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(1) Background: Identifying groups with a misaligned physical capacity (PC) and physical activity (PA) is potentially relevant for health promotion. Although an important health determinant, deeper knowledge of underlying walking behavior patterns in older adults is currently missing. We aim to identify specific PA signatures of misaligned groups and determine PA variables discriminating between groups. (2) Methods: In total, 294 community-dwelling older adults (≥70 years) were divided into four quadrants based on thresholds for PA (≥ or <5000 steps/day) and PC (≤ or >12 s, Timed Up and Go test). Kruskal–Wallis and effect sizes were calculated to compare quadrants’ PA variables and to determine the discriminative power of PA parameters on walking duration, frequency, and intensity. (3) Results: We identified quadrant-specific PA signatures. Compared with “can do–do do”, the “cannot do–do do” group performs shorter continuous and lower-intensity walks; the “can do–do not do” group takes fewer steps and walks with less intensity. The “cannot do–do not do” group presents lower values in all PA variables. “Walking duration greater or equal 3 METs” was the strongest discriminative PA variable. (4) Conclusion: We provide distinct PA signatures for four clinically different groups of older adults. Walking intensity is most useful to distinguish community-dwelling older adults, which is relevant for developing improved customized health promotion interventions.

Existing networks of fiber optic telecommunication infrastructure can be used to measure acoustic events. For this purpose, a laser instrumentation is attached to a “dark fiber” turning it into a Distributed Acoustic Sensing (DAS) device. In May 2023, a DAS test was conducted to measure acoustic activity in Oslo, Norway. The main purpose was to measure the “pulse” of the Oslo city center during the Norwegian National Day parade. Additionally, five days before and after the National Day were recorded for reference to daily acoustic background noise conditions in Oslo. Data during the National Day captured the yearly parade in which schools and bands participate. Using this data, it was possible to detect the participating bands, analyze their frequency content, and estimate their walking speed and step length. High-order harmonics were recognized in the frequency response for the bands. A total of 88 bands participated in the parade and 87 were detected using the harmonic characteristics. While one individual band could be tracked before the main parade over separate streets, it was challenging to continue the track for other bands within the parade. The test revealed that DAS can be used as part of decision support systems for crowd monitoring.

Crime prevention through environmental design (CPTED) has become a popular urban planning approach to preventing crime and mitigating fear of crime through the improvement of physical neighborhood environments. CPTED is widely used to improve deteriorated neighborhoods that suffer from crime. However, few studies have empirically examined the complex relationships among CPTED, fear of crime, and active living. Our study, therefore, investigated the effects of CPTED measures on walking frequency and fear of crime, analyzing behavioral data of residents living in participatory neighborhood regeneration areas and matched neighborhoods. We analyzed survey data from 12 neighborhoods that implemented CPTED approaches and 12 matched neighborhoods in Seoul, Korea, using structural equation modeling, which could consistently estimate complex direct and indirect relationships between a latent variable (fear of crime) and observable variables (CPTED measures and walking frequency). We designed the survey instrument as a smartphone app. Participants were recruited from 102 locations within the 24 selected neighborhoods; in total, 623 individuals returned surveys. The results revealed that sufficient closed-circuit television, street lighting, and maintenance played a significant role in mitigating fear of crime. This study has implications for planning and policy issues related to CPTED, mental health, and active living.

Floor vibration induced by human activities has become an important concern to both designers and developers, especially for modern structures designed with larger spans and lower weights. However, there is currently no systematic approach in codes of practices to assessing floor vibration, and the load models induced by human walking are usually oversimplified by ignoring overlapping between successive footfalls. This paper addresses those shortcomings by conducting a series of finite element simulations of three slabs with different thicknesses subjected to dynamic loads induced by human walking activities. A total of six load models ranging from the most realistic to the most simplified were used for the simulations. The simulation results show that the overlapping time between successive footfalls has a significant impact on human-induced vibration for floors with thicknesses of 100–200 mm. The results also indicate that the critical walking frequency should be shifted to a higher value than the resonant frequency, to allow for the human-induced load increasing with walking frequency.

