부산대학교 도서관

Older adults with a high level of physical fitness have a decreased risk of chronic diseases and death, and are more independent in their daily activities. Given this rationale, the present study explored the influence of physical fitness activities on older adults at a day care center. A cross-sectional one-group pretest-posttest design was used to recruit older adults at a day care center in Taichung in central Taiwan. All subjects underwent a physiological function test; only those who passed the test (n=50) were invited to a physical fitness program that spanned 10 weeks. Results: The 50 subjects (of whom 19 are male and 31 are female), who participated in the physical fitness program, had a mean age of 81±7.4 years. The total Brief Symptom Rating Scale (BSRS-5) score showed significant pre- and post-test differences after the intervention of the physical fitness program (t=4.76, p＜0.001). Significant pre- and post-test differences were also found in the following functional fitness tests: chair stand(t=-4.77, p＜0.001), arm curl (t=-2.71, p＜0.01), back scratch (t=4.20, p＜0.001), chair sit-and-reach (t=-3.18, p＜0.01), 8-foot up-and-go(t=4.40, p＜0.001), and 2-minute step (t=-4.94, p＜0.001). Older adults can improve their physical and mental wellbeing by participating in physical fitness activities. Thus, community authorities should host physical fitness activities consistently for the elderly, thereby facilitating them in developing exercise habits.