Effects of the Otago Exercise Program on frailty and cognitive function in cognitively frail older adults in nursing homes: A randomized controlled trial.

AIM: To evaluate the effects of a 12-week Otago Exercise Program (OEP) on physical frailty and cognitive function in cognitively frail older adults residing in nursing homes.

BACKGROUND

Cognitive frailty increases the risk of dementia, disability, and mortality in older adults. Exercise interventions are crucial for primary prevention, but evidence on the OEP for cognitively frail nursing home residents is limited.

METHODS

A randomized controlled trial was conducted in a nursing home in Changsha. A total of 62 older adults aged 75-95 years with cognitive frailty were randomly assigned to the OEP group (n = 31) or control group (n = 31). The OEP group received 30-min sessions three times weekly for 12 weeks, comprising warm-up, resistance, and balance exercises. Both groups received monthly health education. Primary outcomes were physical frailty and cognitive function assessed at baseline, 6 weeks, and 12 weeks.

RESULTS

The two-way repeated-measures ANOVA revealed significant time-by-group interactions for physical frailty and cognitive function (both F = 34.347, P < 0.001, partial η2 = 0.364, large effect size). Specifically, the OEP group exhibited superior improvements in reducing frailty severity and enhancing cognitive function compared with the control group. A significant main group effect was also observed (F = 4.397, P = 0.040), with the OEP group showing better overall outcomes.

CONCLUSIONS

The 12-week OEP intervention effectively reduced physical frailty and improved cognitive function in cognitively frail nursing home residents. This simple program can be readily implemented by nursing staff in long-term care settings.

TRIAL REGISTRATION: Clinical Trial Registry, ChiCTR2000039592 (registered 02/11/2020. Accessed on http://www.chictr.org.cn/index.aspx). The study was originally planned for 2020 but was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic; it was conducted in 2025 with no changes to the registered protocol.