The Effects of the Types of Healthy Leisure Program on the Falls Efficacy and Cognition of Low-Income Elderly Women

Abstract

This study applied various types of healthy leisure programs focusing on laughter therapy, music therapy, massage therapy, and art therapy to low-income elderly women for the purpose of improving their health and rehabilitation, and analyzed the effects of the program on the changes in falls efficacy and cognition. A total of 80 elderly women were divided into four groups of twenty, each of which had participated in a different type of the healthy leisure program twice a week for nine months. First, the massage therapy type of the healthy leisure program was found to be the most effective at a change in falls efficacy. Secondly, the laughter therapy type was found to be the most effective at a change in cognition. Therefore, the healthy leisure program improved flexibility of low-income elderly women and their positive confidence, and thereby positively influenced an improvement in cognition and prevention of falls. Therefore, this study is meaningful in the point that it may be used as a fundamental material of elderly welfare to develop a healthy leisure program taking into account the characteristics of low-income elderly women and to make use of local resources.