The Effectiveness of Regular Physical Activity on Mental Health in Elderly
Background: The world population is aging rapidly. Therefore, the social, financial and health consequences of increasing longevity cannot be ignored. In addition to increased age-related physical illnesses, this demographic change will also lead to an increased number of mental health problems. Thu...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | fas |
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Isfahan University of Medical Sciences
2011-12-01
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| Series: | مجله دانشکده پزشکی اصفهان |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://jims.mui.ac.ir/index.php/jims/article/view/937 |
| _version_ | 1797711311183806464 |
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| author | Seyedeh Salehe Mortazavi Hassan Eftekhar Ardebili Seyed Reza Eshaghi Reza Dorali Beni Marzieh Shahsiah Saeedeh Botlani |
| author_facet | Seyedeh Salehe Mortazavi Hassan Eftekhar Ardebili Seyed Reza Eshaghi Reza Dorali Beni Marzieh Shahsiah Saeedeh Botlani |
| author_sort | Seyedeh Salehe Mortazavi |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background: The world population is aging rapidly. Therefore, the social, financial and health consequences of increasing longevity cannot be ignored. In addition to increased age-related physical illnesses, this demographic change will also lead to an increased number of mental health problems. Thus, any health promotion approach that could facilitate introduction of effective primary, secondary and even tertiary prevention strategies in old age psychiatry would be of significant importance. This paper explored physical activity as one of the possible health promotion strategies with positive effects on mental health in later life.
Methods: In this quasi-experimental study, 372 male and female individuals aged 60 years and older were randomly allocated into case and control groups. An exercise program (two 30-45 minute sessions weekly for 2 months) was assigned to the case group. However, some practical problems divided the subjects in the case group into two subgroups of individual physical activity (n = 96) and group physical activity (n = 85). The 28-item general health questionnaire (GHQ-28) was administered in order to obtain information on mental health. The questionnaire was completed before, immediately and 3 months after the intervention. The data was analyzed by chi-square test, paired t-test and independent t-test in SPSS11.5.
Findings: In the case group, the mean of GHQ total scores decreased immediately after the intervention (8 ± 5.5 vs. 5.6 ± 5.1). The changes remained significant after 3 months (the mean after 3 months = 5.6; P < .001). The scores of GHQ subscales including somatization, anxiety, social dysfunction and depression decreased in the case group and all changes remained significant after 3 months. In addition, there were significant differences in mental health benefits between subjects with group physical activity and those with individual physical activity, i.e. doing exercise with a group was determined to be more effective.
Conclusion: This study showed physical activity as an effective intervention which significantly improved mental health in older adults. However, performing physical activity in a group of individuals with the same age would have more benefits. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-12T07:04:13Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-759ba3041d5e428db742deacaea8a83c |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1027-7595 1735-854X |
| language | fas |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-12T07:04:13Z |
| publishDate | 2011-12-01 |
| publisher | Isfahan University of Medical Sciences |
| record_format | Article |
| series | مجله دانشکده پزشکی اصفهان |
| spelling | doaj.art-759ba3041d5e428db742deacaea8a83c2023-09-02T23:31:47ZfasIsfahan University of Medical Sciencesمجله دانشکده پزشکی اصفهان1027-75951735-854X2011-12-012916118051814790The Effectiveness of Regular Physical Activity on Mental Health in ElderlySeyedeh Salehe Mortazavi0Hassan Eftekhar Ardebili1Seyed Reza Eshaghi2Reza Dorali Beni3Marzieh Shahsiah4Saeedeh Botlani5Department of Health Promotion and Education, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, IranProfessor, Department of Health Promotion and Education, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences and Health Center for Community-Based Participatory Research, Tehran, IranAssociate Professor, Department of Community Medicine, School of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, IranGeneral Practitioner, School of Medicine ,Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, IranDepartment of Family Counseling, School of Public Health, Qom University of Medical Sciences, Qom, IranDepartment of Family Counseling, The University of Isfahan, Isfahan, IranBackground: The world population is aging rapidly. Therefore, the social, financial and health consequences of increasing longevity cannot be ignored. In addition to increased age-related physical illnesses, this demographic change will also lead to an increased number of mental health problems. Thus, any health promotion approach that could facilitate introduction of effective primary, secondary and even tertiary prevention strategies in old age psychiatry would be of significant importance. This paper explored physical activity as one of the possible health promotion strategies with positive effects on mental health in later life. Methods: In this quasi-experimental study, 372 male and female individuals aged 60 years and older were randomly allocated into case and control groups. An exercise program (two 30-45 minute sessions weekly for 2 months) was assigned to the case group. However, some practical problems divided the subjects in the case group into two subgroups of individual physical activity (n = 96) and group physical activity (n = 85). The 28-item general health questionnaire (GHQ-28) was administered in order to obtain information on mental health. The questionnaire was completed before, immediately and 3 months after the intervention. The data was analyzed by chi-square test, paired t-test and independent t-test in SPSS11.5. Findings: In the case group, the mean of GHQ total scores decreased immediately after the intervention (8 ± 5.5 vs. 5.6 ± 5.1). The changes remained significant after 3 months (the mean after 3 months = 5.6; P < .001). The scores of GHQ subscales including somatization, anxiety, social dysfunction and depression decreased in the case group and all changes remained significant after 3 months. In addition, there were significant differences in mental health benefits between subjects with group physical activity and those with individual physical activity, i.e. doing exercise with a group was determined to be more effective. Conclusion: This study showed physical activity as an effective intervention which significantly improved mental health in older adults. However, performing physical activity in a group of individuals with the same age would have more benefits.http://jims.mui.ac.ir/index.php/jims/article/view/937Mental healthAgingPhysical activityGHQ-28 |
| spellingShingle | Seyedeh Salehe Mortazavi Hassan Eftekhar Ardebili Seyed Reza Eshaghi Reza Dorali Beni Marzieh Shahsiah Saeedeh Botlani The Effectiveness of Regular Physical Activity on Mental Health in Elderly مجله دانشکده پزشکی اصفهان Mental health Aging Physical activity GHQ-28 |
| title | The Effectiveness of Regular Physical Activity on Mental Health in Elderly |
| title_full | The Effectiveness of Regular Physical Activity on Mental Health in Elderly |
| title_fullStr | The Effectiveness of Regular Physical Activity on Mental Health in Elderly |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Effectiveness of Regular Physical Activity on Mental Health in Elderly |
| title_short | The Effectiveness of Regular Physical Activity on Mental Health in Elderly |
| title_sort | effectiveness of regular physical activity on mental health in elderly |
| topic | Mental health Aging Physical activity GHQ-28 |
| url | http://jims.mui.ac.ir/index.php/jims/article/view/937 |
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