Purpose: This study aimed to investigate the effects of a short-term group multimodal intervention program that mixes physical activity, cognitive motion, and social interaction, on the cognitive function and depression level of healthy over 75-year-old individuals.
Method: This study used a one group pre-test-post-test design, and intervention was made for 70 minutes per session, once a week, for four sessions in total. To compare changes in cognitive function, depression level and physical function before and after intervention, this study used the Mini-Mental State Examination-Dementia Screening (MMSE-DS), Geriatric Depression Scale-Short Form (GDS-SF), and Berg Balance Scale (BBS).
Result: After applying group multimodal interventions to healthy over 75-year-old individuals, there was a statistically significant improvement in their cognitive function (p < 0.01), and there was a statistically significant decrease in their depression level (p < 0.05). Also, there was an increase in the rating score of the degree of balance from 46.83 ± 9.11 points before the intervention, to 48.08 ± 7.00 points after the intervention; however, it was not statistically significant (p > 0.05).
Conclusion: Short-term group multimodal intervention that mixes physical activity, cognitive motion, and social interaction had a significant effect on slowing down the deterioration of cognitive function in healthy over 75 year-old individuals, and decreased their depression level. This study is significant in that it presents a foundation for providing more systematic intervention for the prevention of dementia and depression in the healthy older individuals. Follow-up studies should verify the result through research on the effects of an occupational therapist’s professional treatment, and experimental group-control research.