Causes of drop out from a physical exercise supervised program specific to older adults

Abstract Introduction: Physical exercise when performed regularly brings several health benefits, especially for older adults. However, there are barriers that induce these individuals to withdraw from exercise. Objective: This study investigated the causes of drop out from a supervised physical exercise program specific to older adults. Methods: A semi-structured questionnaire was applied by telephone contact, containing questions about their reasons for leaving the program. Demographic data were analyzed by relative and absolute frequencies, and the Chi-square test was used to verify the associations between the variables collected. A significance level of 5% was considered. Results: Fifty-nine older adults were interviewed and the main reasons for drop out were lack of time (33.9%), emergence or worsening of disease (28.8%), and the need to care for family members with health problems (18.7%). A high percentage of older adults (62.7%) showed a worsening in health status after leaving the program, with changes in muscle strength (80.0%), balance (76.7%), and motor coordination (40.0%). Conclusion: A professional intervention is suggested to enable organizational control of factors related to lack of time, as well as a logistical monitoring service for older adults and/or family members who fall ill, promoting the return to practice as soon as possible.

摘要
引言：规律进行体育锻炼可带来诸多健康益处，尤其对于老年群体而言。然而，诸多障碍因素会促使老年人退出锻炼活动。
研究目的：本研究旨在探讨老年人专属监督式体育锻炼项目的退出原因。
研究方法：本研究通过电话访谈方式发放半结构化问卷（semi-structured questionnaire），问卷内容涵盖老年人退出该项目的相关原因。采用相对频数与绝对频数对人口统计学数据进行分析，并采用卡方检验（Chi-square test）验证所收集变量间的关联，设定显著性水平为5%。
研究结果：本研究共访谈59名老年人，退出该项目的主要原因为缺乏时间（33.9%）、疾病新发或病情恶化（28.8%），以及需要照料存在健康问题的家庭成员（18.7%）。62.7%的老年人在退出项目后健康状况出现恶化，具体表现为肌肉力量下降（80.0%）、平衡能力受损（76.7%）以及运动协调能力下降（40.0%）。
研究结论：本研究建议开展专业干预，以实现对与时间匮乏相关因素的组织化管控，同时为患病老年人及/或其家庭成员提供后勤监测服务，助力老年人尽快恢复锻炼实践。