Abstract
The present study is aimed at investigating the changes between pre-test and post-test, after having introduced an aerobic programme of physical activity (one session, each of 45’ per week for 15 weeks, over a span of roughly four months, delivered by specially trained instructor), in the psychological situation (perception of general health, feelings of geriatric depression) and physical condition (activities of daily living, physical performance in terms of balance and gait, weight, and body mass index–BMI) of a group of senior citizens slightly compromised at Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE: median 23) and living in a residential care facility in northern Italy. The 36-Item Short Form Health Survey Questionnaire (SF-36), the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS), the Italian short version of Barthel's Index of Activities of Daily Living (BADL), the Tinetti Assessment Tool were administered to 18 old men and women (median age 85.50 years). The findings (we used non- parametric statistical techniques) showed that: 1) general health perception, feelings of depression, and activities of daily were stable; 2) general physical performance, and particularly the balance, increased between pre-test and post-test, while weight, BMI and waist circumference decreased. These results underline the importance, especially in the case of women, of participating at an aerobic training delivered by experienced instructors for the physical condition of senior citizens, also when they are slightly cognitively compromised.
Highlights
The participation at training of physical activity in very old people living in residential care facilities may have some effects in terms of the potential positive consequences for the general physical and psychological conditions
We looked at a group of elderly people, who lived in a residential care facility and who were shown slightly impaired at the Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE), to describe the changes between pre-test and post-test in relation to the participation at an aerobic programme of physical activity, on psychological aspects, abilities of daily living, and physical aspects
With respect to the physical performance as it is measured by Tinetti test, we found a relevant increase of the balance between pre-test and post-test, while the gait was stable
Summary
The participation at training of physical activity in very old people living in residential care facilities may have some effects in terms of the potential positive consequences for the general physical and psychological conditions. At very old ages, the biological potential of the individuals is even further weakened, leading to different forms of frailties [4,5], which contribute to make older people much vulnerable and less apt at mastering the tasks of daily living. Some recent studies underlined that in elderly people there is a relationship between decreasing of physical abilities and both cognitive decline [8] and modification of the body mass index [9]. A increase of the body mass index was found positively related to the development of physical disabilities, especially among women, while the maintenance of a correct body weight was related with high levels of physical functioning, and with a great autonomy in mastering the tasks of daily living [10]. The study by Bohannon and colleagues [11] underlined, Openly accessible at http://www.scirp.org/journal/HEALTH/
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