Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

The effect of short-term health promotion intervention on motor function in community-dwelling older adults

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Aging Clinical and Experimental Research Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Background

Slow walking speed as one indicator of physical frailty has been found to be associated with deterioration of the health status. Although many reports have shown that exercise training improves motor function, it is unclear whether a group-based and short-term health promotion intervention will improve motor function in older adults.

Aims

This study aimed to examine the effectiveness of a short-term health promotion intervention on motor function in community-dwelling older adults.

Methods

A 6-month middle-term and moderate-intensity programme (MTMIP) and a 6-week short-term high-intensity programme (STHIP) were conducted. There were 28 and 29 subjects selected for the MTMIP and STHIP, respectively. The difference in motor function test outcomes was compared by assessment of comfortable walking speed, maximal walking speed, a sit-to-stand test (STS), and a timed up-and-go test (TUG).

Results

Comfortable walking speed, maximum walking speed, STS and TUG were significantly improved at end of the programme in the STHIP group (p = 0.02, p = 0.03, p < 0.001 and p = 0.002). Multiple regression analysis revealed that implementation of STHIP had a significant effect on end-of-programme comfortable walking speed (β = 0.19, p = 0.006, 95% CI 0.06 to 0.32).

Discussion

It was assumed that the training content of the STHIP, with its emphasis on high intensity and physical performance, was the main factor in improved walking speed.

Conclusions

Our results demonstrated the effectiveness of STHIP on motor function. These findings could help support development of more effective intervention methods in community-dwelling older adults.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Beard JR, Bloom DE (2015) Towards a comprehensive public health response to population ageing. Lancet 385:658–661. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(14)61461-6

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Clegg A, Young J, Iliffe S et al (2013) Frailty in older adults. Lancet 381:752–762. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(12)62167-9

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Shimada H, Makizako H, Doi T et al (2013) Combined prevalence of frailty and mild cognitive impairment in a population of older Japanese people. J Am Med Dir Assoc 14:518–524. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jamda.2013.03.010

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Fried LP, Tangen CM, Walston J et al (2001) Frailty in older adults: evidence for a phenotype. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci 56:M146–M156

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Newman AB, Kupelian V, Visser M et al (2006) Strength, but not muscle mass, is associated with mortality in the health, aging and body composition study cohort. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci 61:72–77

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Shinkai S, Watanabe S, Kumagai S et al (2000) Walking speed as a good predictor for the onset of functional dependence in a Japanese rural community population. Age Ageing 29:441–446

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Studenski S, Perera S, Patel K et al (2011) Gait speed and survival in older adults. JAMA 305:50–58. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2010.1923

    Article  PubMed Central  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Bird M, Hill KD, Ball M et al (2011) The long-term benefits of a multi-component exercise intervention to balance and mobility in healthy older adults. Arch Gerontol Geriatr 52:211–216. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.archger.2010.03.021

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Campbell AJ, Robertson MC, Gardner MM et al (1997) Randomised controlled trial of a practice programmeme of home based exercise to prevent falls in elderly women. BMJ 315:1065–1069

    Article  PubMed Central  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Nelson ME, Layne JE, Bernstein MJ et al (2004) The effects of multidimensional home-based exercise on functional performance in older adults. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci 59:154–160

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Sousa N, Mendes R, Abrantes C et al (2014) Effectiveness of combined exercise training to improve functional fitness in older adults: a randomized controlled trial. Geriatr Gerontol Int 14:892–898. https://doi.org/10.1111/ggi.12188

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Barnett A, Smith B, Lord SR et al (2003) Community-based group exercise improves balance and reduces falls in at-risk older people: a randomized controlled trial. Age Ageing 32:407–414

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Fitzharris MP, Day L, Lord SR et al (2010) The Whitehorse NoFalls Trial: effects on fall rates and injurious fall rates. Age Ageing 39:728–733. https://doi.org/10.1093/ageing/afq109

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Kemmler W, von Stengel S, Engelke K et al (2010) Exercise effects on bone mineral density, falls, coronary risk factors, and health care costs in older women: the randomized controlled senior fitness and prevention (SEFIP) study. Arch Intern Med 170:179–185. https://doi.org/10.1001/archinternmed.2009.499

