Psychometric Properties of the Elderly Health Questionnaire Among Community-dwelling Older People

ABSTRACT. Background: Clinical follow-up studies are necessary for a better understanding of the evolution of cognitive impairment as well as the development of better assessment and intervention tools. Objective: To investigate whether older people with preserved cognition (PC), mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and mild Alzheimer's disease (AD) show differences in clinical outcomes and interventions after a 32-month period. Methods: One hundred twenty-four community-dwelling older people were included and classified in one of three groups (PC, MCI and mild AD). Information on clinical outcomes (deaths, new diagnoses, falls, need for assistance or changes in routine and hospitalizations) and interventions (increased use of medication, physiotherapeutic intervention, practice of physical exercise, etc.) in the 32-month period were collected by telephone or during a home visit on a single day. Results: Ninety-five participants (35 with PC, 33 with MCI and 27 with AD) were reevaluated after 32 months. The need for assistance/changes in routine was significantly higher in the AD group, especially with regard to basic activities of daily living. Unlike the other groups, the PC group did not show “other diagnoses” (urinary incontinence, prolapse, change in vision or autoimmune disease). No significant differences were found regarding other variables. Conclusions: Older people with and without cognitive impairment exhibited differences in some clinical outcomes after 32 months, such as need for assistance or changes in their routine and new diagnoses of specific diseases. Therefore, the multidimensionality of geriatric patients should be considered when planning assessments and interventions.

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The Effects of a Program Combining Exercise and Music on Promoting Exercise Continuance and Psychological Factors in Older People

Music and Medicine ◽

10.47513/mmd.v9i2.499 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 9 (2) ◽

pp. 98

Author(s):

Hiromi Sakai ◽

Naoto Kamide ◽

Masahiro Kohzuki

Keyword(s):

Physical Exercise ◽

Older People ◽

Self Efficacy ◽

Subjective Experience ◽

The Elderly ◽

Community Dwelling ◽

Community Dwelling Older People ◽

Exercise Classes ◽

Positive Effect

Physical exercise can have a positive effect on physical and cognitive functions in older people. However, the elderly often face difficulties in maintaining exercise routines. Music is reported to effectively improve the subjective experience of physical exercise’s intensity, execution, and enhanced capacity related to a sense of accomplishment. We aimed to investigate whether adding music to physical exercise promoted exercise continuance compared with physical exercise alone. The participants were 74 community-dwelling older people who independently maintained activities of daily living. They were either assigned to a music group (MG) or non-music group (NMG). Exercise classes were held once a week for 3 months. The number of times participants participated in the exercise classes, and the number of times they performed exercises at home was assessed. In addition, each participant completed a set of questionnaires assessing exercise self-efficacy (SE) and quality of life before and immediately after the 3-month intervention. After the 3-month intervention, the MG had a significantly higher frequency of participation in the exercise classes and a significantly higher exercise SE score compared with the NMG. Our results show that the combination of physical exercise and music was beneficial for exercise continuance and exercise SE compared with physical exercise alone. Keywords: music, exercise, continuance, exercise self-efficacy, independent older people.

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