Golf for Veterans Study

Completed · Not applicable

Conditions studied: Exercise Training

In brief

Aging is associated with physiological declines that could impair the ability to perform activities of daily living and thus impair the quality of life of older adults. Golf is an activity that challenges the balance, flexibility, and muscular systems of the golfer and could have important implications in addressing the physiological declines associated with aging. Golf also challenges the cognition of golfer and is typically performed in groups of 2-4 people; therefore, it could also have important implications for the cognitive and social health of older adults. This research will investigate the effects of an introductory, therapeutic golf program on the physiological, cognitive, and social well-being of older adults. Older adult military veterans (60-80 years) will participate in a 12-week introductory golf program specifically designed with older adults in mind. The intervention will be led by Professional Golf Association (PGA) professionals with experience in teaching older adults to golf. In order to assess the effectiveness of the intervention, the functional, physiological, and cognitive abilities of the participants will be evaluated as well as the overall well-being before and after the completion of the golf program. These adaptations will be evaluated through the use of biomechanical analysis, standardized older adult functional tests, validated surveys and questionnaires, and validated cognitive assessments.

Key facts

Study ID

NCT04004598

Run by

University of Southern California

People needed

12

Starts

2015-08-31

Expected to finish

2018-06-05

Last updated by the study team

2019-08-09

Who can join

Age: 60 and older, up to 80. Sex: any. Healthy volunteers: accepted.

You may qualify if…

• Older Military Veterans: 60-80 years old
• The ability to stand independently without external support
• No previous golf experience
• Played ≤1 time in the last month
• Played ≤3 times in the last 6 months
• English Speaking

You may not qualify if…

• Dementia and Alzheimers Disease assessed via the Telephone Memory Impairment Screen
• Symptomatic cardiovascular disease, active angina, uncontrolled hypertension (SBP>160 or DBP>90, high resting pulse HR>90), symptomatic orthostatic hypotension
• Unstable asthma, exacerbated COPD
• Rheumatoid arthritis, unstable ankle, knee, hip, shoulder or wrist joints
• History of injury or orthopedic operation within the last 6 months
• Movement disorders (Parkinson's disease or other neurological disorders), stroke, hemiparesis or paraparesis
• Peripheral neuropathies, severe vision or hearing problems, or metastatic cancer
• Individuals with vestibular, visual, musculosketelal, orthopedic and/or neurological disorders known to impair balance

Where it is running

• University Southern California — Los Angeles, California, United States
• West Los Angeles Veterans Administration — Los Angeles, California, United States

Full record on ClinicalTrials.gov

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