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Randomized Controlled Trial
. 2018 Feb;27(2):455-465.
doi: 10.1007/s11136-017-1733-z. Epub 2017 Nov 9.

Effects of a 9-month resistance training intervention on quality of life, sense of coherence, and depressive symptoms in older adults: randomized controlled trial

Tiia Kekäläinen  1   2 , Katja Kokko  3 , Sarianna Sipilä  3 , Simon Walker  4
Affiliations
Randomized Controlled Trial

Effects of a 9-month resistance training intervention on quality of life, sense of coherence, and depressive symptoms in older adults: randomized controlled trial

Tiia Kekäläinen et al. Qual Life Res. 2018 Feb.

Abstract

Purpose: (1) To determine the effects of a 9-month resistance training intervention on quality of life, sense of coherence, and depressive symptoms in older adults, and (2) to compare effects between different training frequencies.

Methods: Men and women aged 65-75 (N = 106) were randomized to four groups according to training frequency: training groups RT1 (n = 26), RT2 (n = 27), and RT3 (n = 28) and non-training control group (n = 25). All training groups attended supervised resistance training twice a week for 3 months. For the following 6 months, they continued training with different frequencies (1, 2 or 3 times per week). Psychological functioning was measured by quality of life (WHOQOL-Bref), sense of coherence (Antonovsky's SOC-13), and depressive symptoms (Beck's Depression Inventory II). Measurements were conducted at baseline and 3 and 9 months after baseline. The effects of the intervention were analyzed using generalized estimating equations (GEE).

Results: After 3 months, there was an intervention effect on environmental quality of life (group × time p = .048). Between 3 and 9 months, environmental quality of life decreased among RT1 compared to RT2 and RT3 (group × time p = .025). Between baseline and 9 months, environmental quality of life increased in RT2 compared to all other groups (group × time p = .011). Sense of coherence increased in RT2 compared to the control group and RT3 (group × time p = .032).

Conclusion: Resistance training is beneficial for environmental quality of life and sense of coherence. Attending resistance training twice a week seems to be the most advantageous for these aspects of psychological functioning.

Keywords: Aging; Coping; Exercise; Mood; Quality of life; Well-being.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Ethical approval

All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

Informed consent

Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Flow diagram of the study
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Study key findings: changes in environmental quality of life (QoL) and sense of coherence (SoC) (mean and SE). CG control group, RT1-3 resistance training one-, two-, or three-times-a-week group
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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