This project was aimed to test the effects of a six-month VA program on the activities of daily living (ADL) and functional fitness of institutional older adults with sarcopenia.
A cluster-randomized controlled trial was conducted to test the effects of a six-month VA program on ADL and functional fitness (lung capacity, body flexibility, range of the joint's motion, and muscle endurance) of institutional older adults with sarcopenia. Using convenience sampling, 12 long-term care facilities with 114 older adults were recruited, and then cluster-randomized by the facility to a VA experimental or a control group. The experimental group received the VA program led by certified instructors 3 times per week and 40 minutes per session for six months; the control group continued with their regular daily activities. One pre-test and two post-tests, three months apart, were conducted.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
PREVENTION
Masking
SINGLE
Enrollment
114
The VA had three phases and took 40 minutes to complete.
Participants maintained their daily activities.
Kaohsiung Medical University
Kaohsiung City, Taiwan
Lung capacity
measured by the TruZoneTM Peak Flow Meter
Time frame: 6 months
Upper body flexibility
measured by the Back Scratch Test
Time frame: 6 months
Lower body flexibility
measured by the Chair Sit-and-Reach Test
Time frame: 6 months
Range of joint motion
measured by the goniometry
Time frame: 6 months
Arm muscle endurance
measured by the Arm Curl Test
Time frame: 6 months
Leg muscle endurance
measured by the Chair-to-Stand Test
Time frame: 6 months
Activities of daily living (ADL)
measured by the Barthel Index. The score of "0-20" means totally dependent; "21-60" means heavily dependent; "61-90" means moderately dependent; "91-99" means mildly dependent; "100" indicates total independence in the ADL of a person.
Time frame: 6 months
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