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OBJECTIVES: Midlife to older rural women with prehypertension are at increased risk for hypertension and its impact on cardiovascular health with advancing age. Because modification of dietary factors could help alleviate risk, the objective of this study was to explore calcium, magnesium, potassium and sodium intakes of midlife to older rural women, with identification of their top food sources. DESIGN: Survey of baseline dietary intake data of women and comparison to standard recommendations. SETTING: Rural Midwestern United States. PARTICIPANTS: 289 rural women, age 40-69, with prehypertension who volunteered for lifestyle modification to reduce blood pressure. MEASUREMENTS: Baseline nutrition data using the Block Health Habit and History Questionnaire were collected over a twelve-month rolling enrollment period from rural women with prehypertension. Mineral intakes were calculated and compared to recommended standards. Top ten foods contributing to each mineral were identified. RESULTS: The percent of women who met the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA)/Adequate Intake (AI) recommendations for their age groups ranged from a high 42.9% for magnesium to a low of 4.2% for potassium. Mean intakes of calcium, magnesium and potassium were all below recommended levels and sodium intakes were above recommendation. CONCLUSION: Midlife to older rural US women with prehypertension were eating some of the foods that would help them meet mineral recommendations. As a preventive approach to reducing hypertension risk, clinical practice could include advising on ways to increase both commonly and less commonly consumed nutrient-rich foods with awareness of what is typically available in the rural area.

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BACKGROUND: Impaired control of foot trajectory during the swing phase of gait is hypothesized to increase the risk of slipping or tripping. Before assessing the predictive validity of foot trajectory measures with respect to incidence of falls, it is necessary to establish their reliability. The purpose of this study is to assess within- and between-session reliability of foot trajectory measures and traditional temporal-distance measures in healthy elderly women during gait. METHODS: Sixteen healthy, elderly women (ages 65-79 years) completed six sets of five trials each of natural and fast cadence gait during a 3.5-hour period on each of 4 days. An optoelectric motion analysis system and heel switches were used to obtain both foot trajectory (minimum toe clearance during swing, vertical, and horizontal heel contact velocities) and temporal-distance measures (step width, cadence, velocity, stride length, and time). RESULTS: Within-session test-retest reliability of all variables at natural and fast speeds was good to excellent, with intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) of greater than 0.9 for all but one measure (fast cadence stride time). ICCs for between-session test-retest reliability were slightly lower, but still greater than 0.9 for all but two measures (fast cadence stride time and natural cadence vertical heel contact velocity). Heel contact velocities quantified at the instant of heel contact correlated strongly with values obtained by averaging over the last 2% of the gait cycle. DISCUSSION: The good to excellent within- and between-session reliability of these foot trajectory measures supports their use as a possible means of assessing subtle changes in gait motor control. Confirmation of an association between alterations in foot trajectory measures and incidence of falls awaits further study.

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OBJECTIVE: Identifying age-related changes in the postural control system is an important first step towards understanding the risk for falls in older adults. The purpose of this study was to determine whether age or gender had any effects on six relatively new postural control measures. DESIGN: Cross-sectional, 2 x 2 factorial design, representing two ages (younger [20 to 35 years], and older [60 to 75 years]) and both sexes. SETTING: University campus. PARTICIPANTS: Twenty-four community dwelling healthy adults (12 women, 12 men) participated in each of the younger and older groups. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Outcome measures included five force platform measures and functional reach (cm). The force platform measures, obtained using the Balance Master system, included movement time and path length to targets, and sway area under conditions of eyes open, eyes closed, and with visual feedback. RESULTS: Although gender was not significant for any outcome measure, age was significant in all six outcome measures. Older adults demonstrated larger areas of sway regardless of condition (eyes open, eyes closed or with visual feedback). Older adults had longer movement times, longer path lengths, and shorter distances of functional reach when compared with younger adults. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that the measures studied are sensitive to age-related changes in healthy elderly.

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The purpose of this study was to describe and compare the free-speed gait characteristics of healthy young men with those of healthy elderly men. Data collection consisted of high-speed cinematography resulting in synchronized front and side views of 24 healthy male volunteers, 12 between 20 and 32 years of age and 12 between 60 and 74 years of age. Young men were recruited to match the elderly men on the basis of right-leg length. Each subject participated in three filmed trials of free-speed ambulation down a 14-m walkway. The processed film was analyzed for eight gait characteristics. Differences in characteristics between the two groups were examined using a correlated t test (p less than .01). No significant differences were observed between the groups for step and stride length, velocity, ankle range of motion, vertical and horizontal excursions of the center of gravity, and pelvic obliquity; however, the younger men demonstrated a significantly larger stride width than the elderly men (p less than .01). The results suggest that the two populations of healthy adult men have similar gait characteristics.

