| Author: | Leung, Cheuk Man Maria |
| Title: | A study of the effects of physical exercise training on health status of elderly with depressive symptoms in Hong Kong |
| Degree: | DHSc |
| Year: | 2014 |
| Subject: | Depression in old age -- Exercise therapy. Hong Kong Polytechnic University -- Dissertations |
| Department: | Faculty of Health and Social Sciences |
| Pages: | xi, 208 leaves : illustrations ; 30 cm |
| Language: | English |
| Abstract: | Problem: Depression is a common disorder worldwide. Depressive symptoms are commonly found in the elderly population. Unlike major depression, depressive symptoms affecting an elderly person may be neglected due to the lesser severity compared to major depression. Current treatment is mainly by means of antidepressants, cognitive and behavioral therapy and family therapy. However, the adherence rate of antidepressant is low due to its side effects, and psychotherapies can be very costly. It has been proven that physical exercise is helpful to alleviate depressive symptoms in the elderly. However, it was not known whether sitting exercise confers such benefit in community dwelling elderly in Hong Kong. Method: A randomized-controlled method using a pre-test and post-test design with a nonequivalent comparison group was used to investigate the effects of an exercise training program on depressive symptoms. The exercise group was given four sets of health education training and sitting exercise training. The control group was given only four sets of health education training. The four research tools employed in the study were: Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS), the World Health Organization Quality of life scale (WHOQOL), the Modified Barthel Index (MBI) and the General Self Efficacy Scale (GSE). The Sign rank test was performed to study the difference between the exercise group and the control group over time. The Mann Whitney U test was performed to investigate the difference between the pre-test and post-test scores of both groups. ANOVA was performed to analyze the baseline demographic data included age/sex, marital status, receiving government subsidy, practicing regular exercise, whether living with family or not, and past history of depression. Results: The research period was from November 2011 to February 2012. There were 477 GDS performed. 113 elderly participants with a GDS score of 8 or above (suggesting they had depressive symptoms) were recruited in the study. The result showed that the set of sitting exercise performed was helpful in relieving depressive symptoms in elderly participants. The sitting exercise also improved the participants' quality of life, ability in performing daily activity as well as self-efficacy. Conclusion: No similar randomized controlled trial study on the effect of sitting exercise upon the depressive symptoms in elderly in Hong Kong has been done before. This study demonstrates that the sitting exercise has a positive effect on the depressive symptoms in community dwelling elderly in Hong Kong. Further investigations to establish the frequency, intensity, duration and types of effective sitting exercise in primary care populations is recommended for the benefits of elderly people in Hong Kong and elsewhere. |
| Rights: | All rights reserved |
| Access: | restricted access |
Files in This Item:
| File | Description | Size | Format | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| b27604871.pdf | For All Users (off-campus access for PolyU Staff & Students only) | 5.35 MB | Adobe PDF | View/Open |
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