Main Author: Hanna Bedbur
Institution or Company: Menntavísindasvið Háskóla Íslands
Co-Authors, Institution or Company: Thor Aspelund, Miðstöð í lýðheilsuvísindum við Háskóla Íslands, Janus Guðlaugsson, Janus heilsuefling.
Introduction: With an aging society the question of how to maintain good quality of life and health in older age comes into focus. Exercise interventions have been shown to improve physical health in elderly people. This study’s purpose is to investigate the effects of a two-year multimodal training and health promotion on the self-perceived health of the individual and interacting socio-demographic and physical-functioning variables.
Methodology: The two-year intervention included endurance and strength training, and health lectures. 359 (60% women, 40% men) community-dwelling adults with an average age of 72 years participated. Physical-functioning and bodily measurements, as well as socio-demographic and health questionnaires were completed initially by the participants and every six months. The EQ-5D-5L questionnaire was used to assess self-perceived health (VAS score) and EQ index. The change of the VAS score and the influence of mentioned variables on the change were analysed.
Results: The average VAS score increased significantly during the two-year intervention from 71.98 to 86.46 (p < 0.001). The initial VAS score showed a negative relation with the change in VAS score (β = -0.842 at two years; p < 0.001), whereas the EQ index per 0.1 is positively related (β = 2.559 at two years; p < 0.001). Positively related to changes in VAS score were changes in 6-minute walk, strength training sessions and increase in strength.
Discussion: Self-perceived health could be improved within the two-year intervention. People that perceived their health as rather low, but did not report bodily or mental problems, could improve their self-perceived health the most.
