Effects of physical fitness using a Kinect system for pre-frail community-dwelling older adults

Abstract

Purpose: The study aimed to examine and compare the effects on physical fitness between aerobic dance exercise using Kinect system and aerobic dance exercise using video in pre-frail community-dwelling older adults.

Methods: The study adopted an assessor-blinded experimental design. Sixty participants enrolled in the study. They were randomly assigned into an experimental group (n = 30) and control group (n = 30). The experimental group received aerobic dance exercise using Kinect system 30 mins/session, three sessions/week for 8 weeks. The control group received aerobic dance exercise program with video at home. Physical fitness, quality of life and exercise behavior regulation were assessed before, after the intervention (0-8 weeks) and at a 1-month follow-up (0-12 weeks).

Results: Both the experimental and control groups showed improvement in 30 Second Chair Stand Test (30CST) and 6-minute walk tests (6MWT) at 0-8 weeks and at 0-12 weeks. But the experimental group presented significantly more improvement than control group at 0-8 weeks in 30CST and at 0-12 weeks in 6MWT. The experimental group also exhibited significant improvement in Quality-of-Life Questionnaire by World Health Organization scores at 0-8 and 0-12 weeks. A significant difference in Behavior Regulation in Exercise Questionnaire-2 (BREQ-2) scores was also noted in the experimental group at 0-12 weeks (p < 0.008).

Conclusion: Both groups of participants improve their physical fitness, but the experimental group improve more in certain measures. Moreover, they also show significant improvement in quality of life, facilitate exercise behavior regulation and improve fitness enthusiasm. Thus, aerobic dance exercise using Kinect system is more effective than traditional training for pre-frail community-dwelling older adults.

Clinical trial registration: https://register.clinicaltrials.gov/prs/beta/records, Identifier: NCT06216236.

Keywords: Kinect system; aerobic dance exercise; frailty; older adults; physical fitness.

Figure 1

Flow chart of the study.

Figure 2

(a) An illustration of the Kinect system human-machine interface; (b) An illustration of the interface of the Kinect system while a participant was performing the aerobic dance exercise training.