South American Sciences · Oct 29, 2026
Quality of life, functional capacity, and handgrip strength in older women participating in water aerobics
By Dantas MC, Neto CDM, Pereira JKO et al.
Aging can affect quality of life, functional capacity, and muscle strength in older adults. This study aimed to assess the eight domains of quality of life, functional performance, and handgrip strength in older women participating in water aerobics, as well as to investigate correlations between the variables. This was a cross-sectional, descriptive, and analytical field study with a quantitative approach involving 23 older women participating in a water aerobics program. The SF-36, the one-minute sit-to-stand test (TSL-1min), and handgrip dynamometry were used. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and Pearson correlation, adopting a significance level of 5% (p < 0.05). The highest mean SF-36 scores were in the Role-Emotional (83.39 ± 22.18) and Mental Health (77.39 ± 12.45) domains. The mean TSL-1min result was 18.96 ± 4.78 repetitions, and dominant handgrip strength was 19.57 ± 3.99 kgf. A positive and statistically significant correlation was identified between SF-36 Physical Functioning and TSL-1min (r = 0.677; p = 0.0004). The correlations between SF-36 Physical Functioning and dominant handgrip strength (r = 0.187; p = 0.394), and between TSL-1min and dominant FPM (r = 0.116; p = 0.599), showed positive coefficients but were not statistically significant. The findings suggest an association between self-reported functional capacity and TSL-1min performance, without allowing causal inference.