Older Adults Without Any Specific Clinical Condition
Conditions
Keywords
Older adults, Physical activity, Physical functions, Cognitive functions, Well-being
Brief summary
Physical activity is known to be a protector against major diseases. However, they usually do closed-skilled types, like jogging, swimming, Tai Chi. Our research showed that older adults benefit more from engaging in open-skilled activities. Mölkky is a Finnish throwing game that is considered an open-skilled activity. The project investigates the benefits of Mölkky as an open-skilled physical activity and home activity for older adults.
Detailed description
This study aims to examine the impacts of Mölkky on the overall functioning and psychological well-being of older adults when compared with a traditional home activity, including exercise and cognitive training. 45 older adults aged 60 or above from elderly service centres complete both baseline and post-program assessments. The Mölkky group receives Mölkky training in preparation for a Mölkky tournament, while the home activity group receives conventionally prescribed exercises and cognitive training. Assessments, including physical, cognitive, psychological and quality of life assessments, were conducted twice, at baseline and after 8 weeks.
Interventions
BEHAVIORALMölkky
The Mölkky group participants receive two-hour weekly or bi-weekly Mölkky training sessions at their elderly community centers. In the sessions, participants are divided into two teams, taking turns throwing a wooden pin called the Mölkky to hit 12 smaller skittles. The fallen skittles are placed upright where they landed after each turn. The first team that reaches exactly 50 points wins.
BEHAVIORALHome activity
The participants in the home program receive weekly visits by social workers, physiotherapists, or occupational therapists at their homes for an activity regime including closed-skilled exercises and cognitive training. The closed-skilled exercises included stretching, elastic band exercises and functional exercises like tandem standing and bridging. Cognitive training included reality orientation, memory exercises, calculation, and mind-body exercises like Baduanjin.
Sponsors
The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
Study design
Allocation
NON_RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
SINGLE (Outcomes Assessor)
Intervention model description
A pilot study with a two-group, non-randomized controlled trial design
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
60 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
* aged 60 or above, * having no known pre-existing impairments that would prevent them from physical exercises, and * had no known terminal disease leading to a life expectancy of less than one year.
Exclusion criteria
* cognitive impairment that makes them unable to complete the assessments, and * a history of significant cardiovascular disease, respiratory disease or musculoskeletal dysfunction or exhibited steady hypertension (160/90 mmHg or above) that places them at risk of participating in an exercise program as determined by the centers
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Chinese Stroop Color and Word Test (Stroop) | Before the intervention to the end of intervention at 8 weeks; 6 months after the intervention | The Chinese Stroop is used to assess participants' selective attention and cognitive flexibility. There are three sub-tests in the Stroop, identifying color of dots (Stroop I), identifying the words under incongruent conditions (Stroop II) and identifying the color of words under incongruent conditions (Stroop III). The time spent on each sub-test and errors which are not self-corrected are recorded. Time interference score is calculated by the formula: Interference = Stroop III - \[(Stroop I + Stroop II) / 2\], a lower time interference score indicates better performance. The Chinese Stroop has good reliability and validity. |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Hong Kong version of Montreal Cognitive Assessment (HK-MoCA) | Before the intervention to the end of intervention at 8 weeks; 6 months after the intervention | The HK-MoCA is used to assess participants' overall cognitive ability including visuospatial function, naming, delayed recall, attention, language, abstraction, and orientation. A higher score out of 30 indicates better cognition. The HK-MoCA is a reliable and valid cognitive assessment. |
| Two-Minute Step Test (TMST) | Before the intervention to the end of intervention at 8 weeks; 6 months after the intervention | The TMST is used to assess participants' lower limb muscle strength, endurance, and cardiorespiratory endurance. Participants are asked to repeat the action of stepping alternatively in two minutes, the total number of times the right knee is lifted is recorded. Post-it notes placed on the wall next to the participants are used as a height marker for each step, the greater the number of steps that meet the marker, the better the participants' cardiovascular fitness. The TMST is a reliable and valid assessment tool. |
| Timed Up and Go Test (TUG) | Before the intervention to the end of intervention at 8 weeks; 6 months after the intervention | The TUG is used to assess participants' functional mobility. Participants are asked to stand up from a chair, walk 3 meters, turn around and go back to their seat. Time used is recorded, a shorter time indicates better physical functioning. The TUG is both reliable and valid assessment. |
| Geriatric Depression Scale Cantonese Version (GDS-C) | Before the intervention to the end of intervention at 8 weeks; 6 months after the intervention | The GDS-C is used to assess participants' psychological well-being. Participants will answer 15 yes-no questions regarding their perception and attitude of their daily lives. A score of 8 or above indicates depressive symptoms. The GDS-C is reliable and valid. |
| EuroQol-five Dimensions Questionnaire - Hong Kong Chinese version (EQ-5D-5L) | Before the intervention to the end of intervention at 8 weeks; 6 months after the intervention | The EQ-5D-5L is used to assess health-related QoL. Participants will rate their health states from 1 to 5 (1 indicates no problem and 5 indicates extreme problems/unable to perform) based on the severity of their problems in 5 dimensions: mobility, self-care, usual activities, pain/discomfort, and anxiety/depression. The 5-levels of health states are converted to a utility value using a local value. The EQ-5D-5L is reliable and valid. |
Countries
Hong Kong
Contacts
PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATORKaren Liu
The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
Outcome results
None listed