Effect of a multi-disciplinary active aging intervention among community elders

BACKGROUND: Active aging has been the paradigm of the old-age lifestyle. We aimed to investigate the efficacy of a multi-disciplinary intervention program in community-based elderly. METHODS: We conducted a 2-arm trial comparing the effectiveness between the study group and the control group. The intervention contents included active aging concepts and preparation, physical activity, health care management, cognitive training, emotional awareness and coping skills, family relationship and resilience, and internet use. A questionnaire tapping into the constructs of the expanded healthy life, mental health, social participation, and active aging was administered at baseline, 7(th) week, and 19(th) week. RESULTS: The generalized estimating equations analysis revealed that the study group exhibited significant improvements in healthy life, mental health, social participation, and active aging compared with the control group (P < .001). CONCLUSIONS: This study provided a good evidence supporting the effectiveness of a multi-disciplinary intervention program in improving the cognition of healthy life, mental health status, social participation activities, and active aging. A promotion of similar intervention is recommended.