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Physical and mental health status and their correlations among older wheelchair users with dementia in long-term care facilities

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Abstract

Purpose

To investigate the physical health (daily functioning and functional fitness) and mental health (depression and behavioral dysfunction) of older wheelchair users with dementia in long-term care facilities, examine the correlations between physical and mental health, and identify the independent variables of their daily functioning.

Methods

A descriptive correlational method was adopted, which was conducted in six long-term care facilities in three cities, south Taiwan. Participants comprised 98 older wheelchair users with dementia. Data were collected using structured questionnaires (Mini-Mental State Examination, Barthel Index, Cornell Scale for Depression in Dementia, and Clifton Assessment Procedures for the Elderly Behavior Rating Scale) and from functional fitness testing (cardiopulmonary functioning, body flexibility, joint mobility, and muscle strength and endurance).

Results

Older adults with dementia who had high depression scores were likely to have more behavioral dysfunctions, poorer performance in shoulder flexion and abduction, and lower upper limb muscle strength and endurance. More behavioral dysfunctions were associated with poorer daily functioning, lung capacity, body flexibility, shoulder flexion, and upper limb muscle strength and endurance. Those with better lung capacity, body flexibility, upper limb muscle strength, and endurance were likely to have high daily functioning scores (all p < .05). The key independent variables associated with daily functioning were behavioral dysfunction, lower body flexibility, and lung capacity, which together explained 59.3% of the total variance.

Conclusions

Further research should develop appropriate activity-based intervention programs for older wheelchair users with dementia to delay their deterioration and promote their physical and mental health.

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Acknowledgements

Sincere appreciation is directed by our group to the Ministry of Science and Technology, Taiwan for funding this study (NSC102-2314-B-037-054-MY2), to Professor Frank Belcastro for his superlative manuscript editing, to the directors and staff of six long-term care facilities for their support and assistance, and to the 98 wonderful older adults for their generous participation. The corresponding author, Professor Kuei-Min Chen, has received research grant from Taiwan Ministry of Science and Technology (NSC102-2314-B-037-054-MY2). The funding source supported the study financially and had no involvement in the study design, data collection, analysis and interpretation of data, writing of the report, and decision to submit the paper for publication.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Nursing, I-Shou University, 8 Yida Rd., Yanchao District, Kaohsiung, 824, Taiwan

    Chu-Lin Chang

  2. College of Nursing, Kaohsiung Medical University, 100 Shih-Chuan 1st Rd., Sanmin District, Kaohsiung, 80708, Taiwan

    Kuei-Min Chen

  3. Department of Medical Research, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan

    Kuei-Min Chen

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  1. Chu-Lin Chang
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Correspondence to Kuei-Min Chen.

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All authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Ethical approval

All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional review board of Kaohsiung Medical University Chung-Ho Memorial Hospital [KMUHIRB-2012-01-02(II)] and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

Informed consent

Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

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Chang, CL., Chen, KM. Physical and mental health status and their correlations among older wheelchair users with dementia in long-term care facilities. Qual Life Res 27, 793–800 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11136-017-1758-3

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