Effects of a combined physical training and nutrition intervention on physical performance and health-related quality of life in prefrail older women living in the community: a randomized controlled trial.

OBJECTIVES

The purpose of this study was to examine whether a 12-week combined physical exercise training and nutritional intervention improves physical performance and enhances health-related quality of life (HRQOL) among prefrail elderly women living in the community.

DESIGN

This was a randomized controlled trial in which participants were recruited and randomly assigned to the exercise and nutrition group (EN, n = 30), exercise only group (E, n = 28), and control group (C, n = 31).

SETTING

Group training classes were held at a research center in Itabashi Ward, Tokyo, Japan.

PARTICIPANTS

Eighty-nine prefrail women aged 70 years or older.

INTERVENTION

The EN group participated in an exercise training and nutritional program (cooking class) once a week, and the E group participated in the exercise training program only.

MEASUREMENTS

Outcome measures that included physical performance (handgrip strength, balance, walking speed) and HRQOL (Medical Outcomes Study 36-Item Short Form Health Survey) were obtained at entry, the end of the 12-week intervention, and 6 months after completion of the intervention program.

RESULTS

At the end of the 12-week intervention, significant improvements in the physical component summary score and 3 (role physical, bodily pain, role emotional) of the 8 domains of the Medical Outcomes Study 36-Item Short Form Health Survey were observed in the EN group. The E group exhibited a significantly increased handgrip strength at postintervention. The positive effects, however, were not maintained at 6-month follow-up, but were reduced.

CONCLUSIONS

The combined physical exercise training and nutritional intervention program has beneficial effects on several domains of HRQOL and handgrip strength in prefrail elderly women living in the community. However, further studies are needed to examine approaches that facilitate maintenance of the improved outcomes by combined exercise training and nutritional intervention.