For older people mobility and participation in activities can be restricted both by individual factors and by the environment. The aim of this paper was to examine the longitudinal impact of measures taken in the outdoor environment on an ageing population. The following factors were examined on three occasions over a nine-year period: frequency of walking; differences in report on environmental barriers; and reported valuation of the outdoor environment; and how these relate to different characteristics. At the second follow-up, the respondents experienced more functional limitations and more were using mobility devices than at baseline. At the first and second follow-up, the respondents did not experience as many environmental barriers in their outdoor environment compared to baseline. However, frequency of walking and evaluation of the outdoor environment decreased in general between baseline and first- and second follow-up. A quite promising result from the study is that compared to people not using mobility devices, mobility device users were more likely to be frequent walkers at first- and second follow-up than at baseline. Likewise, at second follow-up respondents having functional limitations were less likely to experience traffic barriers than at baseline. In terms of accessibility, usability and mobility for an ageing population, the results are promising, showing that measures in the outdoor environment can possibly facilitate walking for those who are more fragile, even in a longitudinal perspective.

Background Using two different measures of park area, at three buffer distances, we sought to investigate the ways in which park area and proximity to parks, are related to the frequency of walking (for all purposes) in Australian adults. Little previous research has been conducted in this area, and results of existing research have been mixed. Methods Residents of 50 urban areas in metropolitan Melbourne, Australia completed a physical activity survey (n = 2305). Respondents reported how often they walked for ≥10 minutes in the previous month. Walking frequency was dichotomised to ‘less than weekly’ (less than 1/week) and ‘at least weekly’ (1/week or more). Using Geographic Information Systems, Euclidean buffers were created around each respondent’s home at three distances: 400metres (m), 800 m and 1200 m. Total area of parkland in each person’s buffer was calculated for the three buffers. Additionally, total area of ‘larger parks’, (park space ≥ park with Australian Rules Football oval (17,862 m 2 )), was calculated for each set of buffers. Area of park was categorised into tertiles for area of all parks, and area of larger parks (the lowest tertile was used as the reference category). Multilevel logistic regression, with individuals nested within areas, was used to estimate the effect of area of parkland on walking frequency. Results No statistically significant associations were found between walking frequency and park area (total and large parks) within 400 m of respondent’s homes. For total park area within 800 m, the odds of walking at least weekly were lower for those in the mid (OR 0.65, 95% CI 0.46-0.91) and highest (OR 0.65, 95% CI 0.44-0.95) tertile of park area compared to those living in areas with the least amount of park area. Similar results were observed for total park area in the 1200 m buffers. When only larger parks were investigated, again more frequent walking was less likely when respondents had access to a greater amount of park area. Conclusions In this study we found that more park area in residential environments reduced the odds of walking more frequently. Other area characteristics such as street connectivity and destinations may underlie these associations by negatively correlating with park area.

The frequency of forest walking among the general population is a major topic of study in forest science. The objectives of this study were threefold: to assess the frequency of forest walking among Japanese residents of Nagoya, a large city; to evaluate differences among frequency of forest walking by participants from a large city, an urban area (Shizuoka; 4,666 participants), and a rural area (Yakumo Town, Hokkaido; 397 participants) in previous studies; and to examine factors related to frequency of forest walking. The survey, by self-administered questionnaire, in the major city of Nagoya was conducted between June 2008 and May 2010. In all, 5,158 participants (M/F, 1,466/3,692; mean age ± SD [range], 52.5 ± 10.3 [35–69] years) were included in the analysis. The proportions of frequency of forest walking ≥ once/month and ≥ once/year were 10.9 % (M/F, 15.1/9.3 %) and 46.1 % (51.0/44.1 %), respectively. In multiple logistic regression analysis, significant differences were noted among study sites for the adjusted odds ratio for frequency of forest walking. Overall, the order of highest to lowest frequency of forest walking was Shizuoka > Nagoya > Yakumo. Factors related to frequency of forest walking were common among the three study sites. Higher frequency of forest walking was associated with male sex and older age; the most relevant factor related to frequency of forest walking was its enjoyment level. Further studies will be required to clarify why these factors are related to frequency of forest walking.

