Department of Sports Science and Physical Education, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
CUHK Jockey Club Institute of Ageing, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022 Apr 29;19(9):5453. doi: 10.3390/ijerph19095453.
Physical activity programs focusing on fall prevention often overlook upper-limb strength, which is important for transferring, balance recovery, and arresting a fall. We developed and evaluated a physical activity program, Mobility-Fit for older adults in Assisted Living (AL) that includes upper-limb strengthening, agility, coordination, and balance exercises. Thirty participants (85 ± 6 years) were recruited from two AL facilities; 15 were assigned to Mobility-Fit (three times/week, 45 min/session for 12 weeks) and 15 maintained usual care. Twenty-two participants (11 in each group) completed the study. We compared outcome changes between groups and interviewed participants and staff to explore the effectiveness and feasibility of the program. Among participants who attended Mobility-Fit, knee extension strength increased by 6%, reaction time decreased by 16%, and five-time sit-to-stand duration decreased by 15%. Conversely, participants in the usual care group had a 6% decrease in handgrip strength. Changes of these outcomes were significantly different between two groups (p < 0.05). Participants enjoyed the program and staff suggested some changes to improve attendance. Our results indicate that Mobility-Fit is feasible to deliver and beneficial for older adults in AL and may guide future clinical trials to evaluate the effectiveness of upper limb strengthening on safe mobility of older adults in care facilities.
物理活动方案专注于预防跌倒往往忽略了上肢力量，这对转移、平衡恢复和防止跌倒很重要。我们为住在辅助生活设施（AL）的老年人开发并评估了一项名为“移动健身（Mobility-Fit）”的身体活动计划，其中包括上肢力量、敏捷性、协调性和平衡练习。从两个 AL 设施招募了 30 名参与者（85 ± 6 岁）；15 名被分配到 Mobility-Fit（每周三次，每次 45 分钟，共 12 周），15 名维持常规护理。22 名参与者（每组 11 名）完成了研究。我们比较了两组之间的结果变化，并采访了参与者和工作人员，以探讨该计划的有效性和可行性。在参加 Mobility-Fit 的参与者中，膝关节伸展力量增加了 6%，反应时间减少了 16%，五次从坐姿到站起的时间减少了 15%。相反，常规护理组的参与者手部握力下降了 6%。这些结果的变化在两组之间有显著差异（p < 0.05）。参与者喜欢该计划，工作人员建议进行一些改变以提高出勤率。我们的结果表明，Mobility-Fit 可用于为 AL 中的老年人提供服务，并且对他们有益，可能指导未来的临床试验评估上肢力量增强对护理设施中老年人安全移动的有效性。
