Multicomponent Intervention and Long-Term Disability in Older Adults: A Nonrandomized Prospective Study

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Public Health
• Intervention Studies

Background:

• Socioeconomically vulnerable older adults face significant disability risks.
• Long-term associations between comprehensive interventions and disability progression require evaluation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the long-term impact of a multicomponent intervention on disability in low-income older adults.
• To evaluate the sustainability of intervention effects over 30 months.

Main Methods:

• A nonrandomized prospective trial involving 383 older Koreans.
• Intervention included exercise, nutrition, depression management, deprescribing, and home safety.
• Disability was measured using activities of daily living (ADL) dependencies over 30 months.

Main Results:

• The intervention group showed slower disability progression initially.
• Significant differences in dependencies were observed at 6 and 12 months (p < .05).
• The intervention's effect attenuated significantly after 18 months, with no difference at 30 months.

Conclusions:

• A 24-week multicomponent intervention demonstrated a short-term benefit in slowing disability.
• The diminishing association suggests that ongoing or repeated interventions may be necessary for sustained effects.
• Findings should be interpreted cautiously due to the nonrandomized design.