某醫院五週整合式運動課程對中高齡民眾體適能之影響

The Effects of a Hospital-based Five-week Integrated Exercise Program on Physical Fitness in Middle-aged and Older Adults

背景：運動可改善血糖與血脂肪的代謝，降低心血管疾病的危險因子，以及增進體適能，有助健康，因此普遍使用於健康促進計畫，但目前文獻有關醫院舉辦之運動課程，多以院內員工為對象，較缺乏針對社區民眾之報告，尤其是慢性疾病發生率較高的中高齡族群。目的：本文研究目的在探討整合式運動課程對中高齡民眾體適能之影響。方法：採前後測研究設計，自2007年7月至2008年6月底一年間，台灣南部某醫院舉辦每期課程為五週，每週二次，每次60分鐘，共十堂之整合式運動課程為介入措施，以參加之中高齡民眾為研究對象，分別在進行運動課程前、後測量其身體質量指數、肌耐力、心肺耐力與柔軟度等四項體適能指標。結果：共計有132人報名參加，全程參與課程及完成體適能前後測者有92人（69.7%），所得資料以配對樣本t-檢定進行統計分析（p<0.05）。研究結果顯示經五週整合式運動介入後，參與者之肌耐力以及柔軟度皆達顯著改善（p<0.001），但身體質量指數與心肺耐力並無顯著差異。結論：本研究指出醫院舉辦之短期運動課程能改善中高齡民眾部分體適能指標，雖樣本以中年女性為主，但結果仍說明運動對健康體能的重要性，並可提供未來醫療院所研擬相關對象健康促進計畫之參考。

Background: Exercise improves glucose and lipid metabolism, reduces risk factors of cardiovascular disease, and promotes physical fitness. It therefore benefits health and is widely used in health promotion programs. Objectives: To explore the effects of an integrated exercise program on physical fitness in middleaged and older community residents. Methods: The study adopted a pretest and posttest study design. A five-week integrated exercise program consisting of a one-hour session twice per week was conducted by a local hospital in southern Taiwan from July 2007 to June 2008. Subjects were volunteers from 45 to 70 years old. Physical fitness, including body mass index, muscle endurance, cardiopulmonary endurance and flexibility, was assessed before and after the exercise program. Results: Only 92 (69.7%) of the 132 people who took part in the program, completed it and received tests for physical fitness. The data were compared using the paired t-test (p＜0.05). The results showed a significant improvement in muscle strength, muscular endurance and flexibility (p＜0.001) but no improvement in body mass index and cardiopulmonary endurance. Conclusion: Our results showed a short-course exercise program can improve some indicators of physical fitness in middle-aged and older people. Our results can have implication for hospitalbased health promotion program in Taiwan.