEE or PAL in elderly people. The relationships between PAL and step-counts, indices of nutritional status (body mass index and percentage of body fat), and physical fitness (grip strength) suggest that walking, maintaining an ideal body weight, and promoting physical fitness have important roles in maintaining and increasing PAL in the elderly.

DESCENTE SPORTS SCIENCE Vol.26/THE DESCENTE AND ISHIMOTO MEMORIAL FOUNDATION FOR THE PROMOTION SPORTS SCIENCE