Youngyun Jin

The effect of physical activity on serum IL-6 and vaspin levels in late elementary school children.

[Purpose] This study investigates the effects of physical activity on serum IL-6 and vaspin in late elementary school children. [Methods] Those who (n = 220) completed the 7-day physical activity monitoring underwent a second round of measurements including body fat, serum glucose and insulin, and serum IL-6 and vaspin. One way ANOVAs followed by LSD post hoc tests were used to test for significant differences in dependent variables across incremental physical activity levels at p=0.05. Multivariate stepwise linear regression analyses were used to determine significant predictors for serum IL-6 and vaspin levels at p=0.05. [Results] The results showed significant inverse linear trends for body fat parameters across incremental physical activity levels (from low to high); the lower the body fat, the higher the physical activity levels. On the other hand, there were no significant linear trends for insulin resistance markers or dietary intake across incremental physical activity levels. Multiple stepwise linear regression analyses were used to determine significant predictors for individual variations in serum IL-6 and vaspin in the study population. We found that body mass index (p=0.002) and low- and moderate-intensity physical activities (p=0.002 and p=0.0045, respectively) were significant determinants of serum IL-6. In addition, low- and moderate-intensity physical activities (p=0.01 & p=0.022, respectively) were significant determinants of serum vaspin levels in this study population. [Conclusion] In summary, the findings of the current study suggest that promotion of physical activity along with a healthy diet should be key components of lifestyle interventions to improve serum cytokine profiles associated with insulin resistance syndrome in late elementary school children.

Weight Status, Physical Activity, and Depression in Korean Older Adults

Background This study aimed to explore the associations between weight status, physical activity, and depression in Korean older adults. Methods We used the baseline data drawn from the 2008 baseline survey utilized in the Living Profiles of Older People Survey, comprised of 15,146 community-dwelling older people (42.6% men and 57.4% women) aged 60 years and older residing in the Republic of Korea. After excluding respondents with missing data on height, weight, and physical activity (PA), data on 10,197 samples (43.3% men and 56.7% women) were analyzed in this study. Results Underweight and completely inactive individuals had poorer sociodemographic and health behavioral characteristics and increased risks of late-life depression compared with normal weight and sufficiently active individuals, respectively. In terms of the aerobic PA guidelines, completely inactive individuals had a significantly higher risk of late-life depression (odds ratio 1.730; 95% confidence interval, 1.412–2.120) compared with sufficiently active individuals, even after adjustments for age, education, household income, night sleeping, living status, marital status, smoking, number of comorbidities, nutritional status, self-reported health status, and cognitive performance as covariates. In addition, those who did not meet the PA guidelines and were underweight or overweight/obese were more likely to have late-life depression compared to those who were active and normal weight. Conclusions The current findings of the study suggest that modifiable, lifestyle risk factors, such as physical inactivity, underweight, and overweight/obesity, are positively associated with late-life depression in Korean older adults.

Socioeconomic Status, Frailty, and All-Cause Mortality in Korean Older Adults: A 3-Year Population-Based Prospective Study

Background Little is known regarding the effects of socioeconomic status (SES) and frailty on mortality in Korea. Objective This study investigated the combined impact of low SES and frailty on all-cause mortality in Korean older adults. Methods Study sample at baseline comprised 7,960 community-dwelling adults (56.8% women) aged 65 years and older. The Cox proportional hazards model was used to estimate the hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) of low SES and frailty for all-cause mortality. Results Overall, low SES plus frailty resulted in an increased risk of all-cause mortality (HR = 1.56, 95% CI = 1.09–2.23, P = 0.015) even after adjustments for all the measured covariates, as compared with high SES plus nonfrailty (HR = 1). Among older adults aged 65–75 years, the increased mortality risk of either low SES plus nonfrailty (HR = 1.37, 95% CI = 1.02–1.84, P = 0.038) or high SES plus frailty (HR = 2.09, 95% CI = 1.12–3.91, P = 0.021) remained significant even after adjustments for all the covariates, as compared with high SES plus nonfrailty (HR = 1). Conclusion The current findings suggest that either low SES or frailty is significantly associated with increased all-cause mortality in Korean older adults.

Physical inactivity and cognitive impairment in Korean older adults: gender differences in potential covariates

Abstract Background: Physical inactivity is one major lifestyle risk factor of mild cognitive impairment with ageing. Aim: To investigate whether or not potential covariates modulate the association between physical activity (PA) and cognitive impairment in older adults. Subjects and methods: Data from 10 245 Korean older adults (5817 women) were used. Results: High PA older adults were younger and longer educated and had lower comorbidity and depression than low PA older adults. Compared with low PA men, moderate PA men only had a significantly lower odds-ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (95% CI) (OR = 0.795, 95% CI = 0.654 ∼ 0.965, p = 0.021) for having cognitive impairment, even after adjusting for measured covariates, which was no longer significant when additionally adjusted for comorbidity (OR = 0.862, 95% CI = 0.707 ∼ 1.051, p = 0.143). Compared with low PA women, moderate and high PA women had significantly lower risks of cognitive impairment (OR = 0.830, 95% CI = 0.712 ∼ 0.969, p = 0.018 and OR = 0.784, 95% CI = 0.651 ∼ 0.943, p = 0.010, respectively), even after adjusting for the measured covariates including comorbidity, which was no longer significant when additionally adjusted for depression (OR = 0.897, 95% CI = 0.776 ∼ 1.049, p = 0.173 and OR = 0.919, 95% CI = 0.761 ∼ 1.111, p = 0.385, respectively). Conclusion: These findings suggest that gender differences in the covariates modulate the relationship between physical activity and cognitive decline in older Korean adults.

