The Effects of an Integrated Exercise Intervention on the Attenuation of Frailty in Elderly Nursing Homes: A Cluster Randomized Controlled Trail

The frail elderly have an increased risk of frailty because of reduced physical activity, cognitive ability and quality of life. This study aims to evaluate the effects of integrated exercise intervention on the attenuation of frailty in elderly nursing home residents. This study was a cluster randomized controlled trial. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: 146 elderly frailty people from 8 elderly nursing homes in Harbin, China, were randomly assigned into the intervention group and control group after obtaining their informed consent. The intervention group performed integrated exercise interventions for 12 months, while the control group only continued with their daily activities. Sociodemographic, health-related data, frailty levels, gait parameters, cognition, and quality of life were evaluated. The mean age of participants was 80.74± 2.89 years, and 70.37% (n=95) were female. The Difference-in-difference regression showed that, compared with the control group, phenotypic frailty score (β3 =−1.40, p < 0.001) and stride time (β3 = −0.38, p < 0.001) decreased significantly in the intervention group, stride velocity (β3 = 0.24, p < 0.001), step length (β3 = 0.08, p <0.001), cadence (β3 = 17.79, p < 0.001), MMSE total score (β3 = 1.90, p < 0.001) and QOL total score (β3 = 11.84, p < 0.001) increased significantly in the intervention group. The integrated exercise intervention can effectively improve the attenuation of frailty, gait parameters, cognitive function, and quality of life in elderly nursing homes. We can use the findings of this study as a reference for the design of activities for the elderly nursing home residents, to provide them with appropriate exercises, improve their physical functions, and improve or delay their frailty level, which is principally important for developing countries in east Asia where rehabilitation resources are generally scarce.