Department of Occupational Therapy, Joenju Kijeon College, Jeonju, South Korea.
Department of Emergency Medical Rehabilitation Service, Graduate School of Kangwon National University, Samcheok, South Korea.
Brain Behav. 2020 Dec;10(12):e01874. doi: 10.1002/brb3.1874. Epub 2020 Oct 9.
This study aimed to analyze the effects of white noise in walking on the walking time, state anxiety, and fear of falling of the elderly with mild dementia.
Subjects were 32 elderlies with mild dementia, and they divided into experimental group and control group, respectively. In the experimental group, walking program with white noise was applied 3 times a week for 4 weeks. White noise was provided by white noise generator in walking program. In the control group, walking program only was applied. To measure the effect of white noise in walking among the subjects, the walking time, state anxiety, and fear of falling were measured. Walking time was measured by Timed Up and Go test. State anxiety related in walking was measured by Korean version of State-Trait Anxiety Inventory. Fear of falling was used by Korean Falls Efficacy Scale.
The results of walking time showed the increase in both groups, but the statistically significant difference was not shown. However, the results of state anxiety and fear of falling showed decrease and the statistically significant difference was shown (p < .01). In comparative analysis, the statistically significant difference in the results of gate velocity between groups was not shown. However, in the results of state anxiety and fear of falling the statistically significant difference between groups was shown (p < .01).
White noise in walking should be induced positively to decrease the state anxiety and fear of falling in walking among elderly with mild dementia. Thus, in their environment, to decrease of state anxiety and fear of falling occurring in walking, the application of white noise in walking situation should be considered to apply for them.
本研究旨在分析在轻度认知障碍老年人行走时使用白噪声对行走时间、状态焦虑和跌倒恐惧的影响。
研究对象为 32 名轻度认知障碍老年人，将其分为实验组和对照组，每组 16 人。实验组进行 4 周，每周 3 次，每次 20 分钟的白噪声步行方案，步行方案中使用白噪声发生器提供白噪声。对照组仅进行步行方案。为了评估白噪声对行走的影响，测量了行走时间、状态焦虑和跌倒恐惧。行走时间通过计时起立行走测试（Timed Up and Go test）进行测量。与行走相关的状态焦虑通过状态-特质焦虑量表（Korean version of State-Trait Anxiety Inventory）进行测量。跌倒恐惧采用跌倒效能量表（Korean Falls Efficacy Scale）进行评估。
行走时间在两组中均有增加，但无统计学意义。然而，状态焦虑和跌倒恐惧的结果显示出下降，且具有统计学意义（p < 0.01）。在组间比较分析中，步态速度的结果无统计学差异。然而，在状态焦虑和跌倒恐惧的结果中，组间差异具有统计学意义（p < 0.01）。
应积极诱导老年人在行走时使用白噪声，以降低轻度认知障碍老年人的状态焦虑和行走时的跌倒恐惧。因此，在他们的环境中，为了降低行走时出现的状态焦虑和跌倒恐惧，可以考虑在行走情境中应用白噪声。
