A Study on Creative Activities for Enhancing Manual Dexterity and Visual- Motor Integration in Older Adults: Focus on Bamboo Weaving

Objective In the face of a rapidly aging society and the consequent rise in healthcare costs, maintaining the health of older adults and delaying functional decline to preserve their independence in daily living has become a critical issue in long-term care and healthcare development. This study examines the effects of creative activities on enhancing manual dexterity and visual-motor integration (VMI) in elderly individuals, with bamboo weaving selected as the intervention. Methods A total of 87 participants aged 60 to 75 were assigned to three groups (A, B, and C) based on varying levels of course difficulty. Pre- and post-intervention assessments were conducted using the Purdue Pegboard Test (PPT), VMI test, Visual Perception (VP), and Motor Coordination (MC) tests to evaluate the intervention outcomes. Findings indicated that participants across all levels demonstrated significant improvements post-intervention. Further analysis revealed that participants in the lower-difficulty courses showed better performance in the PPT assembly task as well as in the VMI and MC assessments. Full name of the registry：International Standard Randomised Controlled Trial Number registry.Trial registration number and the date of registration：ISRCTN19035046. 03/09/2025. “Retrospectively registered” Conclusion These results partially support the study’s hypotheses and provide valuable evidence for designing occupational therapy interventions that incorporate creative activities to enhance fine motor and visuomotor abilities in older adults.