• Journal of the Korean Society of Physical Medicine
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.211-221
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• 2010

Purpose : The purpose of this study is to find out the effects of combined exercise including walking and yoga on cognitive functions in the elderly women. Methods : Sixteen elderly women aged above 65 are invited in this study. Each subject participated in exercise three times a week for eight weeks from July 14th to September 13th in 2008. The changes between pre and post exercise are analyzed by Wilcoxon sign rank test and repeated ANOVA test with SPSS (ver 17.0) package program. Results : After exercise, In the below 23 points group, only interference STROOP test (p<.05) among sub items of Cognition Scale for Older Adults (CSOA) is improved significantly. In the above 24 points group, words memory (p<.05), delayed recall (p<.05), and picture naming (p<.05) among sub items of CSOA are improved significantly. But it is no different to the change patterns among two groups. Conclusion : These results show that combined exercise including walking and yoga is helpful to improve cognitive functions. And we find that exercise is helpful in the above 24 points elderly women more than in the below 23 points.

• Journal of Korean Society of Rural Planning
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.59-66
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• 2015

The objective of this study was to investigate the perception of walking environment and use of neighborhood facilities of rural female elderly, who are the most susceptible to ambulatory problems. The study showed that parks, senior centers and hospitals were among the most frequently used neighborhood facilities by rural female elderly, while bus stations and senior centers were recognized as the closest facilities. Frequency of use was higher for paid sports facilities rather than parks. Hospitals and health centers were facilities that were desired to be in close proximity. Social support, self-efficacy, and attitude were the factors that affected walking environment. Street trees, accessibility to parks, and street lights were factors that showed a positive relationship with total time of walking activity while perceived crime rate and slopes were perceived as environmental challenges for groups that walked under 150 minutes per week. One factor that negatively affected walking was the lack of sidewalks on streets. Providing parks and walking trails within neighborhood, pleasant walking environments, and safe sidewalks would contribute to improved perception of neighborhood and walking of older rural women.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.233-241
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• 2009

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of proprioceptive exercise on walking velocity, activities of daily living(ADL) and depression in elderly women. This study was nonequivalent control group pre-post test design. Subjects were divided into two group(exercise group=17, control group=15). Experimental group conducted proprioceptive exercise program for eight-week. Walking velocity was assessed by 10m-walk test and depression and ADL were assessed by questionnaire. The collected data analyzed by Wilcoxon singed rank test and Mann-Whitney U test. The exercise group significantly improved walking velocity. But control group changes were negligible. The program was effective on walking in elderly women.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.372-386
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• 1996

Recently, the ratio of elderly in the population are fast growing due to socio-economical development and the better medical service. Proportionally, the health problems in elderly are increasing, too. Medical professionals must try so that the elderly have the better life through health promotion and disease prevention as well as disease treatment. This study evaluated the effect of walking exercise program on the cardiorespiratory function and the flexibility in the elderly women. The design of research was one group pretest-posttest design. The subjects were eleven elderly women over sixty years old to live in K-city, Kyonggi-do. The type of exercise was walking, which was the most popular exercise in questionnaire. The exercise intensity was 40％∼60％ of the target heart-rate by Karvonen's method and maintained by the heart-rate monitor. The exercise period was five weeks and the exercise frequency was three times per week. The exercise duration was forty minutes at first and gradually increased up to an hour. In order to evaluate the effect of walking exercise, we measured VO/sub₂ max, resting heart -rate, systolic/diastolic blood pressure, FVC, FEV/sub₁, the flexibility before and after the five week's exercise program. The data are analyzed by the paired t-test and Wilcoxon signed rank test using SAS package. The results are as follows : 1) The hypothesis that cardiorespiratory function will be improved was partly supported. In VO/sub₂ max（p＝0.0001）, resting heart-rate（p＝0.0030）, systolic/diastolic blood-pressure（p＝0.0387／ p＝0.0024）, there was significant difference. FVC and FEV/sub₁ were increased after the exercise, but there were no significant difference. 2) The hypothesis that the flexibility will be improved was supported. There was significant difference in the flexibility（p＝0.0140）. As the further study, it is necessary to reevaluate the effect with more refined design. We also need to try meta-analysis about the results of previous studies obtained in the experimental setting and compare our result obtained in the field setting with them.

