Efeito de intervenção de exercícios físicos multifuncionais na percepção da qualidade de vida de cuidadores de pacientes com Doença de Alzheimer

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect of a Multifunctional Physical Exercise (MPE) intervention on the perception of Quality of Life (QoL) of caregivers of patients with Alzheimer’s disease (AD). METHODS: Quasi-experimental study with 8 caregivers of AD´s patients divided into Intervention Group (GI = 4) and Control Group (GC = 4) was conducted. The intervention protocol consisted of 12 weeks of EFM with 2 weekly sessions. The EFM was composed by stretching and relaxation, resistance exercises, flexibility, agility, motor coordination, aerobic exercises and recreation activities. The WHOQOL-Bref questionnaire was applied pre- and post-intervention in both groups. The paired Wilcoxon test was used to verify the median differences in QoL results at pre-test and post-test. RESULTS: The mean age of caregivers in GI and GC (59.7±11 and 65.5±10.03 years old, respectively) indicates a sample with advanced age. Both groups dedicate many daily hours to care (GI= 15.7±8.8 and GC= 18±9) and 80% of caregivers perceive the care as pleasurable. It was verified that 4 caregivers in GI and 2 in GI were not engaged in any type of physical exercise at the beginning of the research, which may have influenced the results of physical health (GI= 25% of caregivers classified as bad and 50% as average, and the majority in CG (75%) as average). There was no significant difference in QoL values. CONCLUSIONS: The EFM did not obtain significant results of the caregivers QoL values after 12 weeks of intervention. Even so, the QoL of all caregivers is considered very good.