ABSTRACKIndonesia ranks fourth in the world out of 15 countries whose manufacturing industries contribute more than 10% to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Nowadays, one of the consequences of the rapid development of the manufacturing industry in Indonesia is related to work productivity. Each person's work productivity is not the same, one of them depends on the availability of nutrients in the body. Lack of nutritional consumption for someone from standard needs will affect health conditions, activities, and work productivity. Nutritional substances in workers also affect fitness in addition to other factors such as age, health status, nutritional status, nutritional status, gender, and psychological conditions. Based on the description above, it is necessary to study the relationship between nutritional status and physical fitness of workers in manufacturing companies in Indonesia. The study was cross sectional on 120 workers from 6 manufacturing companies in Indonesia which was conducted using cluster sampling. Assessment of individual characteristics was conducted by direct interview. Assessment of nutritional intake uses the Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ) and the results were categorized as appropriate and inappropriate based on the 2019 nutritional adequacy figure for the Indonesian population. The fitness assessment (physical capacity) used a six-minute walking test by an occupational specialist and was converted to Meters and categorized with a cut off of 4.5 Mets to be sufficient or insufficient. About one third of manufacturing workers were centrally obese. Characteristics The dietary intake according to the recommendation were only about 10%, namely the appropriate carbohydrate intake 11.7% (Frequency 8.46 times (533.22 gr)), suitable fat 12.5% (Frequency 2.75 times (57.14 gr)), and suitable protein 10% (Frequency 6.55 times (101.77 gr)). The physical capacity of manufacturing workers in Indonesia was categorized as sufficient as much as 75.8% of their workload. Factors that affect physical capacity, namely age ≥ 40 years have 4.37 times less physical capacity and protein intake affected physical capacity / fitness for workers (p = 0.02). About a third of manufacturing workers were centrally obese. The characteristic of food intake in accordance with the recommended nutritional adequacy of the Indonesian population was only about 10%. The physical capacity of manufacturing workers in Indonesia was categorized as sufficient as much as 75.8% of their workload. Factors that affected physical capacity were age and protein intake. Keywords: Food Intake, Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ), Manufacturing Worker, Fitness, Six-Minute Walking Test.

Inspired by a theory of embodied music cognition, we investigate whether music can entrain the speed of beat synchronized walking. If human walking is in synchrony with the beat and all musical stimuli have the same duration and the same tempo, then differences in walking speed can only be the result of music-induced differences in stride length, thus reflecting the vigor or physical strength of the movement. Participants walked in an open field in synchrony with the beat of 52 different musical stimuli all having a tempo of 130 beats per minute and a meter of 4 beats. The walking speed was measured as the walked distance during a time interval of 30 seconds. The results reveal that some music is 'activating' in the sense that it increases the speed, and some music is 'relaxing' in the sense that it decreases the speed, compared to the spontaneous walked speed in response to metronome stimuli. Participants are consistent in their observation of qualitative differences between the relaxing and activating musical stimuli. Using regression analysis, it was possible to set up a predictive model using only four sonic features that explain 60% of the variance. The sonic features capture variation in loudness and pitch patterns at periods of three, four and six beats, suggesting that expressive patterns in music are responsible for the effect. The mechanism may be attributed to an attentional shift, a subliminal audio-motor entrainment mechanism, or an arousal effect, but further study is needed to figure this out. Overall, the study supports the hypothesis that recurrent patterns of fluctuation affecting the binary meter strength of the music may entrain the vigor of the movement. The study opens up new perspectives for understanding the relationship between entrainment and expressiveness, with the possibility to develop applications that can be used in domains such as sports and physical rehabilitation.

Humans sometimes synchronize their steps to mechanical oscillations in the environment (e.g., when walking on a swaying bridge or with a wearable robot). Previous studies have discovered discrete frequencies and/or amplitudes where individuals spontaneously synchronize to external oscillations, but these parameters are often chosen arbitrarily or for convenience of a successful experiment and are sparsely sampled due to time constraints on subject availability. As a result, the parameter space under which human gait synchronization occurs is still relatively underexplored. Here we systematically measure synchronization over a broad range of parameters in machine oscillations, applied vertically near the body center of mass during walking. Two complementary experiments were utilized to characterize the amplitudes and frequencies where subjects’ gait matched the oscillation frequency within ± 0.02 Hz for at least 80% of 20 consecutive steps (i.e., synchronization). Individuals were found to synchronize at lower amplitudes and in less time when the oscillation frequency was nearer their baseline step frequency, as well as over a broader range of frequencies during larger oscillation amplitudes. Subjects also had a greater tendency to synchronize with oscillation frequencies below (rather than above) their baseline step frequencies. The results of this study provide a comprehensive mapping of parameters where synchronization occurs and could inform the design of exoskeletons, rehabilitation devices and other gait-assistive technologies.