Effect of group exercise on quality of life for Parkinson disease: systematic review and meta-analysis

Motor and non-motor symptoms can negatively affect quality of life (QoL) for people with Parkinson Disease (PD). Our purpose was to investigate the effects of group exercise (GE) compared to individual exercise (IE) and usual care (UC) on QoL for people with PD. A systematic review and meta-analysis were performed with randomized controlled trials that studied the effects of GE compared to IE and UC on QoL for people with PD. The systematic search was performed in EBSCO, PubMed, and Science Direct databases. Quality of methodology was assessed using the Cochrane GRADE approach. Thirteen studies met all inclusion criteria and were included in the analysis. No significant difference was found on QoL between GE and IE; however, QoL was significantly improved with GE compared to UC. Results were based on low to moderate quality of evidence. Based on low to moderate quality of evidence, GE has a similar effect on QoL when compared to IE and has a small and statistically significant effect when compared to UC, regardless of the patient reported outcome measure used or the total volume of exercise prescribed. GE may be an appropriate option for people with PD to improve their QoL. Many people with Parkinson Disease (PD) experience motor and non-motor symptoms that negatively impact their quality of life.Exercise is commonly prescribed to manage the symptoms of PD.Encouragingly, for people with PD, group exercise has a similar effect compared to individual exercise on improving quality of life based on patient reported outcome measures.Group exercise may be an appropriate option for people with PD to improve their physical function and quality of life by fostering socialization, engagement, and feelings of community. Many people with Parkinson Disease (PD) experience motor and non-motor symptoms that negatively impact their quality of life. Exercise is commonly prescribed to manage the symptoms of PD. Encouragingly, for people with PD, group exercise has a similar effect compared to individual exercise on improving quality of life based on patient reported outcome measures. Group exercise may be an appropriate option for people with PD to improve their physical function and quality of life by fostering socialization, engagement, and feelings of community.