Promoting Walking in Older Adults Living in Independent Living Communities in Northern Ireland: A Feasibility Study.

Queen's University Belfast

Status: Completed

Conditions: Aging; Physical Activity; Social Isolation; Health Behaviour

Treatments: Behavioral: The friendly walking group

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT02596672

15.30

Details and patient eligibility

About

The multi-level 12 week peer-led walking intervention incorporates aspects from all three levels of the ecological model (with the aim of producing sustained (>6months) physical activity behaviour change in older adults living in independent living communities.

Full description

The proposed study is a cluster randomized controlled feasibility trial of a multi-level peer-led walking intervention. The socio-ecological model and social cognitive theory provides the framework that will help inform and test the feasibility of a multi-level peer-led walking intervention for inactive older adults living in independent living communities in Northern Ireland. The behaviour change techniques identified and extracted from a previous systematic review on the effectiveness of peer-led physical activity interventions helped guide the decision-making process of which behavior change strategies should be included in this study. The logic model helped inform the design and development of the 12 week peer-led walking programme.

Enrollment: 60 estimated patients

Sex: All

Ages: 55+ years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

1. Adults over the age of 60 years recruited from fold housing associations, dependent on site; those receiving nursing care will not be included.
2. Inactive/not regularly walking (less than 30 minutes
3. Have the ability to read, write, understand and speak English.
4. Can walk freely without human assistance (residents will be included they use a walking stick/walking aid.)

Exclusion criteria

1. If they have fallen in the last 6 months
2. Have regular nursing assistance/care within the fold
3. Residents with dementia or other cognitive challenges will be excluded.

Trial design

Primary purpose: Prevention

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Single Blind

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60 participants in 2 patient groups

Intervention

Experimental group

Description:

They will complete a 12-week peer-led walking programme. Participants will be paired together as walking partners and will be given a pedometer and step count logs for self-monitoring. The walking co-ordinators will facilitate walking groups two times a week in the local areas, lasting for 30 minutes. The nature of the walks will be tailored to the participants stated preferences of types of activity. Participants will also receive local walking route maps. After 12 weeks, the formal peer-led component will finish and participants will be encouraged to continue walking with their walking partners other activity programmes organised in the fold in order to maintain activity levels.

Treatment:

Behavioral: The friendly walking group

Control

No Intervention group

Description:

Folds assigned to the control group will not receive any additional support to change their physical activity behaviour over the course of the intervention period. At the six-month data collection point they will be offered a referral to a local walking group in their area or advice on beginning a self-directed walking programme (similar to Public Health Agency www.choosetolivebetter.com/content/getting-active). They will be asked to complete outcome measures at baseline and follow up time-points. Post-study a sample of control participants will be asked to attend a focus group, exploring their views on social activity as form of physical activity for older adults in folds.