The effects of patient-centered task-oriented training on balance activities of daily living and self-efficacy following stroke.

[Purpose] This study aimed to determine whether a task-oriented training program improved balance, activities of daily living (ADL) performance, and self-efficacy in stroke patients. Twenty patients with stroke were recruited from a hospital in Cheongju, Korea. [Subjects] Ten of the subjects were assigned to an experimental group that participated in the task-oriented training program, and the other 10 were assigned to a control group that received traditional rehabilitation therapy. [Methods] In the two groups, balance was measured with the Berg Balance Scale (BBS), ADL performance with the Modified Barthel Index (MBI), and self-efficacy with the Self-Efficacy Scale (SES), before and after 4 weeks of training. [Results] Comparative analysis of the experimental group's pretest and post-test results showed statistically significant differences in the BBS, MBI, and SES scores. There were also significant between-group differences in the BBS, MBI, and SES scores. [Conclusion] The results suggest that a task-oriented training program can be an effective intervention to improve balance ability, ADL performance, and self-efficacy in stroke patients.

Multicomponent exercise for physical fitness of community-dwelling elderly women.

[Purpose] The purpose of this study was to identify whether a 4-week multicomponent exercise program could improve the level of physical fitness of community-dwelling elderly women. [Subjects and Methods] Twenty-two healthy community-dwelling elderly women were randomly allocated to either an experimental or a control group. Experimental subjects performed a multicomponent exercise program that consisted of balance, strengthening, and stretching exercises for 4 weeks, whereas the control subjects did not perform any specific exercise. The subjects' level of physical fitness was assessed prior to and after training using the Senior Fitness Test which assesses muscle strength, flexibility, dynamic balance/agility, aerobic endurance, and body composition. [Results] Subjects in the experimental group showed significant improvements in lower and upper body strength, lower and upper body flexibility, dynamic balance/agility following training, but not in aerobic endurance or body composition. Significant group differences were shown in lower and upper body strength, lower body flexibility, and dynamic balance/agility. [Conclusion] The results suggest that a multicomponent training program that consists of balance, strengthening, and stretching exercises is a relevant intervention for the improvement of the level of physical fitness of community-dwelling elderly women.