Authors (including presenting author) :
Cheng TH (1), Kan CH (1), Ma YW (1), Ng YY (1), Tsui B (1), Wong YL (1), Li KY (1)(2), Leung SY (1)(2), Lau SY(1)(2)
Affiliation :
(1) S.K. Yee School of Health Sciences, Saint Francis University (2) Physiotherapy Integrated Clinical Education Centre, Saint Francis University
Keyword 1: :
Nordic Walking
Keyword 2: :
Physically inactive healthy adults
Keyword 3: :
Pilot randomized control trial
Introduction :
Hong Kong is facing challenges regarding ageing population. Accessible physical intervention is crucial in addressing this phenomenon. Previous studies indicated that Nordic walking (NW) has numerous benefits, including improved cardiovascular fitness, muscle strength, and body composition.
Objectives :
This randomized controlled pilot trial (RCT) aims to explore the accessibility and effectiveness of NW as a community-based intervention to enhance both physical health, mental health and quality of life (QoL) among physically inactive healthy adults.
Methodology :
A total of 27 physically inactive participants (aged 45-69) were randomized into either NW group (61.7±6.43 years old) or control group (regular walking, or RW group) (60.0±9.23 years old). Both groups participated in two 60 minutes of exercise (one supervised and community-based, one self-monitored) sessions per week for six weeks. Cardiopulmonary fitness (Six-minute walking test, 6WMT), exercise self-efficacy (Self-Efficacy for Exercise Scale, SEE-C) and QoL (WHOQOL-BREF) were investigated as outcomes. Data was analyzed using SPSS, with a level of significance set as p < 0.05.
Result & Outcome :
The NW group showed a more statistically significant improvement in 6MWT results compared to the control group (95%CI: 26.03 to 147.97; p = 0.007). However, results showed no significant difference in exercise self-efficacy between groups (95% CI: -26.98 to 2.45; p = 0.174). Likewise, no significant difference at the four domains in QoL (WHOQOL-BREF), including physical (95% CI: -18.15 to -1.04, p = 0.050), psychological (95% CI: -19.03 to 5.43, p = 0.325), social relationship (95% CI: -19.77 to -0.35, p = 0.116) and environmental aspects (95% CI: -12.34 to 5.67, p = 0.713) did not show statistically significant difference between groups. This study shows that NW is a more effective and feasible option for improving cardiopulmonary fitness in primary healthcare settings for healthy physically inactive middle-aged and older adults. However, there is insufficient statistical evidence that NW can enhance exercise self-efficacy and self-perceived QoL in short period. Further research is needed to examine the long-term psychosocial effects of NW training.
