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Abstract
Objective: This study aims to investigate the effect of an integrated intervention of art activities and Qigong exercise on the well-being of older adults in nursing homes in Indonesia.
Method: We employed a randomized controlled trial with 4 specific groups, i.e. art, Qigong, integration of art and Qigong, and control group. A total of 267 participants aged 50 years or older were recruited from 9 nursing homes in Jakarta, Indonesia. The participants were randomly allocated to one of the four groups, attending two intervention sessions per week for eight weeks (16 sessions), lasting 90 minutes each. Measurements were administered at baseline (T0) and post-intervention (T1). The primary outcome was well-being (WHOQOL-Bref) and secondary outcomes were satisfaction with life (SWLS), depression (BDI-II), and health status (SF-36).
Results: The art intervention had a significant positive effect on well-being, in particular in the domain of social relations. It also led to a decrease in depressive symptoms, as did the integration intervention. No significant effects were visible in the Qigong group nor in the integrated intervention compared to either art or Qigong alone.
Conclusion: Interventions such as art programs and an integration of art and Qigong may give psychological benefits to older adults. Yet, results of the study need to be interpreted with caution and need to be replicated. A qualitative approach would be welcome to get an in-depth understanding of why art intervention is especially beneficial. (Trial registration: Clinicaltrials.gov NCT02957773, registered 28 September 2016).
Acknowledgements
This research was supported by Universitas Tarumanagara, Jakarta, Indonesia, under grant number 128-R.1/UNTAR/IV/2014. We would also like to acknowledge the Behavioural Science Institute, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands for the authorship and publication of this study, and its general support on this research. We are thankful to various people for their contribution to this project; all nursing homes in Jakarta, Indonesia for their cooperation, and all participants willing to participate in this study; all research assistants for their help in collecting the data; our colleagues from Faculty of Psychology, Universitas Tarumanagara, Jakarta, Indonesia and colleagues from Department of Experimental Psychopathology and Treatment, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands who provided expertise that greatly assisted the research.
Ethics approval and consent to participate
The Tarumanagara University Human Research Ethics Committee (TUHREC), Jakarta, Indonesia approved the trial protocol (project number: PPZ20162005). The TUHREC will ensure that the study is conducted within appropriate human research ethical guidelines and has a proper data management system. All eligible patients are informed (both written and verbal) about the purpose of the study, the expected duration, and procedure, the right to decline to participate and to withdraw from the research at any given time once participation has begun without any consequences. Written informed consent is obtained from all participants who are enrolled in the study.
Consent for publication
Consent for publication forms a specific part of the consent for participation. It has been obtained from all participants or their legal guardians.
Disclosure statement
The authors declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.