Abstract
SummaryObjectiveTo measure health effects in lay volunteers who made home visits consisting of social interaction, nutritional and physical exercise interventions to pre-frail and frail older people (trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT01991639).MethodsAfter baseline, participants were followed-up at 12 (V1) and 24 (V2) weeks. A one-repetition maximum (1-RPM) and handgrip were measured with the Concept2®DYNO and a dynamometer. The Physical Activity Scale for the Elderly was used to assess physical activity, and Food Frequency Questionnaire and the Mediterranean Diet Adherence Screener for nutrition. Additionally, quality of life (QoL) was measured with the World Health Organization (WHO) quality of life brief questionnaire and anthropometric measurements were performed using bioelectrical impedance analysis.ResultsHandgrip values significantly increased from 32.14 ± 7.94 kg to 33.69 ± 6.72 kg at V1 and 34.36 ± 6.96 kg at V2. The 1‑RPM on the leg press showed a significant increase from 72.47 ± 25.37 kg to 78.12 ± 23.77 kg and 80.85 ± 27.99 kg, respectively. We observed a significant decrease of protein intake from 0.38 ± 0.26 g/kgBW/day to 0.32 ± 0.19 g/kgBW/day and 0.26 ± 0.16 g/kgBW/day, respectively. There were no changes in physical activity, QoL and anthropometric measurements.ConclusionThe findings indicate that projects involving aging healthy volunteers may have additional limited health benefits.
Highlights
The beneficial effect of physical exercise and nutritional optimization on the health of older people has been previously described [1, 2]; these interventions were mainly conducted by healthcare professionals and the health effect on those who deliver health promotion has seldom been examined
There were no changes in physical activity, quality of life (QoL) and anthropometric measurements
The findings indicate that projects involving aging healthy volunteers may have additional limited health benefits
Summary
The beneficial effect of physical exercise and nutritional optimization on the health of older people has been previously described [1, 2]; these interventions were mainly conducted by healthcare professionals and the health effect on those who deliver health promotion has seldom been examined. Awareness of the peer support system’s influence on salutogenic effects is gaining more importance as the focus in healthcare shifts from treatment-based to health promotion [5]. To further underline this need for strengthening of support and social relationships, the World Health Organization (WHO) has outlined strengthening of social relationships as a valuable health promotion strategy, while the enrichment of supportive resources through mutual aid has been endorsed by the Ottawa Charter [6, 7]. A prospective study showed that when controlling for different factors, people who scored high on volun-
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