Effects of a multicomponent physical exercise programme on perceived health-related quality of life and on depressive symptoms in older adults living in long-term nursing homes

Objectives This study aimed to investigate the impact of a multicomponent exercise programme on perceived health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and depressive symptomatology in older people living in a long-term nursing home (LTNH). Methods A quasi-experimental study was conducted. Forty-one older people were conveniently selected from the largest LTNH in the Basque Country. The participants were assigned to either an intervention group (n = 21) or a control group (n = 20). The intervention group participated in 50-min moderate intensity multicomponent physical exercise sessions (strength and balance, three sessions a week for 3 months). The control group participants continued their usual activities in the LTNH. Assessments were completed at baseline and reassessed after the 12-week intervention by the same nurse researchers who filled out the questionnaires: the 36-item Short Form Survey (SF-36) and the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS). Results Thirty-eight participants completed the study (19 participants in each group). In the SF-36 parameters, physical functioning increase in the intervention group tends with a mean increase of 11.06 units (a 17.2% increase over the pre). In the role-emotional, the increase in the intervention group is with a mean increase of 5.27 units (a 29.1% increase over the pre) (P < 0.05). In social functioning, the increase in the control group is significant with a mean increase of 13.16 units (a 15.4% increase over the pre) (P < 0.05). There are no significant changes in the rest of the parameters, there are no differences between groups in the evolutionary pattern either. Conclusions As for the effects of the multicomponent exercise programme on HRQoL and depressive symptomatology, no statistically significant effects were obtained in the outcome data among older adults living in LTNHs. An increase in the sample size could confirm the trends obtained. The results may help inform the design of future studies.