Background: Physical activity (PA) is a proven strategy to prevent chronic diseases and reduce falls. Furthermore, it improves or at least maintains performance of activities of daily living, and thus fosters an independent lifestyle in older adults. However, evidence on the association of PA with relevant subgroups, such as older adults with utilization of long-term care (LTC), is sparse. This knowledge would be essential for establishing effective, need-based strategies to minimize the burden on healthcare systems due to the increasing need for LTC in old age. Methods: Data originate from the 2011/12 (t1) baseline assessment and 2016 (t2) follow-up of the population-based Cooperative Health Research in the Region of Augsburg (KORA-)Age study in southern Germany. In 4812 observations of individuals ≥65 years, the association between various types of PA (walking, exercise (i. e., subcategory of PA with the objective to improve or maintain one or more components of physical fitness), walking+exercise) and utilization of LTC (yes/no) was analyzed using generalized estimating equation logistic models. Corresponding models stratified by sex (females: 2499 observations; males: 2313 observations) examined sex-specific associations. Descriptive analyses assessed the proportion of individuals meeting the suggested minimum values in the German National Physical Activity Recommendations for older adults (GNPAR). Results: All types of PA showed a statistically significant association with non-utilization of LTC in the entire cohort. “Walking+exercise” had the strongest association with non-utilization of LTC in the entire cohort (odds ratio (OR): 0.52, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.39–0.70) and in males (OR: 0.41, CI: 0.26–0.65), whereas in females it was “exercise” (OR: 0.58; CI: 0.35–0.94). The proportion of individuals meeting the GNPAR was higher among those without utilization of LTC (32.7%) than among those with LTC (11.7%) and group differences were statistically significant (p ≤ 0.05). Conclusions: The GNPAR are rarely met by older adults. However, doing any type of PA is associated with non-utilization of LTC in community-dwelling older adults. Therefore, older adults should be encouraged to walk or exercise regularly. Furthermore, future PA programs should consider target-groups’ particularities to reach individuals with the highest needs for support.

BACKGROUND: Air pollution contributes to type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases, but its relevance for other complications of diabetes, in partic-ular distal sensorimotor polyneuropathy (DSPN), is unclear. Recent studies have indicated that DSPN is also increasingly prevalent in obesity. OBJECTIVES: We aimed to assess associations of air pollutants with prevalent and incident DSPN in a population-based study of older individuals with high rates of type 2 diabetes and obesity. METHODS: Cross-sectional analyses on prevalent DSPN were based on 1,075 individuals 62–81 years of age from the German Cooperative Health Research in the Region of Augsburg (KORA) F4 survey (2006–2008). Analyses on incident DSPN included 424 individuals without DSPN at base-line (KORA F4), of whom 188 had developed DSPN by the KORA FF4 survey (2013–2014). Associations of annual average air pollutant concentrations at participants’ residences with prevalent and incident DSPN were estimated using Poisson regression models with a robust error variance adjusting for multiple confounders. RESULTS: Higher particle number concentrations (PNCs) were associated with higher prevalence [risk ratio (RR) per interquartile range (IQR) increase = 1:10 (95% CI: 1.01, 1.20)] and incidence [1.11 (95% CI: 0.99, 1.24)] of DSPN. In subgroup analyses, particulate (PNC, PM10,PMcoarse, PM2:5, and PM2:5abs ) and gaseous (NOx,NO2 ) pollutants were positively associated with prevalent DSPN in obese participants, whereas corresponding estimates for nonobese participants were close to the null [e.g., for an IQR increase in PNC, RR = 1:17 (95% CI: 1.05, 1.31) vs. 1.06 (95% CI: 0.95, 1.19); pinteraction =0:22]. With the exception of PM2:5abs, corresponding associations with incident DSPN were positive in obese participants but null or inverse for nonobese participants, with pinteraction ≤ 0:13 [e.g., for PNC, RR = 1:28 (95% CI: 1.08, 1.51) vs. 1.03 (95% CI: 0.90, 1.18); pinteraction =0:03]. DISCUSSION: Both particulate and gaseous air pollutants were positively associated with prevalent and incident DSPN in obese individuals. Obesity and air pollution may have synergistic effects on the development of DSPN. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP7311.

Background: Chronic diseases like diabetes mellitus or hypertension are a major public health challenge. Irregular physical activity (PA) is one of the most important modifiable risk factors for chronic conditions and their complications. However, engaging in regular PA is a challenge for many individuals. The literature suggests that a diagnosis of a disease might serve as a promising point in time to change health behavior. This study investigates whether a diagnosis of diabetes or hypertension is associated with changes in PA. Methods: Analyses are based on 4261 participants of the population-based KORA S4 study (1999–2001) and its subsequent 7-and 14-year follow-ups. Information on PA and incident diagnoses of diabetes or hypertension was assessed via standardized interviews. Change in PA was regressed upon diagnosis with diabetes or hypertension, using logistic regression models. Models were stratified into active and inactive individuals at baseline to avoid ceiling and floor effects or regression to the mean. Results: Active participants at baseline showed higher odds (OR = 2.16 [1.20;3.89]) for becoming inactive after a diabetes diagnosis than those without a diabetes diagnosis. No other significant association was observed. Discussion: As PA is important for the management of diabetes or hypertension, ways to increase or maintain PA levels in newly-diagnosed patients are important. Communication strategies might be crucial, and practitioners and health insurance companies could play a key role in raising awareness.

OBJECTIVE To assess the independent causal effect of BMI and type 2 diabetes (T2D) on socioeconomic outcomes by applying two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS We performed univariable and multivariable two-sample MR to jointly assess the effect of BMI and T2D on socioeconomic outcomes. We used overlapping genomewide significant single nucleotide polymorphisms for BMI and T2D as instrumental variables. Their causal impact on household income and regional deprivation was assessed using summary-level data from the UK Biobank. RESULTS In the univariable analysis, higher BMI was related to lower income (marginal effect of 1-SD increase in BMI [b =-0.092; 95% CI-0.138;-0.047]) and higher deprivation (b=0.051; 95% CI 0.022; 0.079). In the multivariable MR, the effect of BMI controlling for diabetes was slightly lower for income and deprivation. Diabetes was not associated with these outcomes. CONCLUSIONS High BMI, but not diabetes, shows a causal link with socioeconomic outcomes.

Aims To identify socioeconomic, behavioral and clinical factors that are associated with prediabetes according to different prediabetes definition criteria. Methods Analyses use pooled data of the population-based Cooperative Health Research in the Region of Augsburg (KORA) studies (n = 5312 observations aged ≥ 38 years without diabetes). Prediabetes was defined through either impaired fasting glucose (IFG), impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) or elevated HbA1c according to thresholds of the American Diabetes Association. Explanatory variables were regressed on prediabetes using generalized estimating equations. Results Mean age was 58.4 years; 50% had prediabetes (33% had IFG, 16% IGT, and 26% elevated HbA1c, 10% fulfilled all three criteria). Age, obesity, hypertension, low education, unemployment, statutory health insurance, urban residence and physical inactivity were associated with prediabetes. Male sex was a stronger risk factor for IFG (OR = 2.5; 95%–CI: 2.2–2.9) than for IGT or elevated HbA1c, and being unemployed was a stronger risk factor for IGT (OR = 3.2 95%–CI: 2.6–4.0) than for IFG or elevated HbA1c. Conclusions The overlap of people with IFG, IGT and elevated HbA1c is small, and some factors are associated with only one criterion. Knowledge on sociodemographic and socioeconomic risk factors can be used to effectively target interventions to people at high risk for type 2 diabetes.