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

本研究以宫城县北部Yoneyama镇(干预社区)和Osato镇(对照社区)的老年人(70-84岁)为研究对象，研究旨在维持和提高老年人较高水平的功能能力的干预计划的有效性。调查由访谈和身体素质测试组成，在干预计划开始之前(2003年8月)和干预计划结束后(2005年8月)进行。干预社区的1244名受试者和对照社区的746名受试者参加了干预计划前后的调查。这项干预计划由在社区生活了大约两年的老年志愿者进行，内容包括体操锻炼和娱乐的指导，h…的信息更健康，一个改善饮食的计划，以及重新评估和重塑角色。在控制区，只提供有关健康的信息。在干预计划开始前(2003年)进行调查时，干预社区和对照社区受试者的男女比例(4：6)和平均年龄(约75岁)相似。干预社区和对照社区受试者的东京都老年医学研究所(TMIG)能力指数的平均得分也没有差异。在干预社区，经常进行体操锻炼或其他锻炼的比例和饮食变化的平均得分在干预社区增加，而在对照社区下降。运动适能得分和社会参与得分在干预社区和对照社区都有所下降，但干预社区的下降幅度(干预前后的得分差异)较小。两个社区的跌倒发生率都有所下降，但干预社区的下降幅度更大。干预社区和对照社区的TMIG能力指数得分均有不同程度的下降(从11.3降至11.2)，其中对照社区的降幅最为显著。结果表明，针对居家老年人的社区干预方案能有效地抑制老年人随年龄增长而出现的身体机能下降，使老年人能够独立生活。较少

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