簡易太極運動對老人公寓住民健康相關生活品質、身體功能及社會支持的影響

Abstract

研究背景與目的：台灣是快速老化的國家之一，未來龐大的老年人口，將使得社會和健康成本更為沉重。世界衛生組織於2002年提出「活躍老化」概念，說明健康老化和預防失能的重要性，而身體活動為延緩老化的重要影響因素之一，其中太極拳被認為是適合老年人的運動。因此，本研究以老人公寓住民為研究對象，進行太極運動介入，並探討運動與健康相關生活品質、身體功能及社會支持系統之間的關係。 研究方法：本研究採準實驗設計，並以立意取樣方式分別於北部兩間老人公寓各招募25位住民(age≧62)樣本。其中，實驗組(n = 25)接受為期18週的太極運動介入，並與未實行運動介入日常生活照舊的對照組(n = 25)比較。研究主要利用生活品質量表、身體功能測試和社會支持問卷，分別在運動介入的兩個時間點進行問卷調查(起點、18週後)。以複迴歸分析比較介入與否對健康相關生活品質改變量、身體功能改變量與社會支持系統改變量的影響。最後再以三條迴歸方程式進一步驗證社會支持系統的中介效果。 研究結果：經過18週太極運動介入後，實驗組有14位(56%)全程參與太極運動課程，而對照組有24位(96%)接受兩次調查。複迴歸分析結果顯示，控制其他變項後，太極運動介入與否僅對健康相關生活品質的一般健康狀況達統計顯著進步(β = 7.73, p < .01)。太極運動介入與否對身體功能總分增加量達統計顯著進步(β = 2.41, p < .05)及坐椅起立時間分數增加量達統計顯著進步(β = 1.27, p < .01)。然而，社會支持系統僅在控制年齡和有無配偶的情況下，工具性支持分數增加量會受到太極課程介入的正面影響(β = 0.93, p < .05)。 結論：太極運動有助於維持老人公寓住民的一般健康狀況感受和身體功能。

Background and objective: Taiwan is one of the rapid ageing societies in the world. The increasing number of older people is expected to place heavy burden on social care and healthcare expenditure in the following decades in Taiwan. “Active aging” proposed by The World Health Organization emphasizes the importance of healthy aging and disability prevention in older adults. One of the recommendations acknowledged that physical activity such as Tai Chi played an important role in delaying older adults’ function decline and promoting healthy ageing. Therefore, the purpose of the study is to examine the effects of Tai Chi exercise on the health-related quality of life, physical function, and social support among residents who lived in congregate housing. Methods: The present study applied quasi-experimental design. A convenience sampling of 50 residents (age≧62) of two separated congregate housing in northern Taiwan was recruited. 25 residents from one congregate housing and participated in an 18-week Tai Chi exercise program were recruited as experimental group; the rest 25 residents from the other congregate housing but did not receive any intervention were recruited as control group. Two times of face to face interview regarding the health-related quality of life, physical function, and social support were demonstrated at baseline, and 18-week during the study period. Multiple regression analysis was conducted to exam the effects of Tai Chi exercise on residents’ health-related quality of life, physical function, and social support. We further tested the mediated effect of social support between Tai Chi exercise and physical function and health-related quality of life by 3 series regression equations. Results: After the 18-week intervention, a total of 14 residents of experimental group (56%) completed the Tai Chi exercise program and 24 residents of the control group (96%) remained in this study. The resident in the experimental group had significant improvements of general health (subscale of health-related quality of life, β = 7.73, p < .01), physical function (β = 2.41, p < .05), and chair-stand time (subscale of physical function, β = 1.27, p < 0.01) over 18 weeks of study period control group counterparts were found. However, in social support, it had significant improvements of instrumental support (β= 0.93, p < .05) after controlling age and spouse. Conclusion: Tai Chi exercise is a beneficial program for those older residents living in congregate housing residents to maintain their general health and physical function.