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Randomized Controlled Trial
. 2017 Nov:49:44-50.
doi: 10.1016/j.genhosppsych.2017.06.005. Epub 2017 Jun 15.

Effects of a randomized exercise trial on physical activity, psychological distress and quality of life in older adults

Elizabeth A Awick  1 , Diane K Ehlers  2 , Susan Aguiñaga  2 , Ana M Daugherty  3 , Arthur F Kramer  4 , Edward McAuley  2
Affiliations
Randomized Controlled Trial

Effects of a randomized exercise trial on physical activity, psychological distress and quality of life in older adults

Elizabeth A Awick et al. Gen Hosp Psychiatry. 2017 Nov.

Abstract

Objective: Evidence suggests improvements in positive psychological health indices (e.g., self-esteem) may explain the relationship between physical activity and quality of life (QoL) in older adults. Less is known about the role of reductions in negative psychological health indices (e.g., depression). The present study examined the effects of changes in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and psychological distress on change in QoL in older adults enrolled in an exercise program.

Methods: Older adults (N=247, Mage=65.68±4.59) participated in a six-month randomized exercise trial. Participants wore accelerometers and completed questionnaires to measure MVPA, psychological health, and QoL at baseline and post-intervention. Psychological distress was modeled as a latent factor comprised of anxiety, depression, sleep dysfunction, and stress. Structural models were used to examine the effects of changes in MVPA and distress on change in QoL.

Results: Increases in MVPA predicted reductions in distress from baseline to post-intervention (B=-0.10, p=0.05). In turn, reductions in distress predicted increases in QoL (B=-0.51, p=0.001). The indirect effect of MVPA on QoL through distress was also significant (p=0.05; 90% CI=0.005, 0.125).

Conclusions: Findings extend previous research on the mediators of the MVPA-QoL relationship in older adults, suggesting reductions in negative psychological health outcomes may also mediate this pathway.

Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01472744.

Keywords: Older adults; Physical activity; Psychological distress; Quality of life.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of Interest: None of the authors have any potential conflicts of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. Standardized factor loadings and residuals
A1=Pre-Anxiety; A2=Post-Anxiety; D1=Pre-Depression; D2=Post-Depression; S1=Pre-Stress; S2=Post-Stress; DD1=Pre-Daytime Dysfunction; DD2=Post-Daytime Dysfunction Coefficients reported herein are standardized loadings and residuals. All ps significant at < 001
Figure 2
Figure 2. Hypothesized structural model of indirect effect of changes in MVPA on QoL via reductions in psychological distress
aSignificant indirect effect of MVPA on QoL [indirect effect = 0.05; bias-corrected bootstrapped 90% CI=.005, .125]. Coefficients reported herein are unstandardized estimates. * significant at p=.05 ** significant at p=.001
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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