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This study investigated the effects of position and speed on peak torque values of the shoulder internal and external rotators during concentric and eccentric activity. The dominant shoulder of 9 males and 10 females, 21-33 years, were tested at two velocities (60 and 180 degrees /sec) in two positions (45 degrees glenohumeral abduction and 45 degrees glenohumeral flexion) and two contraction types (eccentric and concentric). Results indicated that 1) concentric internal rotation decreased significantly (p < 0.0001) at the higher speed in males, 2) eccentric external rotation increased significantly (p < 0.003) at the higher speed in females, and 3) peak torque values were significantly greater (p < 0.01) in the 45 degrees glenohumeral abduction position compared to the 45 degrees glenohumeral flexion position during eccentric and concentric external rotation for both females and males, and for eccentric internal rotation in females. These findings are useful when planning to progress the intensity of the testing and training of the shoulder rotators according to patient tolerance. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther 1989;11(2):64-69.

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The purpose of this survey study was to investigate allied health faculty members' and students' ratings of the clinical educational feedback process. Faculty members and students from seven allied health programs at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, who were currently involved with clinical education, were asked to indicate their feelings on a seven-point scale for each of 22 feedback characteristics. An ANOVA and a Scheffe's test for post hoc analysis were used for data analyses. The results indicated that while both faculty members and students perceived eight feedback characteristics as equally important, they differed significantly (p less than .01) in their ratings of actual feedback provided in the characteristics of specific, timely, encouraging, and recommending improvement. Other significant faculty/student discrepancies were found in the area of student reception of feedback provided. The results are useful to guide and direct improvements in the clinical education of allied health students.

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The purpose of this survey study was to create a career-activity profile of all physical therapy graduates from the University of Nebraska Medical Center (1972-1985) and to gather evaluative information for the planning of a postbaccalaureate entry-level degree program for physical therapy. A majority of the survey respondents (91%) were employed in physical therapy when the survey was made and were satisfied with their undergraduate program. A majority of the respondents resided in Nebraska or surrounding states and identified similar changes within the physical therapy profession. The results supported the hypothesis that a negative correlation would exist between the salaries of full-time physical therapists and the size of the population they serve. Graduates' recommendations to increase clinical education and student exposure to specialties were included in the University of Nebraska's postbaccalaureate physical therapy degree proposal. This graduate feedback system was helpful with physical therapy program planning to meet the identified needs of this regional area.

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This study investigated the effects of speed and limb dominance on torque values and ratios of the quadriceps and hamstrings during both eccentric and concentric exercise. Both knees of 12 males and 13 females, 21-33 years of age, were tested at 30 degrees /sec and 180 degrees /sec on the KIN-COM. Results indicated that: 1) concentric quadriceps torque values and torque/body weight ratios decreased significantly at the higher speed, 2) no significant changes in eccentric quadriceps or eccentric hamstrings torque occurred at the two speeds, 3) no significant differences were demonstrated in the torque values or torque/body weight ratios between dominant and nondominant knees during both concentric and eccentric exercise at both speeds, 4) hamstrings/quadriceps torque ratios increased significantly at the higher speed during concentric exercise, and 5) for males, the hamstrings/quadriceps ratios were significantly greater in the nondominant limb during both concentric and eccentric exercise at both speeds. These findings are important when establishing appropriate and safe rehabilitation goals during isokinetic eccentric activity.J Orthop Sports Phys Ther 1988;10(2):59-65.

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The purpose of our study was to describe and compare free-speed gait patterns of healthy young women with healthy elderly women. The evaluation was completed with high-speed cinematography using synchronized front and side views of 26 healthy volunteers. One group was composed of 13 subjects 20 to 35 years of age, and the other group was composed of 13 subjects 60 to 84 years of age. Each subject participated in one test session consisting of three filmed trials of free-speed ambulation down a 14-m walkway. The processed film was analyzed for 10 gait characteristics. Differences in gait characteristics between the two groups were examined using a correlated t test (p less than .01). The elderly women demonstrated significantly smaller values of step length, stride length, ankle range of motion, pelvic obliquity, and velocity when compared with the younger women. The results of our study suggest that the physical therapist should not establish similar expectations for young women and elderly women during gait rehabilitation.

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