Evaluating the relationship between quality of life and exercise in older adults

Abstract

Older adult exercise participation has proven beneficial for improving physical and mental health. This study evaluates older adults’ quality of life after participation in an exercise class. The WHOQOL-bref survey was utilized in a sample of older adults (N=16) who fall within the range of 60 to 100 years of age (M=78, SD=11.54), male (31%) and female (69%), at Jewish Family Service in Los Angeles, California. Results suggest a significant difference in the Domain 2 psychological scores between females (Md=75, n=11) and males (Md=44, n=5), U=8, z= -2.24, p=0.02, with a large effect size (r= 0.56). No significant differences were found in Domains 1, 3, or 4. Overall scores were found to fall below previously tested WHOQOL-bref norm ranges. These findings are not aligned with previous research, which has recognized numerous benefits for older adults who participate in exercise classes. Future studies should strive to collect pre and posttest data to better understand changes or improvements that may have occurred after exercise participation.