Effects of a Physical Exercise Program on Physiological, Psychological, and Physical Function of Older Adults in Rural Areas

With the increase in the older population, there is a concern for health in older adults. This study aimed to develop a physical exercise program that combined walking and gymnastics for older adults residing in rural areas and to evaluate its effect on their physiological and psychological health a...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:International journal of environmental research and public health 2021-08, Vol.18 (16), p.8487
Main Authors: Kim, Sunmi, Lee, Eun-Jee, Kim, Hyeon-Ok
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adults
Aerobics
Blood pressure
Body mass
Body mass index
Body size
Chi-square test
Cholesterol
Chronic illnesses
Cognitive ability
Dementia
Design of experiments
Exercise
Experimental design
Gymnastics
Hypotheses
Mental depression
Older people
Physical exercise
Physical fitness
Physiological effects
Physiology
Population
Prevention
Rural areas
Statistical tests
Walking
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Summary:With the increase in the older population, there is a concern for health in older adults. This study aimed to develop a physical exercise program that combined walking and gymnastics for older adults residing in rural areas and to evaluate its effect on their physiological and psychological health and physical function. A quasi-experimental design was adopted. Participants were aged 65 years or older, with 94 and 130 participants in the experimental and control group, respectively. The program was implemented for seven months, from April–October 2016. Walking and gymnastics were performed once a week each, for about 60 and 50 min, respectively. Data were analyzed using the Chi-squared test, Fisher’s exact test, independent t-test, or Mann–Whitney U test. Results revealed that the experimental group participants displayed improved waist circumference (t = 1.70, p = 0.045), body mass index (U = 4691.00, p = 0.002), depressive symptoms (t = −2.94, p = 0.002), upper limb strength (t = 2.27, p = 0.012), and lower limb strength (t = 3.86, p < 0.001). Therefore, it can be presumed that the physical exercise program was effective and beneficial for older adults living in rural areas. This program is expected to contribute to maintaining and improving their health if implemented regularly in the future.
ISSN:1660-4601
1661-7827
1660-4601
DOI:10.3390/ijerph18168487