The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of music therapy and rhythmic exercise on health related quality of life, blood pressure and upper extremity muscle strength in the institution-dwelling elderly women.

The study was designed using a nonequivalent control group pretest-posttest design. The participants consisted of 35 elders (18 in the experimental group and 17 in the control group). The music therapy and rhythmic exercise were developed by the investigators. The experimental group took part in this program twice a week for 8 weeks. The Short Form 36 health survey questionnaire, blood pressure and grasp power scale were used as instruments. The data were analyzed using SPSS 14.0.

Repeated measures ANOVA revealed that music therapy and rhythmic exercise had positive effects on quality of life, especially on vitality, general health and mental health. Also, there were statistically significant differences in diastolic blood pressure and upper extremity muscle strength between the pretest and posttest in the experimental group.

The study suggests that this program can be applied for older women in long-term facilities to improve quality of life, blood pressure and upper extremity muscle strength.