Revista Brasileira de Enfermagem ()

Effects of a Health Education program on cognition, mood and functional capacity

  • Juliane Cristine Dias,
  • Isabela Azevedo Rodrigues,
  • Francine Golghetto Casemiro,
  • Diana Quirino Monteiro,
  • Bruna Moretti Luchesi,
  • Marcos Hortes Nisihara Chagas,
  • Paula Costa Castro,
  • Sofia Cristina Iost Pavarini,
  • Aline Cristina Martins Gratão

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1590/0034-7167-2016-0638
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 70, no. 4
pp. 814 – 821

Abstract

Read online

ABSTRACT Objective: Assess the effect of a Health Education (HE) program on cognition, mood and functional capacity of participants in a University of The Third Age (U3A). Method: Controlled clinical trial. The HE Program consisted of 10 sessions with group dynamics, including orientations on disease prevention and cognitive stimulation exercises, lasting four months. Intervention Group (IG) n=13; and Control Group (CG) n=15. All were assessed at the start and end of the study, using Addenbrook´s Cognitive Examination-Revised (ACE-R), Beck Depression and Anxiety Inventory (BDI/BAI) and Functional Independence Measure (FIM). Results: Significant improvements were observed for the IG when comparing the total ACE-R score (p=0.001) and memory domain (p=0.011) before and after the intervention. For the CG, improvement was found in the memory domain only (p=0.027). Conclusion: a HE intervention program benefits the improvement in cognitive performance, particularly the memory of adults and active elderly who participated in a U3A.

Keywords