Iranian Journal of Rehabilitation Research in Nursing

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Introduction: Depression is the second leading cause of disability in elderlies only after physical causes that reduces social activities, impairs cognitive functioning and reduces quality of life. Today regular exercise is a well-established modality in modern medicine and it is the first line consideration in the field of lifestyle modification for prevention and management of chronic conditions. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of Tai Chi Chuan exercises on depression in elderly women.

Methods: This study was a quasi-experimental, pre-test, post-test with control group design. Sixty elderly retired women, members of national Iranian oil company, participated in the study based on eligibility criteria. Subjects were chosen through purposive sampling and assigned randomly to intervention and control groups. Intervention consisted of 24 sessions of Tai Chi Chuan for 8 weeks (3 times a week). Data collection instruments were a demographic questionnaire and Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS).The data were analyzed using inferential statistic tests (Fisher's exact test, chi square, t-test and paired t-test) in SPSS version 19 software.

Results: Before the intervention, the mean score of depression was 10/34 in experimental group and 10/38 in control group and this difference was not statistically significant (p = 0/668). After the intervention the mean score of depression reduced to 6/72 in experimental group and 10/09 in control group. Analysis of covariance confirmed that this significant reduction in depression levels was due to Tai Chi Chuan exercises (p< 0/001).

Conclusion: The results showed that Tai Chi Chuan exercise reduced depression levels in the elderly women. Therefore, it is suggested that Tai Chi Chuan as one form of safe and cost effective complementary medicine should be used more commonly for promoting mental health profile of the elders.

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Introduction: Falls are one of the most frequent and serious problems facing the elderly. It has negative impacts on physical, psychosocial and financial situations of elderly people, and can reduce their quality of life. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of balance exercises on the risk of falling among elderly women with a chronic schizophrenia diagnosis.
Methods: In this randomized controlled trial study, 60 elderly women were selected from the Razi Psychiatric Hospital by convenience sampling and assigned into the control and experimental groups (N = 30 for each group). Demographic questionnaire was completed for all the participants. The Timed up and Go (TUG) test was used to measure the risk of falling before and after the intervention. The intervention group attended a 12-week training program. The sessions were conducted three times per week (30 minutes each session) by supervision of an occupational therapist and researcher. The control group did not receive any intervention. Data were analyzed using independent and paired t tests with the SPSS 19 software.
Results: Results showed that a 12-week simple balance training program increased balance ability and reduced the falling risk significantly among the elderly women (P < 0.05). Before the beginning of the intervention, there was no significant difference between the control and intervention groups regarding demographic characteristics, history of fall, and duration of the TUG test (P > 0.05). However, the results showed significant improvement in completing the TUG test in the intervention group compared with the control group (P < 0.05).
Conclusions: It can be concluded that using simple balance exercises can result in reduction of the falling risk among elderly women. Considering the low cost and simplicity of the intervention, it is suggested to use this training along with other appropriate interventions to reduce the falling risk among elderly people.