6533b838fe1ef96bd12a3e0d

RESEARCH PRODUCT

Effects of Exercise on Health-Related Quality of Life and Fear of Falling in Home-Dwelling Older Women

Pekka KannusSaija KarinkantaRitva NupponenMikael FogelholmKirsti Uusi-rasiMatti PasanenHarri SievänenAri Heinonen

subject

medicine.medical_specialtyActivities of daily livingVisual analogue scalePoison controlPhysical Therapy Sports Therapy and RehabilitationFear of fallinglaw.inventionRandomized controlled trialQuality of lifelawSurveys and QuestionnairesActivities of Daily LivingInjury preventionHumansMedicineExercise physiologyExercisePostural BalanceAgedbusiness.industryRehabilitationFearExercise TherapyQuality of LifePhysical therapyAccidental FallsFemaleIndependent LivingGeriatrics and Gerontologymedicine.symptombusinessGerontologyFollow-Up Studies

description

This randomized, controlled trial evaluated the effects of exercise on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and fear of falling (FoF) among 149 home-dwelling older women. The 12-mo exercise program was intended to reduce the risk of falls and fractures. HRQoL was assessed by the RAND-36 Survey, and FoF, with a visual analog scale, at baseline, 12 mo, and 24 mo. On all RAND-36 scales, the scores indicated better health and well-being. The exercise had hardly any effect on HRQoL; only the general health score improved slightly compared with controls at 12 mo (p = .019), but this gain was lost at 24 mo. FoF decreased in both groups during the intervention with no between-groups difference at 12 or 24 mo. In conclusion, despite beneficial physiological changes, the exercise intervention showed rather limited effects on HRQoL and FoF among relatively high-functioning older women. This modest result may be partly because of insufficient responsiveness of the assessment instruments used.

yearjournalcountryeditionlanguage
2012-04-05Journal of Aging and Physical Activity
https://doi.org/10.1123/japa.20.2.198