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Effects of 1 year of lifestyle intervention on institutionalized older adults

Effects of 1 year of lifestyle intervention on institutionalized older adults
Effects of 1 year of lifestyle intervention on institutionalized older adults
The socio-economic and health consequences of our ageing population are well documented, with older adults living in long-term care facilities amongst the frailest possessing specific and significant healthcare and social care needs. These needs may be exacerbated through the sedentary behaviour which is prevalent within care home settings. Reducing sedentary time can reduce the risk of many diseases and improve functional health, implying that improvements in health may be gained by simply helping older adults substitute time spent sitting with time spent standing or in light-intensity ambulation. This study identified the impact of 1 year of lifestyle intervention in a group of older adults living in a long-term care setting in Italy. One hundred and eleven older adults (mean age, 82.37 years; SD = 10.55 years) participated in the study. Sixty-nine older adults were in the intervention group (35 without severe cognitive decline and 34 with dementia) and 42 older adults were in the control group. Data on physical functioning, basic activities of daily living (BADL) and mood were collected 4 times, before, during (every four months) and after the 1 year of intervention. The lifestyle intervention focused on improving the amount of time spent every week in active behaviour and physical activity (minimum 150 min of weekly activities). All participants completed the training program and no adverse events, related to the program, occurred. The intervention group showed steady and significant improvements in physical functioning and a stable situation in BADL and mood following the intervention in older adults with and without dementia, whilst the control group exhibited a significant decline over time. These results suggest that engagement in a physical activity intervention may benefit care home residents with and without dementia both physically and mentally, leading to improved social care and a reduced burden on healthcare services.
1660-4601
Magistro, Daniele
ab9296bc-fda6-469e-a3f8-3a574faa1b7e
Carlevaro, Fabio
64db4e9a-72d3-4948-b2c2-c54d85f27528
Magno, Francesca
87ecfc99-275f-49a9-9681-36ed9671fdbf
Simon, Martina
344cad97-1e4a-42c6-8da6-bab47cca24aa
Camp, Nicola
9dcf59fe-47c4-43db-bb6a-333721427eb9
Kinrade, Noel
45f22038-9c95-4281-920a-9092c6f1589f
Zecca, Massimiliano
870c8b27-684b-42b3-baed-40dd996c2800
Musella, Giovanni
64815766-6903-48c2-ac34-68eb3bbe7a43
Magistro, Daniele
ab9296bc-fda6-469e-a3f8-3a574faa1b7e
Carlevaro, Fabio
64db4e9a-72d3-4948-b2c2-c54d85f27528
Magno, Francesca
87ecfc99-275f-49a9-9681-36ed9671fdbf
Simon, Martina
344cad97-1e4a-42c6-8da6-bab47cca24aa
Camp, Nicola
9dcf59fe-47c4-43db-bb6a-333721427eb9
Kinrade, Noel
45f22038-9c95-4281-920a-9092c6f1589f
Zecca, Massimiliano
870c8b27-684b-42b3-baed-40dd996c2800
Musella, Giovanni
64815766-6903-48c2-ac34-68eb3bbe7a43

Magistro, Daniele, Carlevaro, Fabio, Magno, Francesca, Simon, Martina, Camp, Nicola, Kinrade, Noel, Zecca, Massimiliano and Musella, Giovanni (2021) Effects of 1 year of lifestyle intervention on institutionalized older adults. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18 (14), [7612]. (doi:10.3390/ijerph18147612).

Record type: Article

Abstract

The socio-economic and health consequences of our ageing population are well documented, with older adults living in long-term care facilities amongst the frailest possessing specific and significant healthcare and social care needs. These needs may be exacerbated through the sedentary behaviour which is prevalent within care home settings. Reducing sedentary time can reduce the risk of many diseases and improve functional health, implying that improvements in health may be gained by simply helping older adults substitute time spent sitting with time spent standing or in light-intensity ambulation. This study identified the impact of 1 year of lifestyle intervention in a group of older adults living in a long-term care setting in Italy. One hundred and eleven older adults (mean age, 82.37 years; SD = 10.55 years) participated in the study. Sixty-nine older adults were in the intervention group (35 without severe cognitive decline and 34 with dementia) and 42 older adults were in the control group. Data on physical functioning, basic activities of daily living (BADL) and mood were collected 4 times, before, during (every four months) and after the 1 year of intervention. The lifestyle intervention focused on improving the amount of time spent every week in active behaviour and physical activity (minimum 150 min of weekly activities). All participants completed the training program and no adverse events, related to the program, occurred. The intervention group showed steady and significant improvements in physical functioning and a stable situation in BADL and mood following the intervention in older adults with and without dementia, whilst the control group exhibited a significant decline over time. These results suggest that engagement in a physical activity intervention may benefit care home residents with and without dementia both physically and mentally, leading to improved social care and a reduced burden on healthcare services.

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Published date: 17 July 2021

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 504938
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/504938
ISSN: 1660-4601
PURE UUID: b23a3ac1-2116-4bbd-b486-8cb3a6b12d26
ORCID for Daniele Magistro: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0002-2554-3701

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Date deposited: 22 Sep 2025 17:01
Last modified: 23 Sep 2025 02:22

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Contributors

Author: Daniele Magistro ORCID iD
Author: Fabio Carlevaro
Author: Francesca Magno
Author: Martina Simon
Author: Nicola Camp
Author: Noel Kinrade
Author: Massimiliano Zecca
Author: Giovanni Musella

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