Fit for Function: A Community Wellness Program for Persons With Stroke (FFF)

McMaster University

Status: Completed

Conditions: Stroke

Treatments: Other: Living with Stroke Education program; Behavioral: Community Based Exercise Program; Other: YMCA membership

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT01194102

OSNRC-2010

Details and patient eligibility

About

The purpose of this study is to evaluate whether persons with stroke participating in a 12-week community based wellness program for persons who have had a stroke, experience improved mobility (6 Minute Walk Test), balance, (The Short Portable Performance Test and Timed Up and Go), strength (JAMAR hand grip dynamometry), level of physical activity (Rapid Assessment of Physical Activity), reintegration in community (Reintegration into Normal Living Index), self efficacy (Patient Activation Measure) and Quality of Life (Stroke Specific Quality of Life Scale) compared to persons who do not participate in the program.

Full description

The program will be delivered through a partnership between Hamilton Health Sciences, the YMCA and McMaster University. Participants will attend the YMCA for exercise sessions several times a week and receive education on how to take care of themselves after a stroke. The staff who will deliver the program will have specialized training on how to help people with stroke to exercise safely and effectively. Control group participants will be provided with YMCA memberships but will not have access to stroke specific education and group exercise classes.

Staff assisting the control group will be trained in safety and contraindications after stroke, but will not receive the additional specialized training in exercise/education programs for persons with stroke.

Enrollment: 61 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18+ years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• adults ≥18years
• living in the community
• able to ambulate ≥10 meters with or without an assistive device
• able to tolerate 60 minutes activity with rest intervals
• have clearance from a physician to participate in the program
• can independently follow instructions
• are not involved in active rehabilitation

Exclusion criteria

• musculoskeletal contraindications to exercise
• unstable cardiovascular conditions
• unstable medical conditions
• significant cognitive impairment

Trial design

Primary purpose: Health Services Research

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Single Blind

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61 participants in 2 patient groups

Stroke Community Wellness Program

Experimental group

Description:

Participants with stroke will attend a 12 week Community Wellness Program. The program consists of a Community Based Exercise Program at the YMCA (2x 1 hour exercise sessions per week with specially trained fitness instructors). They will also attend a 1 hour long "Living with Stroke" education session one time per week and an independent exercise session in the fitness centre one time per week.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Community Based Exercise Program

Other: YMCA membership

Other: Living with Stroke Education program

Regular YMCA membership

Active Comparator group

Description:

The control group will have access to YMCA facilities to use at their discretion but will not attend the Community Based Exercise Program for stroke survivors or the "Living with Stroke" education program. YMCA staff working with the control group will not receive specialized training in exercise and education for stroke survivors but will be trained on important safety precautions and contraindications to exercise after stroke.

Treatment:

Other: YMCA membership