Unsupervised Home-based Exercise for Rural Frail Elderly: An Evidence-based Case-report

ABSTRACT To summarize the literature investigating the efficacy of unsupervised home-based exercise (UHBE) in managing rural community-dwelling pre-frail and frail elders, we searched, appraised, and ranked eligible studies published until February 18, 2021 according to the level of evidence (LOE). From six randomized trials, we discovered that UHBE yielded favorable effects on frailty by improving strength (LOE II), quality-of-life (LOE II), and flexibility (LOE I–II). Furthermore, UHBE was generally non-inferior to supervised exercise, except in terms of strength (LOE II–III), balance (LOE IV), and physical function (LOE III–IV). As no trials were conducted in rural underdeveloped settings, future studies are warranted.