• Korean Journal of Applied Biomechanics
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.73-81
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• 2020

Objective: The purpose of this study is to analyze the effects of aquatic walking exercise on gait and balance parameters of elderly women. Method: 15 elderly people were recruited for this study (age: 73.20±5.19 yrs, height: 153.87±3.36 cm, mass: 60.33±5.73 kg). All variables were measured using Gaitview AFA-50. The variables were the heel contact time ratio, gait angle, and M/P change ratio for gait patterns and ENV, REC, RMS, Total Length, TLC, Sway velocity, and Length/ENV for balance abilities. A paired t-test and the Wilcoxon signed-rank test were carried out to verify the differences in the test scores after participating in the water walking program. The significance level for all statistical analyses was set to α=.05. Results: As for the changes in their walking function after the exercise, heel contact time ratio (p<.01) showed a statistical significance, while gait angle and M/P change ratio did not reveal statistically significant differences. In the test of balance ability on both feet and with eyes opened, statistical significance was found in ENV, REC, RMS, TLC (p<.01), and sway velocity (p<.05), while the test with eyes closed showed statistical significance in length/ENV as well as ENV, REC, RMS, sway velocity (p<.01) TLC, and total length (p<.05). As for the single-leg stance balance ability, ENV and REC revealed statistically significant differences. Conclusion: These results show that water walking is effective for improving the function of the ankle flexor muscles, providing stability to the ankle joint during walking and helping efficient walk. In addition, it is also expected to help prevent falls due to loss of balance by improving the stability of lower extremity muscles and trunk.

• Korean Journal of Applied Biomechanics
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.79-88
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• 2019

Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the peak torques of the knee and ankle joint and local stability of the lower extremity's joints, and muscle activation patterns of the lower extremity's muscles between fallers and non-fallers in the elderly women during walking. Method: Four elderly women (age: $74.5{\pm}5.2yrs.$; height: $152.1{\pm}5.6cm$; mass: $55.3{\pm}5.4kg$; preference walking speed: $1.19{\pm}0.06m/s$) who experienced falls within six months since experiment had been conducted (falls group) and thirty-six subjects ($74.2{\pm}3.09yrs.$; height: $153.6{\pm}4.9cm$; mass: $56.7{\pm}6.4kg$; preference walking speed: $1.24{\pm}0.10m/s$) who had no experience in falls (non-falls group) within this periods participated in this study. They were measured torque peaks of the knee and ankle joint using a Human Norm and while they were walking on a treadmill at their natural pace, kinematic variables and EMG signals were collected with using a 3-D motion capture system and a wireless EMG system, respectively. Lyapunov Exponent (LyE) was determined to observe the dynamic local stability of the lower extremity's joints, and muscles activation and their co-contraction index were also analysed from EMG signals. Hypotheses between falls and non-falls group were tested using paired t-test and Mann-Whitey. Level of significance was set at p<.05. Results: Local dynamic stability in the adduction-abduction movement of the knee joint was significantly lower in falling group than non-falling group (p<.05). Conclusion: In conclusion, muscles which act on the abduction-adduction movement of the knee joint need to be strengthened to prevent from potential falls during walking. However, a small number of samples for fallers make it difficult to generalize the results of this study.

