Adapted Taekwondo on Health Status in Older Women

Plain-language summary

The main aim of this project is to analyze and compare the effects of an adapted taekwondo program with respect to multi-component training and walking program on health status in independent older women. The study includes an experimental design (randomized controlled trial), double-blind, with repeated measures, parallel groups and a quantitative approach. The sample will be 64 women without health problems, between 60 and 65 years old and who decide to participate voluntarily. The participants will be randomized and distributed into four groups: experimental group 1 (adapted taekwondo), experimental group 2 (multi-component training), experimental group 3 (walking program) and a control group (no intervention). Assessments will consist of: systolic and diastolic blood pressure with automatic blood pressure monitor; lipid profile with the Cardiochek meter; frequency of food consumption with the modified dietary habits survey for older people; body composition by direct anthropometry and bioimpedance; cognitive status with the survey of memory, phonetic fluency and temporal-spatial orientation (in Spanish, MEFO); brain activity by means of surface electromyography; quality of life perception with the Health Survey Short Form (SF-36) version 2; physical-functional fitness with the Senior Fitness Test; handgrip strength with a hydraulic dynamometer; and postural balance with a force platform. Assessments will be performed before the 16-week intervention and after the intervention. To analyze the pre-and post-intervention results, repeated measures ANOVA will be applied for group factors (EG1 vs. EG2 vs. EG3 vs. CG) and time (pre-and post-intervention) with the Bonferroni post-hoc test; the reliability of the evaluations will be verified by means of the coefficient of intraclass correlation, and the inter-individual variability to the intervention (responders vs. non-responders) will be calculated using the technical error of measurement. The expected results indicate that adapted taekwondo produces significantly greater effects and a more favorable inter-individual response in cognitive status, brain activity, quality of life perception and postural balance compared to a multi-component training and walking program, in addition to producing similar effects at the group and inter-individual level for blood pressure, lipid profile, frequency of food consumption, body composition and physical-functional fitness in independent older women.

Who can participate

What they're measuring

Trial details