by Lindsay Taylor Key
Human health researchers have life-saving advice for those over 65: keep moving.
More than 85 percent of adults in this age bracket suffer from at least one chronic disease, many of which could be alleviated with exercise, according to Samantha Harden, an assistant professor of human nutrition, foods and exercise, and Paul Estabrooks, a professor of human nutrition, foods and exercise, both with the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and Fralin Life Science Institute.
The number of Americans over age 65 is expected to reach 72 million in the next 25 years, but this population is historically difficult to reach for participation in exercise programs. In a recent Health Education Research paper, Harden, Estabrooks and co-authors at the University of Illinois described an evaluation tool to determine whether contact has been made with the intended population.
They evaluated a study conducted by collaborators across 5,000 square miles of central Illinois, where approximately 300,000 residents fall into the older adult category. Since 36 percent of older adults do not meet physical activity recommendations, researchers aimed to recruit about 105,515 people to participate in the DVD-based fitness program.
Researchers found that, despite the digital era, newspaper advertisements were still the most successful means for recruiting at-risk older adults.
They also found that each monthly DVD was viewed by more than 80 percent of the participants, indicating that the program was actually used once the audience was reached.
The researchers used six different recruitment strategies to reach older adults, of which 563 expressed interest in the program, with 307 ultimately joining.
"We found a seemingly dismal reach of just .3 percent of eligible participants," Harden said. "From a public health perspective, that may seem drastically low. However, one of the main arguments in our study is that the use of multiple indicators— and an appropriate denominator— is important to more accurately assess the degree to which the intervention reached at-risk older adults."
The team looked at the communication method used for recruitment, the demographics of the population, the level of participation once recruitment was achieved, and the success of each intervention in participant homes.
All four of these indicators align with a public health framework called RE-AIM, short for Reach, Effectiveness Adoption, Implementation and Maintenance.
"Each one of these indicators gives us an opportunity to intervene so we can make sure we're getting the participants who would most benefit from physical activity," Estabrooks said.
Explore further: Reduce your risk of falls
More information: "Determining the reach of a home-based physical activity program for older adults within the context of a randomized controlled trial." Health Educ Res. 2014 Oct;29(5):861-9. DOI: 10.1093/her/cyu049. Epub 2014 Aug 13.
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© Medical Xpress 2011-2014, Science X network
by Lindsay Taylor Key
Human health researchers have life-saving advice for those over 65: keep moving.
More than 85 percent of adults in this age bracket suffer from at least one chronic disease, many of which could be alleviated with exercise, according to Samantha Harden, an assistant professor of human nutrition, foods and exercise, and Paul Estabrooks, a professor of human nutrition, foods and exercise, both with the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and Fralin Life Science Institute.
The number of Americans over age 65 is expected to reach 72 million in the next 25 years, but this population is historically difficult to reach for participation in exercise programs. In a recent Health Education Research paper, Harden, Estabrooks and co-authors at the University of Illinois described an evaluation tool to determine whether contact has been made with the intended population.
They evaluated a study conducted by collaborators across 5,000 square miles of central Illinois, where approximately 300,000 residents fall into the older adult category. Since 36 percent of older adults do not meet physical activity recommendations, researchers aimed to recruit about 105,515 people to participate in the DVD-based fitness program.
Researchers found that, despite the digital era, newspaper advertisements were still the most successful means for recruiting at-risk older adults.
They also found that each monthly DVD was viewed by more than 80 percent of the participants, indicating that the program was actually used once the audience was reached.
The researchers used six different recruitment strategies to reach older adults, of which 563 expressed interest in the program, with 307 ultimately joining.
"We found a seemingly dismal reach of just .3 percent of eligible participants," Harden said. "From a public health perspective, that may seem drastically low. However, one of the main arguments in our study is that the use of multiple indicators— and an appropriate denominator— is important to more accurately assess the degree to which the intervention reached at-risk older adults."
The team looked at the communication method used for recruitment, the demographics of the population, the level of participation once recruitment was achieved, and the success of each intervention in participant homes.
All four of these indicators align with a public health framework called RE-AIM, short for Reach, Effectiveness Adoption, Implementation and Maintenance.
"Each one of these indicators gives us an opportunity to intervene so we can make sure we're getting the participants who would most benefit from physical activity," Estabrooks said.
Explore further: Reduce your risk of falls
More information: "Determining the reach of a home-based physical activity program for older adults within the context of a randomized controlled trial." Health Educ Res. 2014 Oct;29(5):861-9. DOI: 10.1093/her/cyu049. Epub 2014 Aug 13.
Medical Xpress on facebook
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Older adults benefit from home-based DVD exercise program
Mar 11, 2013
Fitness DVDs are a multimillion-dollar business, and those targeting adults over the age of 55 are a major part of the market. With names like "Boomers on the Move," "Stronger Seniors" and "Ageless Yoga," ...
Reduce your risk of falls
Sep 16, 2014
If you are over 65 and have had a fall before, researchers at the University of Sydney think you should balance on one leg to brush your teeth, bend your knees to pack the dishwasher and take the stairs more often.
Study links physical activity in older adults to brain white-matter integrity
Sep 17, 2014
Like everything else in the body, the white-matter fibers that allow communication between brain regions also decline with age. In a new study, researchers found a strong association between the structural ...
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Dec 04, 2012
(Medical Xpress)—A pilot medical program at Virginia Tech will use an automated calling system as part of larger program to help adults who are at risk for developing diabetes. The calls will be designed to encourage patients ...
Falls among elderly reduced by state program
Mar 13, 2014
A low-cost program reduced falls in the elderly by 17 percent statewide, illustrating the value and effectiveness of using existing aging services, such as senior centers, in preventing falls, a University of Pittsburgh Graduate ...
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Depression increases risk of falls in elderly
2 minutes ago
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Tobacco display bans may lower smoking rates: Australia study
49 minutes ago
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