The Comparisons of Physical Functional Performances between Older Adults with and without Regular Physical Activity in Two Different Living Settings

I-Fang Cheng, Li-Chieh Kuo, Yi-Jung Tsai and Fong-Chin Su
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I-Fang Cheng: Department of Biomedical Engineering, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 701, Taiwan
Li-Chieh Kuo: Department of Occupational Therapy, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 701, Taiwan
Yi-Jung Tsai: Department of Medical Research, E-Da Hospital, Kaohsiung 824, Taiwan
Fong-Chin Su: Department of Biomedical Engineering, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 701, Taiwan

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 7, 1-13

Abstract: We compared the physical function performances of community-dwelling and day care center older adults with and without regular physical activity (PA). A total of 163 Taiwanese older adults living in rural communities participated. PA habits and physical functional performances were assessed. The participants were divided into community-dwelling (CD) and senior day care (DC) center groups that were further classified into regular physical activity (RPA) and non-physical activity (NPA) subgroups. Comparison took place between subgroups. In the CD group, only the grip strength, pinch strength, and box and blocks test scored significantly better for the participants with regular PA. Muscle strength, flexibility, and three items of functional ability of participants with regular PA were significantly better in the DC group. An active lifestyle contributes to a good old-age life. The effective amount of PA and the reduction of sedentary time should be advocated to prevent frailty and disability in older adults.

Keywords: healthy aging; regular physical activity; physical function; community-dwelling; senior day care center (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
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