Effects of High-Intensity Interval Training on Depressive Symptoms in Hong Kong Older Adults

Hong Kong Baptist University

Status: Enrolling

Conditions: Depressive Symptoms

Treatments: Behavioral: Baduanjin; Behavioral: HIIT; Behavioral: Workshop

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT06014294

12616922

Details and patient eligibility

About

Depression in later life is a common health problem in aging societies. It is associated with poor quality of life, and increased risks of morbidity and mortality. People with severe depression may develop serious psychotic symptoms (e.g., delusions) and have higher mortality and disability than those with mild and moderate depression.

Traditional moderate-intensity continuous training (MICT) (e.g., Baduanjin Qigong) has proved to be effective in preventing and alleviating depressive symptoms among older adults. However, older adults with mental illnesses have poorer engagement and compliance with MICT programs. In recent years, as a novel type of exercise, high-intensity interval training (HIIT), which includes repeated bouts of high-intensity effort followed by varied recovery times, appears to be a promising approach for overcoming limitations in traditional MICT programs.

Considering there is little evidence of HIIT benefits related to older adults with depression, the current study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of a 16-week HIIT intervention on depressive symptoms and other health-related outcomes among Hong Kong Chinese older adults.

Full description

The study will be a cluster randomized controlled trial (CRCT) with three groups and three times repeated measures. Data will be collected in a pretest, post-test, and three months after the intervention. The eligible community elderly centers will be randomly distributed into one of three groups in a ratio of 1:1:1. The participants recruited and meeting the screening criteria will receive a 16-week HIIT intervention or Baduanjin exercise or recreation workshop. The intervention effects will be evaluated on depressive symptoms, concentration of salivary cortisol, sleep quality, quality of life, and physical fitness.

Enrollment: 144 estimated patients

Sex: All

Ages: 60 to 74 years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• 60 to 74 years at the start date of the project
• Chinese version of Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS-C) scoring 5-11 (i.e., mild to moderate level of depressive symptoms)
• Passing the PAR-Q plus screening or with the physician's approval for readiness to participate in high-intensity exercise
• Above the average level of 2-mins stepping showing competent aerobic fitness
• No restriction on physical mobility
• No cognitive impairment, as determined by the Chinese version of the Mini-Mental Status Examination (i.e., score < 24)
• No previous substantial experiences in practicing HIIT or Baduanjin Qigong. The written informed consent form will be collected from each participant

Exclusion criteria

• Severe chronic disease restricting high-intensity exercise
• Having cognition impairment regarded by specialists

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Double Blind

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144 participants in 3 patient groups, including a placebo group

High-intensity interval training (HIIT)

Experimental group

Description:

HIIT program for 16 weeks with a frequency of 2 times per week.

Treatment:

Behavioral: HIIT

Moderate intensity continuous training (MICT)

Active Comparator group

Description:

Baduanjin exercise as MICT will be applied with the same program duration and frequency as the HIIT group. The entire set of Baduanjin Qigong exercises in the current study includes 8 postures.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Baduanjin

Non-exercise control

Placebo Comparator group

Description:

Participants will not receive any exercise training, but attending 32 recreation workshops.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Workshop