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Lord SR, Castell S, Corcoran J et al (2003) The effect of group exercise on physical functioning and falls in frail older people living in retirement villages: a randomized, controlled trial. J Am Geriatr Soc 51:1685–1692

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. Skelton D, Dinan S, Campbell M et al (2005) Tailored group exercise (falls management exercise—FaME) reduces falls in community-dwelling older frequent fallers (an RCT). Age Ageing 34:636–639. https://doi.org/10.1093/ageing/afi174

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  17. Yamada M, Arai H, Sonoda T et al (2012) Community-based exercise programme is cost-effective by preventing care and disability in Japanese frail older adults. J Am Med Dir Assoc 13:507–511. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jamda.2012.04.001

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. Fiatarone MA, O’Neill EF, Ryan ND et al (1994) Exercise training and nutritional supplementation for physical frailty in very older adults. N Engl J Med 330:1769–1775. https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJM199406233302501

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  19. Lopopolo RB, Greco M, Sullivan D et al (2006) Effect of therapeutic exercise on gait speed in community-dwelling older adults: a meta-analysis. Phys Ther 86:520–540

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  20. Rosendahl E, Lindelöf N, Littbrand H et al (2006) High-intensity functional exercise programme and protein-enriched energy supplement for older persons dependent in activities of daily living: a randomized controlled trial. Aust J Physiother 52:105–113

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  21. Borg G (1970) Perceived exertion as an indicator of somatic stress. Scand J Rehabil Med 2:92–98

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  22. Fletcher GF, Ades PA, Kligfield P et al (2013) Exercise standards for testing and training: a scientific statement from the American Heart Association. Circulation 128:873–934. https://doi.org/10.1161/CIR.0b013e31829b5b44

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  23. Ng SS, Ng PC, Lee CY et al (2013) Assessing the walking speed of older adults: the influences of walkway length. Am J Phys Med Rehabil 92:776–780. https://doi.org/10.1097/PHM.0b013e31828769d0

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  24. Lord SR, Murray SM, Chapman K et al (2002) Sit-to-stand performance depends on sensation, speed, balance, and psychological status in addition to strength in older people. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci 57:M539–M543

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  25. Podsiadlo D, Richardson S (1991) The timed “Up & Go”: a test of basic functional mobility for frail older adults. J Am Geriatr Soc 39:142–148

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  26. Rubin DB (1997) Estimating causal effects from large data sets using propensity scores. Ann Intern Med 127:757–763

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  27. Chou CH, Hwang CL, Wu YT (2012) Effect of exercise on physical function, daily living activities, and quality of life in the frail older adults: a meta-analysis. Arch Phys Med Rehabil 93:237–244. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apmr.2011.08.042

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  28. El-Khoury F, Cassou B, Charles MA et al (2013) The effect of fall prevention exercise programmemes on fall induced injuries in community dwelling older adults: systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials. BMJ 347:f6234. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.f6234

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  29. Perera S, Mody SH, Woodman RC et al (2006) Meaningful change and responsiveness in common physical performance measures in older adults. J Am Geriatr Soc 54:743–749. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1532-5415.2006.00701.x

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  30. Hardy SE, Perera S, Roumani YF et al (2007) Improvement in usual gait speed predicts better survival in older adults. J Am Geriatr Soc 55:1727–1734. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1532-5415.2007.01413.x

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physical Therapy, School of Health Sciences, Tokyo University of Technology, 5-23-22 Nishikamata, Ota-ku, Tokyo, 144-8535, Japan

    Toshiki Kutsuna, Yoshinori Hiyama, Satomi Kusaka, Yasuaki Kusumoto, Junko Tsuchiya, Masaru Umeda & Tetsuya Takahashi

Authors
  1. Toshiki Kutsuna
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Yoshinori Hiyama
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Satomi Kusaka
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Yasuaki Kusumoto
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Junko Tsuchiya
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Masaru Umeda
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Tetsuya Takahashi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Toshiki Kutsuna.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interest

The 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 and/or national research committee 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.

Data availability

The datasets generated and/or analysed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Kutsuna, T., Hiyama, Y., Kusaka, S. et al. The effect of short-term health promotion intervention on motor function in community-dwelling older adults. Aging Clin Exp Res 31, 475–481 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40520-018-0994-x

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40520-018-0994-x

Keywords

Search

Navigation