Exercise Programs May Reduce Hospital Stays for Older Adults

A recent study published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine suggests that older adults who participate in exercise programs may have a lower risk of being hospitalized. The study, titled "Association Between Exercise Program Participation and Hospitalization of Older Adults," was led by researchers including Donald S. Wright MD MHS and Basmah Safdar MD MSc.

The research was conducted by assessing 718 older adults, with a mean age of 69.5 years, who either joined a community-based exercise program or refrained from participation. Those who participated in the structured exercise programs were tracked for an average follow-up period of 26.7 months. The aim was to compare health outcomes, such as time to all-cause hospitalization, between those who regularly exercised and those who did not.

The study's findings revealed that participants in exercise programs had a reduced rate of hospitalization compared to non-participants (9.0% versus 12.7%). Specifically, women who consistently attended the exercise programs showed significantly lower hospitalization rates compared to those who did not, though this association was not as pronounced in men after adjusting for other health factors.

The participants who engaged consistently in structured exercise exhibited gradual improvements in physical performance over time, highlighting the potential of regular exercise to improve overall health and reduce hospitalization risks, with particularly noticeable benefits in women.

While the study was retrospective and not causal in nature, the findings strongly support the health benefits of structured exercise programs, especially in the context of community-based facilities. These results could encourage more older adults to engage in self-referred exercise initiatives and potentially lead to healthier aging populations, with a decrease in the number of hospital stays.

For the full article and more details, readers can refer to the American Journal of Preventive Medicine (2024), available at https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amepre.2024.08.017. This research was built with the help of https://www.buoyhealth.com.