Effects of a group-based exercise program on the mood state of frail older women after discharge from hospital.

Background: Older people with somatic illnesses are at increased risk of depression. It is not known whether exercise alleviates depressive symptoms in frail, very old people recuperating from an acute illness.

Objective: To determine the effects of a group-based exercise training program on mood.

Methods: Sixty-eight women (mean age 83.0, SD 3.9 years) who were hospitalized due to an acute illness, and were mobility impaired at admission, were randomized into group-based 10-week strength training intervention (N=34) and home exercise control (N=34) groups. Twenty-four women in the training and 28 in the control group completed the follow-up. Measures of mood state with the Zung Self-Rating Depression Scale (ZSDS) were performed before and after the training intervention, and follow-up data was collected 3 and 9 months after the end of the intervention.

Results: After the intervention, there was a significant improvement in mood in the intervention group compared to the home exercise control group: -3.1 (SD 9.0) points vs +1.3 (SD 7.6) points (p=0.048) and the positive effect was still apparent three months after the intervention ceased: -2.6 (SD 7.7) points vs +3.5 (SD 9.7) points (p=0.015). Improvement of mood state at the first follow-up measurement was associated with the improvement in lower limb isometric muscle strength.

Conclusions: Group-based exercise program organized in the context of a Finnish health care organization improved mood in frail older women recuperating from an acute illness.