Effects of a water-based exercise program on disability prevention in older Japanese adults

This study aimed to evaluate the potential preventive effects of a water-based exercise program on disability in community-dwelling older adults.

The study design was a propensity score-matched retrospective study. Older adults were contacted through a mail survey carried out by City Hall, and those who scored ≥3 points on the physical domain of the Kihon Checklist were encouraged to participate in the water-based exercise program. The program consisted of aerobic and walking exercises in the water for 1 h, once a week for 6 months. Propensity scores were used to match individuals who participated in the exercise program with control individuals based on age, sex, height, weight, body mass index and Kihon Checklist score. Among matched pairs, the study included 278 participants (control group 139, intervention group 139). The main outcome was the number of participants who received a new long-term care insurance certification during the first follow-up year, which was used to indicate disability.

Of the 278, 13 participants (5.5%) required long-term care insurance certification. A significantly smaller proportion of intervention group members required long-term care insurance certification (intervention group 0.7% [1/139 participants] vs control group 8.6% [12/139 participants], P = 0.003).

Water-based exercise program appears to effectively prevent disability in community-dwelling older adults. Because water-based exercise program is associated with a minimal burden on joints and lower risk of falling, it might particularly enable the prevention of disability in older adults with chronic pain and restricted mobility. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2019; 19: 1282-1288.