The effectiveness of synchronous tele-exercise to maintain the physical fitness, quality of life, and mood of older people - a randomized and controlled study.

PURPOSE: The study investigates the effects of synchronized tele-exercise on physical fitness level, quality of life (QoL), loneliness and mood of older people individuals who experience social isolation during the coronavirus pandemic. METHODS: A randomized controlled study was performed with 30 volunteers. A synchronized online exercise protocol was applied to the study group (SG) (n = 15; 10 females, 5 males) (mean age 67.1 ± 3.7 years), while the control group (CG) (n = 15; 7 females, 8 males) (mean age 69.3 ± 5.6 years) was placed on the waiting list. Physical fitness (Senior Fitness Test Battery-SFTB), health-related QoL (Nottingham Health Profile-NHP), loneliness (Loneliness Scale for the Elderly-LSE), and mood changes (Positive and Negative Affect Schedule-PANAS) were evaluated. RESULTS: There was a significant difference in all the subscales of SFTB (p < 0.05), physical activity and energy subscales, and total scores of NHP (p < 0.05) and PANAS positive emotional status score (p = 0.002) in the study group. While LSE scores worsened in the CG (p = 0.016), there was no significant difference in the SG (p = 0.162). CONCLUSION: Synchronous tele-exercise can provide improvements in the physical fitness level and can be used to maintain QoL and to improve the mood of community-dwelling older people.

Validity and reliability of the Turkish version of "the Dyspnea-ALS-Scale (DALS-15)".

AIM: The aim of this study was to investigate the validity and reliability of the Turkish version of The Dyspnea-ALS-Scale (DALS-15). METHODS: Forward translation, back translation, and cross-cultural adaptation were used to ensure the equivalency of translated version of the scale. Then, patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) who have dyspnea or orthopnea that develops with effort or at rest were evaluated using DALS-15 via online surveys. The respiratory subscale of ALS Functional Rating Scale-Revised (ALSFRS-R) and Modified Borg Dyspnea Scale (MBDS) was used to investigate the construct validity of the Turkish DALS-15. Reliability was assessed with Cronbach's α and inter-item correlation matrix (internal consistency). RESULTS: We have included 52 ALS patients in the study. Findings showed that Turkish version of DALS-15 was highly correlated with respiratory subscale of ALSFRS-R (r = - 0.668; p = < 0.0001) and MBDS (for upright position: r = 0.728; p = < 0.0001 and for supine: r = 0.78; p = < 0.0001). The scale did not show any ceiling or floor effect. Also, DALS-15 had a high level of Cronbach's α (0.95) and internal consistency (ICC: 0.949; 95%CI: 0.92-0.96). Test-re-test reliability of the questionnaire was (ICC: 0.909; 95% CI: 0.81-0.95). The standard error of measurement value was 2.76, whereas the minimal detectable change score was 7.66 points for the translated version of the scale. CONCLUSIONS: The Turkish version of DALS-15 possesses strong psychometric properties with excellent validity and reliability. It is shown to be useful for online self-assessment, outside of the clinical settings, especially in hard times such as a pandemic.