The Effects of a Physical Activity Program on Quality of Life and Wellbeing among Community-Dwelling Older People in Taiwan

Background: The present study examined the effect of a program to improve physical activity on older people’s quality of life and wellbeing. Methods: Using a quasi-experimental study design and convenience sampling, older people were allocated into an intervention group (receiving physical activity program; n = 75; mean age = 72.41 years; 8 males) or a control group (n = 73; mean age = 71.22 years; 17 males). The intervention group received 24 sessions over an eight-week period, and each session lasted one hour. All participants completed the following outcome measures at baseline and posttest: WHOQOL-AGE to assess quality of life, and Well-Being Scale for Elders to assess wellbeing, as well as muscle strength and balance tests. Independent t-tests, c2 tests, analysis of covariance, and multiple linear regression models were used to compare the performance between the two groups. Results: The intervention group had significantly higher scores or better performance than the control group in quality of life, wellbeing, lower limb strength, and dynamic balance, but not in upper limb strength. Conclusion: There are multiple benefits for implementing a physical activity program for older people including several aspects of quality of life, wellbeing, lower limb strength, and dynamic balance.