title: Factors affecting the benefits of a six-month supervised exercise program on community-dwelling older adults: interactions among age, gender, and participation.
abstract: [Purpose] This study determined the effects of age, gender, and participation on the benefits of a 6-month supervised exercise program on older adults. [Subjects and Methods] Eighty-five (37 women, 48 men) community-dwelling older adults participated. The chair sit-and-reach test, the 8-foot up-and-go test, the 6-minute walk test, the Berg Balance Scale, lower-body flexibility, dynamic balance, aerobic endurance, balance, metabolic rate, muscle strength, and position sense were evaluated. Repeated-measures of analysis of variance was performed including dependent variables of age, gender, and participation in the exercise program as dependent inter-subject factors and time of assessment as an intra-subject factor. [Results] Mean exercise participation was 29.88 ± 1.29 sessions. Flexibility, balance, position sense, and strength showed a significant main effect of time. There was a significant gender interaction for right shoulder flexion strength and knee extension strength, a significant gender-participation interaction for pre-/post-intervention measures of functional mobility, and a significant age-participation interaction for flexibility. [Conclusion] Exercise training improved outcomes after 6 months of supervised exercise, but the changes were similar regardless of participation level. Changes in strength were more pronounced in men than women.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Health Sciences, Sifa University, Turkey.
authors.forename: Tuna Donat
authors.initials: TD
authors.lastname: Hulya
authors.affiliation: School of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation, Dokuz Eylül University, Turkey.
authors.forename: Yeşilyaprak Subasi Sevgi
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Sevi
authors.affiliation: School of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation, Dokuz Eylül University, Turkey.
authors.forename: Acar
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Serap
authors.affiliation: Dominican College, USA.
authors.forename: Ozcan Edeer
authors.initials: OE
authors.lastname: Ayse
keywords: Age; Exercise benefits; Older adults