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Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health logoLink to Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health
. 2003 Jun;57(6):405–411. doi: 10.1136/jech.57.6.405

Promotion of health and physical activity improves the mental health of elderly immigrants: results of a group randomised controlled trial among Turkish immigrants in the Netherlands aged 45 and over

S Reijneveld 1, M Westhoff 1, M Hopman-Rock 1
PMCID: PMC1732470  PMID: 12775784

Abstract

Design: Randomised controlled trial.

Setting: Welfare services in six Dutch cities.

Participants: 126 people born in Turkey and aged 45 years and over, of whom 92 completed the trial.

Intervention: Eight, two hour sessions consisting of health education and exercises. Topics in health education focused on means to maintain a good health. Education was adapted to the culture and knowledge of older Turks and offered by a Turkish peer educator, in Turkish.

Main outcome measures: Physical and mental wellbeing, and mental health based on the SF-12/36; knowledge on health and disease; physical activity.

Results: Participants were highly disadvantaged; 52% had not completed primary school and 49% had considerable problems in speaking Dutch. Participants in the intervention group showed an improvement in mental health (effect size: 0.38 SD (95% confidence intervals 0.03 to 0.73), p=0.03); the oldest subgroup also in mental wellbeing (effect size 0.75 SD (0.22 to 1.28), p=0.01). No improvements were seen in physical wellbeing and activity, nor in knowledge.

Conclusions: Health education and physical exercise improve the mental state of deprived immigrants. Painstaking cultural adaptations to contents and method of delivery are essential to reach this effect.

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Selected References

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