The Effect of an Exercise Program on the Physical, Physiological and Emotional Status of the Aged

운동프로그램이 노인의 신체적, 생리적, 정서적 상태에 미치는 영향

Purpose: The purpose of this research was to examine the effects of an exercise program on the physical, physiological, and emotional status of the aged. Method: This research adopted a nonequivalent control group pretest-posttest design. The subjects were 46 elders aged over 60 who were selected from those registered at three local health centers in G City, and 27 of them were assigned to the experimental group and 19 to the control group. The independent variable was the exercise program, and the dependent variables were physical status, physiological status, and emotional status. The exercise program was Performed for 60 minutes per time, 3 times a week and for 6 weeks. Data were collected from October to November, 2005. Result: Compared to the control group, the experimental group showed significant improvements in right lower extremity strength (F=46.119, p=.000), left lower extremity strength (F=53.265, p=.000) and waist flexibility (t=3.183, p=.003) as physical status, and in depression (t=-3.703, p=.001), perceived health status (t=4.821, p=.000), and self efficacy (t=3.866, p=.000) as emotional status. Conclusion: The results showed that the exercise program was effective in promoting the physical status, physiological status, and emotional status of the aged. Therefore, it is recommended to apply the program as a nursing intervention in clinical practice and education in communities.