Do Older Adults Engaged in a Community-Based Exercise Program Have Better Mental Health Indicators? A Static Group Comparison Study in a Brazilian Regional Area

Introduction. The evidence on the effectiveness of community-based exercise program (CBEP) on psychological distress among older adults appears unclear, especially in developing countries. Objective. To compare the mental health of older adults engaged in an 8-week CBEP with a physically inactive control group living in a Brazilian regional area. Method. In a static group comparison design (a single post-exposure measure), older adult women engaged in a community-based exercise program [CBEP, n = 24, mean (SD), age: 67 (9) years, BMI: 27.7 (5.1) kg/m2] and a physically inactive control group [PIC, n = 30, mean (SD), age: 69 (6) years, BMI: 29.5 (3.4) kg/m2] participated of this study. The CBEP was conducted 3x/wk for 8 weeks, with Pilates activities (90 min/wk), water-aerobic exercises (90 min/wk) and Brazilian capoeira (120 min/wk). Self-report data on sociodemographic, clinical characteristics and indicators of stress, anxiety and depression (DASS-21 scale) were assessed to provide a posttest to both the experimental group and the comparison group. Results. The Welch ANOVA showed lower levels of anxiety (Cohen’s d = 2.9), depression (Cohen’s d = 4.2) and stress (Cohen’s d = 3.5) in the CBEP group compared to the PIC group (P<0.001). Likewise, the psychological distress was statistically lower for the CBEP group (Cohen’s d = 3.9, P<0.001). Conclusion. Compared to their physically inactive counterparts, female older adults who participate in a CBEP have the best mental health indicators.