Long-term effects of exercise on psychological functioning in older men and women
Article Abstract:
To date, research on the effects of exercise training on psychological functioning among the elderly has been inconclusive, but this could be a result of differences in methodology. In an earlier study, aerobic exercise was found to improve the mood of men, but not women; however, all subjects, whether in the exercise or control groups, improved on obsessive-compulsive subscales. Performance on an information-processing task did not improve with exercise. This is a follow-up report of the psychological and physiological effects of exercise after eight and 14 months of continued exercise training on 101 healthy women and men, aged 60 or over. The pattern of changes in cardiovascular fitness indicates that greatest improvement occurs within the first few months, but smaller incremental improvements continue after that time as well. Few psychological improvements resulted from aerobic exercise, although men, especially those in the aerobic exercise group, improved on measures of depression during the first four months. Subjects did continue to experience small improvements in some psychiatric symptoms, mood, and some cognitive performance measures. However, none of these changes was statistically significant. Subjects who remained in the exercise program after eight months scored better on psychological tests than those who did not, when measured after 14 months. Because these subjects were healthy and functioning at a high level at the beginning of the study, it may have been difficult to find an improvement. The effects of exercise may be greater on those who are not as healthy. Also, subjects perceived themselves as feeling and performing better, although objective tests did not bear this out. However, these perceptions may be valuable in their own right. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)
Publication Name: Journals of Gerontology
Subject: Seniors
ISSN: 0022-1422
Year: 1991
User Contributions:
Comment about this article or add new information about this topic:
The association of age and depression among the elderly: an epidemiologic exploration
Article Abstract:
It has been suggested that the incidence of depression increases with age, fed by fears of disability and death. Most epidemiologic studies have found depression highest among young adults and among those over 65 years old. However, depression may not be a function of age per se, but a function of disability, social isolation and poverty, all of which increase with age. If this is so, modification of these risk factors might prevent depression among the elderly. To ascertain the prevalence of depression, and to determine the contribution of modifiable risk factors, 3,998 people 65 years old and older were surveyed, using a modification of the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D). Depression was found to increase with age when the risk factors were not controlled, but the relationship was weak. When the risk factors were controlled, age and depression were no longer related, confirming the results of several other studies of age and depression. The distinction between believing that depression is a condition inherent in aging and believing that it is a result of factors that can be changed is basic to the treatment of the elderly. In addition to the humane reasons for improving the lot of the elderly, health can also be improved. The depressed elderly have been found to be as bad as or worse off than patients who suffer from physical ailments such as high blood pressure, diabetes and arthritis. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)
Publication Name: Journals of Gerontology
Subject: Seniors
ISSN: 0022-1422
Year: 1991
User Contributions:
Comment about this article or add new information about this topic:
Caregiver needs and patterns of social support
Article Abstract:
The needs of caregivers for assistance and support were used to study patterns of continuity and change in social support over a one-year period among 376 adults caring for a family member with Alzheimer's disease (AD). AD, a form of dementia, or impaired intellectual function, typically develops between the ages of 40 and 60 years and affects women more often than men. This brain disorder is characterized by memory loss, deterioration of intellectual function, apathy, disturbances in speech and gait, and disorientation. Persons who care for Alzheimer's patients commonly suffer from long-term and severe stress. The caregiver characteristics and needs that were used to assess patterns of change in social support included demographics, financial resources, physical and mental health, social and recreational activities, and aspects of the caregiving situation. Although the needs of a caregiver will not always be supported or fulfilled, they can be used to predict patterns of social support, such as stability in provision of social support. The results also show that the factors predicting continuity and changes in patterns of social support depend on the type of support involved. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)
Publication Name: Journals of Gerontology
Subject: Seniors
ISSN: 0022-1422
Year: 1990
User Contributions:
Comment about this article or add new information about this topic:
- Abstracts: Treatment of depression improves physical functioning in older adults. Care for depression in HMO patients aged 65 and older
- Abstracts: The effect of group exercise on physical functioning and falls in frail older people living in retirement villages: a randomized, controlled trail
- Abstracts: Effects of provider practice on functional independence in older adults. Effect of low-dose thiazide diuretics on plasma lipids: results from a double-blind, randomized clinical trial in older men and women
- Abstracts: Stressful events and life satisfaction among elderly men and women. Perceived health problems, formal/informal support, and life satisfaction among older adults
- Abstracts: Elderly Hispanic migration in the United States. Black retirement migration in the United States. Regional retirement migration: the case of Cape Cod