• Women's Health Nursing
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.187-196
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• 2022

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate factors related to the levels of health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in elderly women based on Wilson and Cleary's HRQoL model. Methods: This study analyzed data from the eighth Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2019 on 868 women over the age of 65 years. Based on the HRQoL model, parameters were categorized as personal, environmental, and physiological characteristics; symptom status; functional status; and perception of health status. The data were analyzed by quantile regression. Results: The overall level of HRQoL was 0.87. Factors related to HRQoL in the 10% quantile were higher education level, higher economic status, economic activity, more walking days, fewer diseases, lower stress, less activity limitation, and higher perceived health status. Factors related to the 25% quantile of HRQoL were more walking days, fewer diseases, less activity limitation, and higher perceived health status. Factors related to the 50% quantile were age, economic activity, more walking days, fewer disease, lower stress, less activity limitation, and higher perceived health status. Factors related to the 75% quantile of HRQoL were smoking, more walking days, fewer diseases, lower stress, less activity limitation, and higher perceived health status. Conclusion: While differing parameters were identified according to the level of HRQoL of elderly women in Korea, there were five common factors. Interventions that focus on increasing walking, mitigating diseases, stress, and activity limitations, and improving perceived health status can improve HRQoL.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Physical Medicine
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• v.12 no.4
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• pp.11-18
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• 2017

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of sciatic nerve mobilization techniques on straight leg raising (SLR) and walking ability in elderly women aged over 65. METHODS: Seventy women aged over 65 were examined using SLR test and forty women were selected as subjects. They were divided into Group I (under $70^{\circ}$ of SLR test of both legs, n=20) and Group II (over $70^{\circ}$ of SLR test of both legs, n=20). Nerve mobilization was applied to both groups (three times a week for 4 weeks). SLR angle was measured using digital goniometer and walking ability was measured by step length, stride length, velocity, double support, using GAITRite System. After 4 weeks, paired t-test was used to compare the changes of SLR test and walking ability within Group I and Group II. RESULTS: In Group I, SLR test, step length, stride length and gait velocity were significantly increased but double support was significantly difference. In Group II, SLR test, step length and stride length were significantly increased but gait velocity was not significantly increased and double support was significantly decreased. CONCLUSION: This study showed that sciatic nerve mobilization techniques had positive effects on the SLR angle and walking ability in elderly women.

• The Journal of Korean Physical Therapy
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.33-40
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• 2008

Purpose: This study was designed to investigate the correlations between muscle strength of the ankle and balance, walking in the elderly. Methods: Thirty-nine subjects were selected from a population of female volunteers. Measurement of balance ability included evaluation of timed "up and go", functional reach, and a one leg standing test. Measurement of walking analysis included evaluation of cadence, stride length, step length, and walking speed. Maximal voluntary isometric contraction (MVIC) of the ankle muscle strength was measured by use of a dynamometer. Results: For balance, there were significant negative correlations between timed "up and go" and the MVIC of the ankle dorsiflexor. There were significant positive correlations between one leg standing with the eyes closed and the MVIC of the ankle dorsiflexor. For walking, there were significant positive correlations between cadence, walking speed and the MVIC of the ankle dorsiflexor. Conclusion: This study showed that there were close relationships between muscle strength of the ankle dorsiflexor and walking and balance in the elderly.

• 한국노년학
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.1397-1411
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• 2009

This study was aimed to examine the effects of intermittent walking on health related fitness and metabolic syndrome risk factors in elderly women. Forty five elderly women were randomly assigned to three groups: three 10-min walks per day, one 30-min walk per day or no exercise, respectively. Both walking groups exercised three days a week at moderate intensity for 12 weeks. Two-way repeated measures ANOVA was used to test the hypothesis with a significant level of α = .05. The results indicated that body composition(body weight, body mass index, percent body fat), muscle endurance, flexibility and cardiorespiratory fitness significantly increased after 12 weeks for both walking groups. However, it was found that muscle strength significantly increased only in a continuous walking group. Metabolic syndrome risk factors comprised of waist circumference, systolic blood pressure, triglyceride, high-density lipoprotein, and fasting glucose were significantly improved in both walking groups. In addition, there was a difference in these metabolic syndrome risk factors between pre and post exercise. The results of this study support the hypothesis that intermittent walking has a significant impact on health related physical fitness and metabolic syndrome rick factors in elderly women as continuous walking does.