Premium
Efficacy of group intervention involving physical activity on subjective well‐being of elderly returnees after evacuation following the Great East Japan Earthquake
Author(s) -
Moriyama Nobuaki,
Iwasa Hajime,
Orui Masatsugu,
Kuroda Yujiro,
Ono Michiko,
Okazaki Kanako,
Takamura Motoaki,
Sato Noriko,
Yasumura Seiji
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
psychogeriatrics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.647
H-Index - 32
eISSN - 1479-8301
pISSN - 1346-3500
DOI - 10.1111/psyg.12392
Subject(s) - intervention (counseling) , medicine , relocation , subjective well being , gerontology , promotion (chess) , physical therapy , demography , psychology , psychiatry , social psychology , sociology , politics , computer science , political science , law , programming language , happiness
Aim In general, physically activity contributes to better subjective well‐being (SWB) in the elderly. However, the physical activity level of older people who experienced relocation after the Great East Japan Earthquake has been reported to be low, possibly leading to low SWB. This study aimed to examine the efficacy of group intervention involving physical activity on SWB among older returnees after the Great East Japan Earthquake. Methods The participants were randomly allocated to an intervention group (4 men, 10 women) or a control group (7 women). Participants in the intervention group attended a series of weekly classes over eight weeks to encourage daily physical activity, whereas participants in the control group received no intervention. SWB, the primary outcome, was assessed by the World Health Organization Five Well‐Being Index. Results Median variation in the World Health Organization Five Well‐Being Index scores at 3 months from the baseline in the intervention and control groups was −1.0 and −2.0 points, respectively; the difference was borderline significant ( P = 0.06). There was no significant difference between the groups in the median of variation in muscle strength ( P = 0.79) or mobility ( P = 0.77) at 3 months. Conclusion The intervention might prevent deterioration in participants’ SWB. Further studies involving older returnees with poor physical activity and/or sedentary lifestyle may be beneficial for health promotion in the area.