Abstract
Two questionnaire studies (the first in 1993; the second in 1995) were administered to the middle aged and the elderly females in a health-gymnastics class (n=175) . The questionnaire measured psycho-social factors using our Physical Exercise Behavior Scales, the Confidence of Health Management Scale, Geriatric Depression Scale and CES-D Scale. The purpose of this study was: (1) to investigate changes in psycho-social factors from the continuous participance to the class ; and (2) to examine differences in psycho-social factors between physical exercise continued (n=107) and noncontinued (n=36) members of the class, on the one hand; and also between physical exercise continued (n=107) and new class members (n=32), on the other.
The results were as follows: (1) The scales had validity, reliability and relevance to the middle aged and the elderly females. (2) Confidence in physical exercise and in health management was enhanced by continuous participance to the class. (3) There was significant difference in behavioral sense like leading exercise and emotional support from peers between continued members and noncontinued members of the class and the former has high. (4) There was significant difference in the depression (CES-D) levels between the exercise continued and new class members and the later has relatively high depression. And (5) Subjects with over 11 years physical exercise involvement had significantly lower depression (Geriatric Depression Scale) . Subjects with under 1 year physical exercise involvement had significantly high depression (CES-D) . Subjects with over 11 years physical exercise involvement had high confidence of physical exercise and of health management.
