An interventional study of Orienteering exercise program in Community-dwelling Older Adults, sponsored by University of Évora. Enrolling by invitation at 1 site in Portugal. Open to participants aged 65 Years to 75 Years, including healthy volunteers. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2023-12-05.
Sponsored by University of Évora · Not applicable, Interventional, and Health services research
This study aims to determine the effects of an orientation exercise program addressed to old on physical-motor, cognitive, and affective competencies.
This quasi-experimental study is a controlled trial involving an orientation exercise program. The program will run for 12 weeks (3 sessions per week).
Participants will be clustered into two groups: the experimental group will perform the exercise orientation sessions, and the control group will maintain regular activities routines. Evaluations will be performed before and after the intervention.
After the study is finished, the control group will attend a similar exercise program.
The aging process is lived for all and is associated with uncountable limitations, such as physical, psychological, cognitive, or emotional, that daily translate into difficulty in accomplishing normal activities (2). Simple tasks such as getting up and sitting, carrying a shopping bag, or climbing some stairs, start being seen as an obstacle, much because of aging and the associated decline in physical and cognitive competencies such as balance, limb strength, aerobic capacity, motor coordination, processing speed, memory, executive functioning and, consequently, affective competences, such as emotional states and depression may also be compromised (1).
Despite the above, it is known that there are some ways and alternatives that, even not reversing the aging process, might delay it, promoting healthy aging (6). Scientific advances recommend regular physical exercise since exercise ensures a more active lifestyle and, therefore, a less dependent on others' life. There are many options that physical exercise professionals can choose for planning physical exercise programs for older people (3).
Nonetheless, instead of exercise planning training prescription, other options can be used to achieve healthy aging. In alternative to traditional exercise training, sporting modalities, such as orientation, may benefit this population.
According to a study, after applying a protocol that included changes to the terrain to improve older adults' balance, there were significant improvements in their stride time (4).
Other studies done within the same area, which applied one questionnaire on functional well-being, and four scales on depression, gastrointestinal system, physical activity, and healthy index to senior athletes between the ages of 67 and 71, found significant improvements in all the referred parameters except for the depression scale where the control group made up of older adults who do not practice the modality showed better results (5).
However, the literature is scarce concerning the participation in orientation programs by the elderly population, namely in terms of this program's effect on aerobic capacity, lower limb strength, motor coordination, processing speed, memory, and executive functioning.
University of Évora is the lead sponsor of 34 studies on the registry; 10 are open to participants now.
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Go through the criteria one by one — yes, no or not sure — and take the list to your doctor or the study team. Kept in this browser only.
Exclusion Criteria:
Underlined terms in the criteria open these too. Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Short tests of memory and thinking, each scored out of 30. Lower scores suggest more difficulty; criteria give a range, either to include people with memory problems or to leave them out.
MMSE and MoCA
Short tests of memory and thinking, each scored out of 30. Lower scores suggest more difficulty; criteria give a range, either to include people with memory problems or to leave them out.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
The experimental group intervention will attend the orienteering program. The program integrates 3 sessions / week during 12 consecutive weeks.
Other: Orienteering exercise program
The control group will maintain the usually daily activities, not attending any exercise program. After study end, the control group will have the opportunity to participate on an exercise program.
Orienteering exercise program running for 12 weeks (30-45 minutes, 3 sessions/week). Sessions will have 4 phases: 1) Signature of attendance sheet; 2) warm-up exercises for 5 minutes; 3) Start of orienteering proofs, where the departs will occur individually, with 3 interval minutes between participants; 4) stretches session, to return to a calm state.
Change from the beginning, between groups comparison, in physical competencies
Fullerton Advance Balance Scale to assess balance, ranging from 0 (worst) to 40 (best) points
Time frame: 0, 12 weeks
Change from the beginning, between groups comparison, in physical competencies
Senior Fitness Test, 6 minutes walking to assess aerobic capacity, measure in meters
Time frame: 0, 12 weeks
Change from the beginning, between groups comparison, in physical competencies
Senior Fitness Test, Sit and Stand to assess limb strength, measure by the number of repetitions
Time frame: 0, 12 weeks
Change from the beginning, between groups comparison, in physical competencies
Soda Pop Test to assess motor coordination.
Time frame: 0, 12 weeks
Change from the beginning, between groups comparison, in cognitive competencies
Trail Making Test (Part A and B) to assess processing speed and executive functioning, measure in seconds
Time frame: 0, 12 weeks
Change from the beginning, between groups comparison, in cognitive competencies
Rey Auditory Verbal Test to assess memory, measure in seconds
Time frame: 0, 12 weeks
Change from the beginning, between groups comparison, in affective competencies
Profile of Mood States to assess mood states, ranging from -32 (best) to 200 (worst) points
Time frame: 0, 12 weeks
Change from the beginning, between groups comparison, in affective competencies
Geriatric Depression Scale to assess depression state, ranging from 0 (best) to 30 (worst) points
Time frame: 0, 12 weeks
Cognitive impairment
Mini-Mental State Examination, ranging from 0 (worst) to 30 (best) points
Time frame: 0 weeks
Plan to share: Undecided
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