Effects of Home Exercise on Exercise Behavior and Physical Fitness among Elderly in Khunpadpeng Sub-District Municipality, Suphanburi Province

Abstract

The Exercise is important for the elderly, especially those who are at risk of
falling, mainly due to low physical fitness. This quasi-experimental research was to assess
the effect of a Home Exercise program on exercise behavior and physical fitness among
elderly in Khunpadpeng Sub-District Municipality, Suphanburi Province. The sample
consisted of 54 elderly people between the ages of 60–79 years old. The sample were
assigned equally into the experimental and the comparison group. The experimental group
received the Home Exercise program by applying the self-efficacy theory over a period of
12 weeks. The comparison group received regular health education services from a subdistrict health promotion hospital. A structured interview, behavioral exercise and physical
fitness record form were used to collect data. The data were analyzed by descriptive
statistics, Chi - square test, independent t-test and paired samples t-test.
The results revealed that after the experiment, the experimental group had
significantly higher perceived self-efficacy, performed better exercise behavior and physical
fitness than before the experiment and those of the comparison group (p<0.001). It could
therefore be applied with elderly in the community health care setting.