ABSTRACT
Purpose@#This study aimed to examine the effects of the Tai Chi exercise program on cognitive function among older adults at risk of dementia living in rural areas. @*Methods@#A non-equivalent control group with a pretest-posttest design was used. Forty-four subjects at risk of dementia aged over 75 were recruited from the dementia care center in O county. The experimental group participated in the Tai Chi exercise program twice a week for one-hour session for 12 weeks, while the control group received the routine management from the dementia care center. Data were analyzed using the SPSS version 24.0 program with descriptive statistics, x2 test, and Mann-Whitney test, t-test and ANCOVA. @*Results@#The significant improvement was found in cognitive function (F=4.72, p=.036) and attention (F=4.44, p=.041) for the Tai Chi exercise group compared to the control group. No adverse events have been notified during the intervention. @*Conclusion@#The study findings suggest that Tai Chi exercise program is safely and effectively applied to older adults at risk of dementia, revealing the potential benefits to improve cognitive function in this population. Further studies are warranted to explore the relationship between physical exercise and cognitive function in older adults with various types of cognitive impairment.
ABSTRACT
PURPOSE: This study examined the effects of a nutrition education program on self-efficacy, diet behavior pattern and cardiovascular risk factors for patients with cardiovascular disease (CVD). METHOD: Sixty-four CVD subjects (37 experimental, 27 control) were recruited from a cardiac center, at a university hospital located in D city, Korea. All subjects attended a first heart camp where pretest measures were performed, and a second heart camp at 6 months for the posttest measures. During the 6 month study period, the experimental group was required to attend five monthly nutrition education sessions, while the control group received only routine outpatient follow-ups. Data were analyzed by chi-square-test and independent t-test using the SPSSWIN 11.5 program. RESULT: Group comparisons revealed that the experimental group had significantly more improved self-efficacy, frequency of food selection, gustation of salt, systolic blood pressure, and serum total-cholesterol compared to the control group. CONCLUSION: A nutrition education program may be effective in improving self-efficacy, diet behavior pattern and cardiovascular risk factors for patients with cardiovascular disease.