RETROSPECTIVE EVALUATION OF A COMMUNITY-BASED ELASTIC BAND EXERCISE PROGRAM USING A BALANCE PAD IN RURAL OLDER WOMEN

Older women living in rural areas may have limited access to structured exercise programs and are vulnerable to declines in muscle strength and balance. This study evaluated changes after an 8-week community-based exercise program using elastic-band exercise performed on a balance pad.

This retrospective observational study included 38 community-dwelling older women who participated in a rural musculoskeletal disorder prevention program. The program was conducted once weekly for 8 weeks, with 30-minute sessions. Grip strength, Functional Reach Test (FRT), and Korean Falls Efficacy Scale-International (KFES-I) scores were assessed before and after the program. Subgroup analyses were also performed according to fall experience in the previous 12 months.

After the intervention, significant improvements were observed in left grip strength (20.95±3.74 vs. 23.14±3.93 kg, p<0.001), right grip strength (21.33±2.57 vs. 23.82±2.58 kg, p<0.001), FRT-left (25.47±3.43 vs. 28.50±3.28 cm, p<0.001), and FRT-right (25.82±3.57 vs. 28.61±3.44 cm, p<0.001). KFES-I scores significantly decreased from 60.24±3.679 to 56.45±5.75 (p<0.001), indicating improved fall-related self-efficacy. In subgroup analyses according to fall experience, both groups showed significant within-group changes in all variables. However, between-group differences in change scores should be interpreted cautiously because the subgroup analyses were exploratory and limited by small sample sizes.

These findings suggest that an 8-week elastic-band exercise program performed on a balance pad may be a feasible low-cost community-based intervention for rural older women. However, because of the retrospective single-group design, the findings should be interpreted cautiously, and further controlled studies are needed to confirm effectiveness.