Intervention study aimed at maintaining and enhancing higher level functional capacity in the elderly

本研究的目的是评估干预方案的有效性，旨在维持和提高老年人的高级功能能力，定义为独立生活所必需的能力。本研究的对象为宫城县北部米山镇（干预社区）和大户镇（对照社区）的老年人（70-84岁）。在干预方案启动前（2003年8月）和干预方案完成后（2005年8月）进行了调查，包括访谈和体能测试。干预组共有1244名被试，对照组746名被试在干预前后分别参加了问卷调查。干预计划由生活在社区的老年志愿者进行，为期约2年，包括体操练习和娱乐指导，健康信息，改善饮食计划，以及角色的重新评估和再创造。在控制领域，只提供了关于健康的信息。在干预计划开始前（2003年）进行的调查中，干预社区和控制社区受试者的男女比例（4:6）和平均年龄（约75岁）相似。干预组和对照组的受试者在东京大都会老年学研究所（TMIG）能力指数的平均得分之间也没有差异。通过实施干预方案，获得了以下结果：干预组定期进行体操运动或其他运动的比例和膳食多样性平均得分均有所增加，对照组则有所下降。运动健身得分和社会参与得分在干预社区和对照社区均有所下降，但干预社区的下降幅度（干预前后得分差异）较小。两个社区的跌倒发生率均有所下降，但干预社区的下降幅度更大。TMIG能力指数得分在干预社区（从11.3降至11.2）和对照组（从11.5降至11.3）均有所下降，其中对照组下降幅度较大。研究结果表明，居家老人社区干预方案能够有效抑制老年人随年龄增长而出现的身体机能下降，使老年人能够维持独立生活。少

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of an intervention program designed to maintain and enhance higher level functional capacity, defined as the competence necessary for living independently, in elderly people.The subjects of this study were elderly people (aged 70-84 years) living in Yoneyama Town (intervention community) and Osato Town (control community) in the northern part of Miyagi Prefecture. Surveys, consisting of interviews and physical fitness tests, were carried out before initiation of the intervention program (August 2003), and after completion of the intervention program (August 2005). A total of 1,244 subjects in the intervention community and 746 subjects in the control community participated in both the surveys before and after the intervention program. The intervention program, which was conducted by elderly volunteers living in the community during about 2 years, consisted of instructions on gymnastic exercises and recreation, information on h … More ealth, a program for improving diet, and reevaluation and recreation of roles. In the control area, only information on health was provided.At the time of the survey conducted before initiation of the intervention program (2003), the male-female ratios (4:6) and mean ages (about 75 years) of subjects in the intervention and control communities were similar. There was also no difference between the average Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Gerontology (TMIG) Index of Competence scores for subjects in the intervention and control communities.The following results were obtained by carrying out the intervention program. The rate of subjects regularly doing gymnastic exercise or other exercise and the average score for dietary variety increased in the intervention community and decreased in the control community. Motor fitness score and social participation score decreased in both the intervention and control communities, but the magnitudes of decrease (difference between scores before and after the intervention program) were less in the intervention community. The incidence of falls decreased in both communities, but the magnitude of decrease was greater in the intervention community. The TMIG Index of Competence scores decreased in both the intervention community (from 11.3 to 11.2) and control community (from 11.5 to 11.3), the decrease being significant in control community.The results suggest that a community intervention program for elderly people living at home is effective for suppressing the decline in physical functions accompanying aging and for enabling the elderly to maintain an independent life. Less