Home-based activity program for older people with depressive symptoms: DeLLITE--a randomized controlled trial

Area of Science:

• Geriatric Medicine
• Psychiatry
• Exercise Science

Background:

• Older adults frequently experience depressive symptoms, impacting function and quality of life.
• Depression in late life (DIL) requires effective, accessible interventions.
• Home-based physical activity programs offer a potential avenue for DIL management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the Depression in Late Life Intervention Trial of Exercise (DeLLITE) program.
• To assess DeLLITE's effectiveness in improving function, quality of life, and mood.
• To compare a home-based physical activity program against social visits in older adults with depressive symptoms.

Main Methods:

• A randomized controlled trial involving 193 participants aged 75+ with depressive symptoms.
• Intervention groups received either an individualized physical activity program or social visits for 6 months.
• Primary outcomes included physical function (Short Physical Performance Battery, Nottingham ADL) and mood (GDS-15); secondary outcomes assessed quality of life (MOS SF-36).

Main Results:

• Participants (mean age 81, 59% female) had moderate to severe depression at baseline.
• No significant differences were found between the physical activity and social visit groups for primary or secondary outcomes.
• Both groups demonstrated improvements in mood and mental health-related quality of life over 12 months.

Conclusions:

• The DeLLITE physical activity program provided benefits comparable to social visits for mood and quality of life in older adults with depressive symptoms.
• Social interaction and structured contact appear to be key components, not solely the physical activity.
• Future research should compare activity interventions against true usual care to isolate specific effects.