Volunteer-led online group exercise for community-dwelling older people: a feasibility and acceptability study
Volunteer-led online group exercise for community-dwelling older people: a feasibility and acceptability study
Background: despite the clear benefits of physical activity in healthy ageing, engagement in regular physical activity among community-dwelling older adults remains low, with common barriers including exertional discomfort, concerns with falling, and access difficulties. The recent rise of the use of technology and the internet among older adults presents an opportunity to engage with older people online to promote increased physical activity. This study aims to determine the feasibility and acceptability of training volunteers to deliver online group exercises for older adults attending community social clubs.
Methods: this was a pre-post mixed-methods study. Older adults aged ≥ 65 years attending community social clubs who provided written consent and were not actively participating in exercise classes took part in the feasibility study. Older adults, volunteers, and staff were interviewed to determine the acceptability of the intervention. The intervention was a once weekly volunteer-led online group seated strength exercises using resistance bands. The duration of the intervention was 6 months. The primary outcome measures were the feasibility of the intervention (determined by the number of volunteers recruited, trained, and retained, participant recruitment and intervention adherence) and its acceptability to key stakeholders. Secondary outcome measures included physical activity levels (Community Health Model Activities Programme for Seniors (CHAMPS) questionnaire), modified Barthel Index, Health-related quality of life (EQ-5D-5L), frailty (PRISMA-7) and sarcopenia (SARC-F), at baseline and 6 months.
Results: nineteen volunteers were recruited, 15 (78.9%) completed training and 9 (47.3%) were retained after 1 year (mean age 68 years). Thirty older adults (mean age 77 years, 27 female) participated, attending 54% (IQR 37–67) of exercise sessions. Participants had no significant changes in secondary outcome measures, with a trend towards improvement in physical activity levels (physical activity in minutes per week at baseline was 1770 min, and 1909 min at six months, p = 0.13). Twenty volunteers, older adults, and staff were interviewed and found the intervention acceptable. The seated exercises were perceived as safe, manageable, and enjoyable.
Conclusions: trained volunteers can safely deliver online group exercise for community-dwelling older adults which was acceptable to older adults, volunteers, and club staff. Trials registration: NCT04672200.
Independent living, aged, exercise, feasibility studies, female, humans, male, quality of life, volunteers, Physical activity, Online exercise, Volunteer, Older adults
Lim, S. E.R.
dd2bfbd7-7f74-4365-b77e-9989f6408ddc
Meredith, S. J.
f123848c-d83f-40e7-bb7e-1c3b6c8e6ef0
Agnew, S.
3b2e34da-51df-4727-8c0b-f317742f2985
Clift, E.
aece535f-063b-45f9-a1b3-a9b36c82fa1c
Ibrahim, K.
54f027ad-0599-4dd4-bdbf-b9307841a294
Roberts, H. C.
5ea688b1-ef7a-4173-9da0-26290e18f253
28 July 2023
Lim, S. E.R.
dd2bfbd7-7f74-4365-b77e-9989f6408ddc
Meredith, S. J.
f123848c-d83f-40e7-bb7e-1c3b6c8e6ef0
Agnew, S.
3b2e34da-51df-4727-8c0b-f317742f2985
Clift, E.
aece535f-063b-45f9-a1b3-a9b36c82fa1c
Ibrahim, K.
54f027ad-0599-4dd4-bdbf-b9307841a294
Roberts, H. C.
5ea688b1-ef7a-4173-9da0-26290e18f253
Lim, S. E.R., Meredith, S. J., Agnew, S., Clift, E., Ibrahim, K. and Roberts, H. C.
(2023)
Volunteer-led online group exercise for community-dwelling older people: a feasibility and acceptability study.
BMC Geriatrics, 23 (1), [461].
(doi:10.1186/s12877-023-04184-7).
Abstract
Background: despite the clear benefits of physical activity in healthy ageing, engagement in regular physical activity among community-dwelling older adults remains low, with common barriers including exertional discomfort, concerns with falling, and access difficulties. The recent rise of the use of technology and the internet among older adults presents an opportunity to engage with older people online to promote increased physical activity. This study aims to determine the feasibility and acceptability of training volunteers to deliver online group exercises for older adults attending community social clubs.
Methods: this was a pre-post mixed-methods study. Older adults aged ≥ 65 years attending community social clubs who provided written consent and were not actively participating in exercise classes took part in the feasibility study. Older adults, volunteers, and staff were interviewed to determine the acceptability of the intervention. The intervention was a once weekly volunteer-led online group seated strength exercises using resistance bands. The duration of the intervention was 6 months. The primary outcome measures were the feasibility of the intervention (determined by the number of volunteers recruited, trained, and retained, participant recruitment and intervention adherence) and its acceptability to key stakeholders. Secondary outcome measures included physical activity levels (Community Health Model Activities Programme for Seniors (CHAMPS) questionnaire), modified Barthel Index, Health-related quality of life (EQ-5D-5L), frailty (PRISMA-7) and sarcopenia (SARC-F), at baseline and 6 months.
Results: nineteen volunteers were recruited, 15 (78.9%) completed training and 9 (47.3%) were retained after 1 year (mean age 68 years). Thirty older adults (mean age 77 years, 27 female) participated, attending 54% (IQR 37–67) of exercise sessions. Participants had no significant changes in secondary outcome measures, with a trend towards improvement in physical activity levels (physical activity in minutes per week at baseline was 1770 min, and 1909 min at six months, p = 0.13). Twenty volunteers, older adults, and staff were interviewed and found the intervention acceptable. The seated exercises were perceived as safe, manageable, and enjoyable.
Conclusions: trained volunteers can safely deliver online group exercise for community-dwelling older adults which was acceptable to older adults, volunteers, and club staff. Trials registration: NCT04672200.
Text
ImPACt study main manuscript v1.2_revised manuscript
- Accepted Manuscript
Text
s12877-023-04184-7
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More information
Accepted/In Press date: 19 July 2023
e-pub ahead of print date: 28 July 2023
Published date: 28 July 2023
Additional Information:
Funding Information:
The National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) funded this research. The views expressed are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the NHS, the NIHR or the Department of Health. SL, SJM, KI and HCR received support from the NIHR Applied Research Collaboration (ARC) Wessex and the University of Southampton. HCR received support from the NIHR Southampton Biomedical Research Centre. SL is funded by the NIHR Advanced Fellowship scheme. SA is funded by Brendoncare and EC is funded by Southern Health NHS FT.
Keywords:
Independent living, aged, exercise, feasibility studies, female, humans, male, quality of life, volunteers, Physical activity, Online exercise, Volunteer, Older adults
Identifiers
Local EPrints ID: 480509
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/480509
ISSN: 1471-2318
PURE UUID: 44870707-6cc7-4f96-b682-fcb6fafe64c9
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Date deposited: 03 Aug 2023 17:18
Last modified: 18 Mar 2024 03:30
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Author:
S. J. Meredith
Author:
S. Agnew
Author:
E. Clift
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