Qualidade de vida em idosos que praticam atividade física - uma revisão sistemática

An Active Retirement Programme, a Randomized Controlled Trial of a Sensorimotor Training Programme for Older Adults: A Study Protocol

Research shows that exercise training programmes lead to several improvements in older adults' health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and well-being. This study will examine the effects of an active retirement programme on Portuguese older adults, investigating its effects on body composition, physical fitness, HRQoL, and physical activity level (PAL). Therefore, a parallel-group randomised controlled trial will be conducted, including body composition (height and body weight), physical fitness (strength, flexibility, agility, postural control, and gait), HRQoL, and PAL assessments before and after the application of the programme. The programme will be carried out for six months, two days per week (45 min), plus a year of follow-up. The programme will consist of six circuits with eight physical exercises each. The circuits will change at the end of the four weeks (one monthly circuit). The exercises' difficulty will increase throughout the programme, with alternatives for all the participants. If the effectiveness of the programme is demonstrated, implementation in different services and municipalities could be advised, as the actors involved in health and social services should promote the well-being of their citizens through, among others, health-related physical activity and the prevention of diseases associated with inactivity.

Quality of life of participants and non-participants of public physical exercise programs

Abstract Objective: to compare the quality of life of elderly participants and non-participants of public physical exercise programs. Method: a control, analytical and cross-sectional study analyzing 108 elderly participants of public exercise programs (SG) and 126 non-participants (CG) in the city of Goiânia, Goias, Brazil, was performed. An initial Assessment Form, the Mental State Mini-Exam, the short version of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire, the World Health Organization Quality of Life - Bref (Whoqol-Bref) and the World Health Organization Quality of Life - Old (Whoqol-Old) were used. Comparison of socio-demographic profile and health conditions was performed using the Chi-squared test, while comparison of the quality of life of the SG and the CG was performed using covariance analysis (ANCOVA), followed by the post-hoc Tukey test. Results: the elderly persons in the SG had higher mean scores than those of the CG in all the Whoqol-Bref and Whoqol-Old domains (p<0.05). The active elderly in the CG did not exhibit differences in relation to the insufficiently active or sedentary members of the CG for any Whoqol-Bref or Whoqol-old domain (p≥0.05). Conclusion: the elderly participants in public physical exercise programs had a better perception of quality of life than non-participating elderly persons, and it was found that simply being active may not be enough to guarantee a better quality of life.

PHYSICAL ACTIVITY PROGRAM FOR ELDERLY AND ECONOMY FOR THE HEALTH SYSTEM

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the impact of physical activity on the use of the health system and the quality of life in sedentary elderly.

METHODS

A prospective interventional study was carried out between March 2010 and February 2011 with 100 subjects (60-90 years of age,) divided into active group (AG) and control group (CG). During this period, AG performed physical exercise twice a week in 60-minute sessions and the CG remained sedentary with observation of their activities. Before and after the study, all subjects were clinically evaluated and completed a quality of life questionnaire.

RESULTS

Eighty-nine subjects (AG = 44; CG = 45) were analyzed. AG had fewer visits to emergency room (p = 0.0056), hospitalizations (p = 0.0011), length of hospital stay (p = 0.0012) and fewer subsidiary tests (p = 0.0236) compared to the CG. The quality of life score analyzed before and after physical activity increased in AG compared to CG (p < 0.0001) and among subjects in AG (p < 0.0001), with no change in the CG.

CONCLUSION

The intervention of a physical activity program for sedentary elderly can contribute to reduce the use of the health system and improve the quality of life. Level of evidence II, Therapeutics Studies. Prospective comparative study.

Impacto do treinamento sensório-motor com plataforma vibratória no equilíbrio e na mobilidade funcional de um indivíduo idoso com sequela de acidente vascular encefálico: relato de caso

RESUMO A incidência de acidente vascular encefálico (AVE) aumenta com o envelhecimento e pode ter como consequência alterações sensitivas e motoras, as quais limitam a capacidade funcional, em função da redução do equilíbrio e da mobilidade. Diferentes recursos vêm sendo utilizados na prática fisioterapêutica para a recuperação do equilíbrio e da mobilidade, como treinamento sensório-motor e treinamento com plataforma vibratória. O objetivo deste estudo foi investigar o efeito de um protocolo de treinamento sensório-motor com plataforma vibratória no equilíbrio e na mobilidade funcional de um indivíduo idoso com sequela de AVE. Um indivíduo idoso, do gênero feminino, com 72 anos de idade e com sequela de AVE participou deste estudo. A avaliação do equilíbrio foi realizada por meio da Escala de Equilíbrio de Berg (EEB) e a avaliação da mobilidade por meio do teste Timed Up and Go (TUG). As variáveis dependentes para acompanhamento foram: pontuação obtida na EEB e tempo de execução do TUG. Após a avaliação inicial, a idosa realizou um protocolo de treinamento sensório-motor com plataforma vibratória, composto por 10 sessões, de 45 minutos cada. Na avaliação final, os resultados indicaram um aumento da pontuação na EEB (avaliação inicial = 41 pontos e avaliação final = 51 pontos) e uma redução no tempo de execução do TUG (avaliação inicial = 14 segundos e avaliação final = 9 segundos) na idosa com sequela de AVE. Com base nesses resultados, é possível concluir que o treinamento proposto foi efetivo para a melhora do equilíbrio e da mobilidade funcional da idosa com sequela de AVE.

Quality of life among older adults resident in long-stay care facilities

OBJECTIVES: to evaluate the older adults' perceptions of their quality of life (QoL) in two long-stay care facilities in Pouso Alegre and Santa Rita in Sapucaí, in the State of Minas Gerais, Brazil , and to identify the sociodemographic and health variables which interfere in this perception. METHOD: a cross-sectional epidemiological study of 77 older adults resident in institutions. The instruments used were: personal characterization; WHOQOL-bref and WHOQOL OLD. RESULT: the highest average obtained in the instruments was: the "Social Relationships" domain in the WHOQOL-bref (68%) and the "Sensory abilities" aspect in the WHOQOL-OLD (73.7%). The variables age, sex, physical activity and level of schooling have a significant correlation with the WHOQOL-bref and the variables sex and leisure have the same with the WHOQOL OLD. CONCLUSION: older adults who are younger, with higher levels of schooling and who undertake physical and leisure activity have, on average, better perceptions of their QoL. The older adults' QoL in this study had higher rates than that reported in the literature and was similar to that in the community. The results suggest the need to train those involved with older adults in institutions so that they may develop strategies which promote the adaptation, adjustment and maintenance of QoL.