Effect of the long-term care prevention project on the motor functions and
daily life activities of the elderly |
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Authors: | Yoshihiro Wada Keisyoku Sakuraba Atsushi Kubota |
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Institution: | 1) Department of Sports Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Juntendo University, Japan;2) Department of Rehabilitation, Miyota Central Memorial Hospital, Japan;3) Department of Sports Medicine, Graduate School of Health and Sport Science, Juntendo University, Japan |
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Abstract: | Purpose] The purpose of this study was to verify the effects of the long-term care
prevention project and develop an effective program. Subjects] A total of 81 elderly
people (age, 79 ± 5.1 years; height, 149.2 ± 9.2 cm; weight, 54.2 ± 11.4 kg). Methods]
Grip, knee extension muscular strength, 10 m walking speed, and Timed Up and Go time were
measured for evaluation of motor functions, and the “Locomo 25”, a 25-question risk
assessment questionnaire, was used as the judgment criterion for evaluation of daily life
activities, with measurements being taken at the beginning of the project and after three
months. Results] In the motor functions evaluation, significant differences were observed
in 10 m walking speed, Timed Up and Go time, and knee extension strength. In the daily
life activities evaluation, scores for pain, rising movement, standing movement, indoor
walking, outdoor walking, and fear of falling were significantly reduced. In addition, a
significant correlation was also observed between motor functions and daily life
activities. Conclusion] The result of this study indicated that the long-term care
prevention project is effective in maintaining or improving muscular strength and
mitigating pain in the elderly and that it is an effective program for maintaining daily
life activities. We were also able to show that it would be effective to develop programs
with a low exercise intensity that can be performed on a continuing by the elderly.Key words: Long-term care prevention project, Motor functions, Daily life activities |
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