Retrospection: An Innovative Strategy to Assess the Benefits of an Aquatic Exercise Program on Well-Being during the Pandemic

The pandemic prevented participant research in all aspects of the physical and occupational therapy professions, and aquatic exercise research was significantly impacted. Despite the challenges, insightful research was conducted. This paper provides an example of one of those research studies. Background and Purpose: Students in a doctoral occupational therapy program were required to perform research, but the pandemic did not allow for in-person participant research in an aquatic setting, so a retrospective study was conducted. Aquatic exercise has been shown to improve endurance and physical fitness, but the impact of aquatic exercise on overall well-being has not been widely studied. The goal of this retrospective survey study was to look at the effects of aquatic exercise on feelings of well-being in an older adult population, and on the students who helped conduct the program. Methods: Occupational and physical therapy graduate students, who led an aquatic exercise program for older adults while under the supervision of a faculty member, completed the 42-item Ryff Psychological Scales of Well-Being (Ryff), and the 14-item Scales of General Well Being (SGWB). The older adults served also completed these standardized assessments. For each question, participants answered how they felt before participating in the program (pre-test), and again after completing the program (post-test). They also answered one qualitative question about how the program impacted their feelings of well-being. Non-parametric data analysis was used for between and within group effects. Results: The Ryff revealed a statistically significant increase in all dimension scores when both groups were studied together (autonomy, p