Chou Chia-Pei, Chen Kuei-Min, Tung Hsiao-Ting, Belcastro Frank, Hsu Hui-Fen
Department of Family Medicine, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, 123 Dapi Rd., Niaosong District, Kaohsiung 83301, Taiwan; College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taiwan.
College of Nursing, Kaohsiung Medical University, 100 Shih-Chuan 1(st) Rd., Sanmin District, Kaohsiung, Taiwan; Center for Long-term Care Research, Kaohsiung Medical University, Taiwan; Department of Medical Research, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Taiwan.
Exp Gerontol. 2022 Jun 15;163:111799. doi: 10.1016/j.exger.2022.111799. Epub 2022 Apr 4.
Frailty is a complex geriatric syndrome and serves as an indicator for functional degradation in older adults. Regular exercise intervention could reduce the level of frailty and improve general physical fitness. The aim of this study was to test the effects of the Vitality Acupunch (VA) exercise on the promotion of physical fitness and the improvement of frailty status among frail older adults in long-term care facilities.
This study was a cluster-randomized controlled trial adopted a pretest-posttest design. Using convenience sampling, 81 frail adults older than 65 years of age from 10 long-term care facilities participated in this study. The older adults were cluster-randomized by facility into an intervention group (5 long-term care facilities, n = 40) and a control group (5 long-term care facilities, n = 41). The intervention group engaged in the VA exercise 3 times a week, each lasting 40 min, for 24 weeks. The control group maintained regular activities of daily living. The outcome measures for physical fitness were assessed before study began (pretest), at the 12th week (posttest 1), and at the 24th week (posttest 2) in the study.
After a 24-week intervention, the frail older adults who engaged in the VA exercise program showed significant improvements in handgrip strength, upper-limb muscle endurance, lung function, shoulder flexibility, forward flexion, shoulder joint flexion, and shoulder joint abduction (all p < 0.05) but not in lower-limb muscle endurance (p = 0.502) compared against their pretest data. The intervention group had significantly better physical fitness and positive changes in frailty status than the control group (all p < 0.001), except for the lower-limb muscle endurance (p = 0.557).
Regular engagement in the VA exercise program for 24 weeks significantly improved the physical fitness and frailty status of frail older adults in long-term care facilities.
衰弱是一种复杂的老年综合征，是老年人功能衰退的一个指标。定期运动干预可降低衰弱水平，提高总体身体素质。本研究旨在测试活力针刺运动（VA）对长期护理机构中衰弱老年人身体素质提升及衰弱状况改善的效果。
本研究为一项采用前后测设计的整群随机对照试验。采用便利抽样法，从10所长期护理机构中选取81名65岁以上的衰弱成年人参与本研究。这些老年人按机构整群随机分为干预组（5所长期护理机构，n = 40）和对照组（5所长期护理机构，n = 41）。干预组每周进行3次VA运动，每次持续40分钟，共进行24周。对照组维持日常常规活动。在研究开始前（前测）、第12周（后测1）和第24周（后测2）对身体素质的结局指标进行评估。
经过24周的干预，参与VA运动项目的衰弱老年人与前测数据相比，握力、上肢肌肉耐力、肺功能、肩部柔韧性、前屈、肩关节屈曲和肩关节外展均有显著改善（均p < 0.05），但下肢肌肉耐力无显著改善（p = 0.502）。干预组在身体素质和衰弱状况的积极变化方面显著优于对照组（均p < 0.001），下肢肌肉耐力除外（p = 0.557）。
在长期护理机构中，衰弱老年人定期参与24周的VA运动项目可显著改善其身体素质和衰弱状况。