Depressive symptoms and all-cause mortality in Korean older adults: A 3-year population-based prospective study: Mental health and mortality

To examine the association between depressive symptoms and all‐cause mortality in a population‐based prospective study.

Association between Obesity and Carotid Intima-Media Thickness in Korean Office Workers: The Mediating Effect of Physical Activity

Background Obesity and physical inactivity are associated with higher prevalence of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Objective This study investigated the association between obesity and carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) stratified by physical activity (PA) in Korean office workers. Methods Data obtained from 914 office workers aged 21-60 years (347 women) were used. Resting blood pressures, body mass index (BMI), and waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) were measured. PA was assessed using the international physical activity questionnaire. CIMT was assessed with a carotid artery ultrasonography. Logistic regression analysis was used to estimate the odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) of obesity stratified by weekly PA for an abnormally increased CIMT. Results Logistic regression analyses showed that those who were overall obese (OR=2.50, 95% CI=1.60-3.91, P<0.001) or central obese (OR=2.08, 95% CI=1.29-3.40, P=0.003) had significantly higher estimated risks of having an abnormally increased CIMT even after adjustments for age, sex, smoking, alcohol consumption, resting blood pressures, and history of hypertension, diabetes, and hyperlipidemia, as compared with those who were not overall or central obese (OR=1). A multivariate linear regression suggested that age (P<0.001), sex (P=0.002), hypertension (P=0.014), smoking (P=0.054), BMI (P<0.001), and physical activity (P=0.011) were important determinants of abnormally elevated CIMT in this study population. Conclusion The current findings suggest that the risk of obesity for an abnormally increased CIMT is significantly modulated by demographics as well as lifestyle-related risk factors including smoking and physical inactivity in Korean office workers.

Physical activity and all-cause mortality in Korean older adults

Abstract Background: The association between physical activity (PA) and all-cause mortality may be modulated by potential confounders. Aim: To investigate the association between weekly PA and all-cause mortality in a population-based prospective study. Subjects and methods: The study sample included Korean older adults aged 60 years and older who participated in baseline assessments (n = 15 416) in 2008 and completed follow-up visits in 2011 (n = 14,976). Primary outcome was 3-year all-cause mortality. Results: Compared with sufficiently active individuals (with Hazard Ratio (HR) = 1), completely inactive and insufficiently active individuals had a significantly higher risk of all-cause mortality (HR = 2.086, 95% CI = 1.639–2.655, p < 0.00 and HR = 1.644, 95% CI = 1.013–2.668, p = 0.044, respectively), even after adjustments for age and sex, health-related behaviour factors (i.e. smoking, alcohol intake and nutritional risk), cognitive impairment and components of frailty phenotype (i.e. involuntary weight loss, exhaustion and slowness). In addition, the inverse association between PA and all-cause mortality is differently modulated by potential confounders, including age, sex, smoking, depressive symptoms, cognitive impairment and involuntary weight loss. Conclusion: PA was inversely and independently associated with all-cause mortality in Korean older adults.

Exercise Attenuates High-Fat Diet–induced Disease Progression in 3xTg-AD Mice

Purpose Little is known regarding the therapeutic role of exercise against the risk of a high-fat diet (HFD) for Alzheimers disease (AD) and AD-like cognitive deficits. This study aimed to investigate the therapeutic effect of treadmill running against HFD-induced progression in AD neuropathology and cognitive impairments in the triple-transgenic AD (3xTg-AD) mice. Methods The 3xTg-AD mice were assigned to a chow diet (control, n = 10), an HFD (n = 10), or an HFD combined with exercise (HFD + EX, n = 10) group. Mice in the HFD were fed with a 60% fat diet for 20 wk. The HFD + EX mice were additionally subjected to treadmill running. Results Compared with the control mice, the HFD mice had impaired brain insulin signaling, exacerbated AD neuropathology, defects in synaptic stability/plasticity, and apoptotic neuronal cell death in conjunction with exacerbated cognitive deficits in the affected brain regions, which were all significantly alleviated in the HFD + EX mice. Conclusion The current findings suggest that treadmill running protects against AD-like disease progression and cognitive deficits caused by an HFD in the 3xTg-AD mice.

The Relationship between Depressive Symptoms and Modifiable Lifestyle Risk Factors in Office Workers

Background This study investigated the relationship between depressive symptoms and physical fitness, obesity indices, and vitamin D status in office workers. Methods The subjects were 514 adults with more 30 years of experience as office workers in the city of Seoul. Lifestyle risk factors, obesity indices, physical fitness, and serum vitamin D levels were assessed with a standardized protocol. The Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) was used to assess depression status. Vitamin D status was assessed by measuring serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentrations. Based on the BDI scores, participants were classified into no depression (ND, BDI ≤9), mild depression (MiD, 10≤BDI≤15), and moderate depression (MoD, 16≤BDI≤23) groups. Results Compared with the high cardiorespriatory fitness group, the low cardiorespiratory fitness (men OR=2.618, women OR=1.596) an middle cardiorespiratory fitness group (men OR=1.256, women OR=1.110) had significantly higher odds ratio for having depressive symptoms, even after adjustment for age, hypertension, diabetes, hyperlipidemia, cardiovascular disease, alcohol intake, smoking, body mass index (BMI), percent body fat (%BF), and waist circumference (WC). Compared with the insufficient or deficient vitamin D group, the sufficient vitamin D group had significantly lower odds ratios for having depressive symptoms (men OR=0.121, women OR=0.114), even after adjustment for age, hypertension, diabetes, hyperlipidemia, cardiovascular disease, alcohol intake, smoking, BMI, %BF, and WC. Conclusion Vitamin D supplementation and outdoor activities should be key components of a lifestyle intervention against office workers’ depression.