Community-Based Exercise Intervention to Promote Balance in Older Adults with Rheumatoid Arthritis

Abstract

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA), a prevalent non-communicable disease (NCD) among older adults, often results in reduced musculoskeletal function and impaired balance, thereby increasing vulnerability to mobility limitations and compromising community resilience. Community-based exercise interventions may provide a sustainable and low-cost strategy to improve health outcomes in this population. This study examined the effect of elderly fitness exercise on balance among older adults with RA in Banjar Anyar Village, Kediri, Tabanan Regency, Bali, Indonesia. A pre-experimental one-group pretest–posttest design was applied to 30 purposively selected participants. Balance was measured using the Berg Balance Scale (BBS) before and after the intervention. Data normality was confirmed using the Shapiro–Wilk test (p = 0.540), and differences were analyzed using a paired sample t-test. The results demonstrated a significant improvement in balance following the intervention, with the mean BBS score increasing from 34.50 (SD = 5.507) at pretest to 42.77 (SD = 5.661) at posttest. The mean difference was -8.267 (SD = 3.205), t(29) = -14.128, p < 0.001, with a very large effect size (Cohen’s d = 2.58). These findings highlight that elderly fitness exercise is an effective and feasible community health practice to enhance balance among older adults with RA. Integrating such programs into community health strategies may strengthen resilience against NCD-related functional decline. Further research with larger samples and randomized designs is recommended.