Effect of Singing Exercise Program on Chest Expansion and Lung Volume in Older Adult

Abstract

        The purpose of this quasi-experimental research was to study the effects of a singing exercise program on chest expansion and lung volume in older adult. The samples were selected by purposive sampling with the inclusion criteria, male older adults who had lung volume less than 30 milliliter/body weight (kilograms) and female older adult who had lung volume less than 23 milliliter/body weight (kilograms). The 30 older adults who lived in Muang District, Nakhonratchasima Province participated in this study. Those participants received a singing exercise program which was applied according to the Becker’s Health Belief Model for 40 minutes a day, 3 days per week for 12 weeks. The program consisted of perceptions of the participants in the following activities 1) Susceptibility of hypoxia 2) Seriousness of chest expansion and lung volume 3) Benefits of the singing exercise, 4) Barriers to the singing exercise and 5) Action cues of the singing exercise. The experimental instrument had an Index of Item Objective Congruence (IOC) between 0.7 - 1.0, and collecting data instruments had the inter-rater reliability 1.0. Chest expansion was determined by measuring the difference in chest circumference between in breath and out breathing at three levels (upper, lower, and diaphragm). Lung volume was measured by Dry-Rolling seal Spirometer. The data were analyzed using percentage, mean, standard deviation, and Paired  t-test

        The result showed that the intervention program affected the increasing of chest expansion and lung volume. After the 13^th week, the older adults had significantly higher score of chest expansion and lung volume after implementation of the program (p <0.5). The results can be used as an activity guide for the elderly to increase their chest expansion and lung volume.