ArticlesThe performance enhancement project: Improving physical performance in older persons☆,☆☆,★,★★,♢,♢♢
Section snippets
Methods
The University of Connecticut Health Center's Institutional Review Board approved this randomized, controlled intervention study.
Baseline characteristics
There were 80 volunteers in the intervention group and 75 in the home control group (table 2).Empty Cell Home Control (n=75) Intervention (n=80) Empty Cell Empty Cell Characteristic n (%) Mean ± SD n (%) Mean ± SD X2 P* t P* Age 77.9±4.4 77.0±4.6 .222 Gender .428 Women 60 (80.0) 62 (77.5) Men 15 (20.0) 18 (22.5) Education (y) 13.2±3.3 12.6±2.6 .260 MMSE score (0–30) 28.3±1.4 28.0±1.6 .125 Marital status .267 Widowed, divorced, single 45 (60.0) 43
Discussion
This center-based exercise program that trained strength, endurance, balance, and flexibility in older persons at risk for loss of ADL function and mobility improved MacArthur battery scores, compared with the home control group, over the first year of the program. The MacArthur battery improvements were driven by small but clinically significant improvements in balance (tandem plus single stance) time and, to a lesser extent, by faster chair-rise time. At 6 months, the end of the intensive
Conclusion
A comprehensive center-based program for older persons with mobility problems initially resulted in modest improvements in physical performance. Gains were maintained with classes once a week and home practice in the second 6 months of the study. After 1 year, however, with no class supervision, there were no differences between groups. The lack of robust differences was probably due to several factors, including numerous adverse health events unrelated to the exercise program and declining
Acknowledgements
The authors gratefully acknowledge the assistance of Khamis Abu-Hasaballah, PhD, in managing testing protocols and data entry and storage, and the help of the Balance and Gait Enhancement Laboratory staff, who assisted with recruitment, testing, exercise classes, and data entry. The authors also thank the directors of the 3 senior centers for permitting the use of their facilities.
References (33)
- et al.
The role of change in physical performance in determining risk for dependence in activities of daily living among nondisabled community-living elderly persons
J Clin Epidemiol
(1997) - et al.
Is lower extremity strength gain associated with improvement in physical performance and disability in frail, community-dwelling elders?
Arch Phys Med Rehabil
(1998) - et al.
“Mini-mental state.” A practical method for grading the cognitive state of patients for the clinician
J Psychiatr Res
(1975) - et al.
Thirty years of Medicare: impact on the covered population
Health Care Fin Rev
(1996) - et al.
Lower-extremity function in persons over the age of 70 years as a predictor of subsequent disability
N Engl J Med
(1995) - et al.
Predicting changes in physical performance in a high-functioning elderly cohort: MacArthur Studies of Successful Aging
J Gerontol
(1994) - et al.
Assessing risk for the onset of functional dependence among older adults: the role of physical performance
J Am Geriatr Soc
(1995) - et al.
Preventing frail health
Clin Geriatr Med
(1992) - et al.
Preclinical mobility disability predicts incident mobility disability in older women
J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci
(2000) - et al.
Balance and strength training in older adults: intervention gains and Tai Chi maintenance
J Am Geriatr Soc
(1996)
Reliability and responsiveness of two physical performance measures in a functional training intervention
Phys Ther
Exercise: effects on physical functional performance in independent older adults
J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci
Exercise—It's never too late: the strong-for-life program
Am J Public Health
Effects of a group exercise program on strength, mobility, and falls among fall-prone elderly men
J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci
Physical activity and health: a report of the Surgeon General
A short physical performance battery assessing lower extremity function: association with self-reported disability and prediction of mortality and nursing home admission
J Gerontol
Cited by (78)
Role of Resistance Training in Mitigating Risk for Mobility Disability in Community-Dwelling Older Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis
2022, Archives of Physical Medicine and RehabilitationCitation Excerpt :Intervention duration ranged from 10 weeks36 to 18 months.35 Lower extremity strength was examined in 15 studies,20-25,28,29,32,35,37,41,43-45 using a broad range of outcomes. Ten studies evaluated isometric knee extensor strength using dynamometry,26,28-31,34,36,37,41,45 and 2 studies used pneumatic equipment for isokinetic knee extensor strength.25,41
Are flexibility and muscle-strengthening activities associated with functional limitation?
2022, Sports Medicine and Health ScienceRenewing caregiver health and wellbeing through exercise (RECHARGE): A randomized controlled trial
2016, Contemporary Clinical TrialsInterventions to maintain mobility: What works?
2013, Accident Analysis and PreventionThe efficacy of counseling and progressive resistance home-exercises on adherence, health-related quality of life and function after discharge from a geriatric day-hospital
2012, Archives of Gerontology and GeriatricsExercise and Gotu Kola Extract to Ameliorate Tumor Necrosis Factor - Alpha, Quality of Life, and Executive Function in Cognitive Impairment Women
2022, Universal Journal of Public Health
- ☆
Supported by the National Institute on Aging (grant no. 5 U01 AGO9675-07).
- ☆☆
No commercial party having a direct financial interest in the results of the research supporting this article has or will confer a benefit upon the author(s) or upon any organization with which the author(s) is/are associated.
- ★
Reprint requests to Mary B. King, MD, Hartford Hospital Geriatric Program, Burlingame Bldg, 2nd Fl, 400 Washington St, Hartford, CT 06106, e-mail: [email protected].
- ★★
Suppliers
- ♢
a. SPSS Inc, 233 S Wacker Dr, 11th F1, Chicago, IL 60606.
- ♢♢
b. SAS Institute Inc, SAS Campus Dr, Cary, NC 27513.