The aim of the current study was to explore perceptions of group-based walking and gather suggestions to inform the development of a group-based walking intervention among older adults in retirement villages. Twenty-four physically inactive residents (16 female, 8 male; age range: 69–88) and four managers from four retirement villages were interviewed. Inductive thematic analysis revealed six broad themes: lack of motivation, values versus constraints, fears and confidence, need for structure, creating a sense of belonging, and the physical environment as a double-edged sword. Proposed intervention strategies included using trained walk leaders, using small groups, planning for flexibility, setting attainable goals, creating a routine, creating opportunities for sharing experiences, and planning a variety of walks. Group-based walking programs may be used to promote physical activity but careful planning of such programs is needed to make them appealing and feasible to a diverse group of residents.
Purpose: Novel physical activity (PA) monitoring technologies can accurately capture the various dimensions of PA that are important for health. Presenting complex multi-dimensional PA feedback is potentially challenging. In this study, we generated personalised PA profiles and explored the impact of receiving rich visual informational feedback in terms of educational and motivational properties and cognitive-affective responses. Methods: Healthcare Professionals (HCPs: GPs, nurses and health trainers; n=15) and 40-70 year old male and female patients considered at risk of future chronic disease (as identified by the NHS Health Check; n=30) were provided with visual feedback depicting their personalised PA data. One-to-one semi-structured interviews were conducted to explore their attitudes towards physical activity and their responses to seeing personalised feedback. Thematic analysis was used to identify main themes and interpret the data. Results: Both HCPs and patients found that personalised PA profiles were both informative and motivational. Patients highlighted that the feedback enhanced their understanding of their own PA and in many cases were surprised by the discrepancy between their perceived and objectively measured PA levels. Participants who observed low activity levels, high sedentary time and missed PA recommendations generally expressed disappointment upon seeing their data and an instant desire to positively change their behaviour. Participants that were shown to have surpassed PA recommendations expressed feelings of pleasure and reassurance. Conclusions: Technology-enabled personalised visual PA feedback and profiles appear to be informative and motivational for Patients and Healthcare Professionals. This approach represents a promising tool for behaviour change interventions targeting physical activity.
Using a qualitative approach, the dimensions of subjective well-being of active older adults were outlined and ways identified through which they might be influenced by participation in physical activities. One-to-one and group interviews were used to collect the data. Using cross-case analysis, 17 main themes were identified. The following main dimensions emerged: developmental, material, physical, mental, and social well-being. The findings indicated that physical activity influences all dimensions of the subjective well-being of older adults, with the exception of material well-being. Physical activity appears to contribute to the mental health of older adults through maintenance of a busy and active life, mental alertness, positive attitude toward life and avoidance of stress, negative function, and isolation. The complexity of subjective well-being and the multiple roles of physical activity stress the need to extend qualitative research to sedentary older adults and the institutionalized elderly to explore the relationship between well-being and physical activity in later life.
Abstract Objective To investigate the food shopping habits of older adults in the UK and explore their potential associations with selected health-related indicators. Design A cross-sectional study including objectively measured physical activity levels, BMI, physical function and self-reported health status and dietary intake. Setting Bristol, UK. Subjects A total of 240 older adults aged ≥70 years living independently. Results Mean age was 78·1 ( sd 5·7) years; 66·7 % were overweight or obese and 4 % were underweight. Most (80·0 %) carried out their own food shopping; 53·3 % shopped at least once weekly. Women were more likely to shop alone ( P < 0·001) and men more likely to shop with their spouse ( P < 0·001). Men were more likely than women to drive to food shopping ( P < 0·001), with women more likely to take the bus or be driven ( P < 0·001). Most reported ease in purchasing fruit and vegetables (72·9 %) and low-fat products (67·5 %); 19·2 % reported low fibre intakes and 16·2 % reported high fat intakes. Higher levels of physical function and physical activity and better general health were significantly correlated with the ease of purchasing fresh fruit, vegetables and low-fat products. Shopping more often was associated with higher fat intake ( P = 0·03); higher levels of deprivation were associated with lower fibre intake ( P = 0·019). Conclusions These findings suggest a pattern of food shopping carried out primarily by car at least once weekly at large supermarket chains, with most finding high-quality fruit, vegetables and low-fat products easily accessible. Higher levels of physical function and physical activity and better self-reported health are important in supporting food shopping and maintaining independence.
Abstract BackgroundSuccessful peer volunteering is central to many community-based, active ageing initiatives. This study synthesises the perspectives of a range of stakeholders involved in peer volunteering initiatives and provides recommendations as to how peer volunteers can be effectively mobilised as community assets.MethodsAn evidence synthesis of qualitative data from (a) the evaluation of ACE (Active, Connected, Engaged), a feasibility trial of a peer volunteering active ageing intervention, and (b) interviews with volunteers and managers of third sector organisations providing peer volunteering programmes. Data were analysed using directed content analysis.ResultsTen managers, 22 volunteers and 20 ACE participants were interviewed. The analysis identified six main themes, 33 higher and 22 lower order themes. Main themes were: (i) Motives, (ii) Benefits, (iii) Skills and Characteristics, (iv) Challenges, (v) Training Needs, (vi) Recruitment and Retention. Altruism, changes in life circumstances, opportunities to reconnect with the community and personal fulfilment were the main reasons for volunteering. Volunteering was described as being personally rewarding, an avenue to acquire new skills and knowledge, and an opportunity for increased social connections and physical activity. Good peer volunteers are committed, reliable, have a good sense of humour, good interpersonal skills and are able to relate to participants. When pairing volunteers with participants, shared interests and geographical proximity are important to consider. Clarity of role, level of time commitment, regular feedback, recognition of effort and strong networks for on-going support are important strategies to facilitate volunteer retention.ConclusionsThe findings of this study support the value of peer volunteering as a strategy for mobilising community assets in promoting active ageing. To ensure success and longevity, these schemes require appropriate funding and efficient administrative support.Trial registration: N/A
Physical activity in childhood has a range of benefits including the support of healthy development, energy balance, psychological well-being, social interaction and academic achievement. Low levels of physical activity and rising levels of obesity among children justify the promotion of physical activity in schools. PURPOSE: To examine the effectiveness of a pedometer-based intervention in increasing levels of walking in schoolchildren aged 9–13. METHODS: Fifty-four primary and secondary schools participated in this project. The intervention included the daily use of pedometers for up to 28 weeks and use of a website for educational and motivational purposes, including recordings of daily step counts and individualized goal-setting. A series of t-tests and 2 (gender) × 2 (baseline activity level) analyses of variance examined differences in step counts between boys and girls, and between low- vs. high-active children at different points in the project. RESULTS: Baseline data were collected from 1966 children (44.2% boys, 55.8% girls). All schools witnessed large and consistent dropout rates throughout the project. Step counts increased steadily from an average of 8355 steps at baseline to an average of 13939 in week 23 (t (−2.19) = p<05). The project increased the activity levels of both boys and girls to a similar extent, (F (1, 67) = 1.65, p > .05, η2 = .31). Similarly, although low-active children were at all times reporting lower step counts than high-active pupils (p < .01 at all time points), they accumulated an average of 12489 steps by the end of the project (an increase of 121%) vs. the 15846 steps reported by high-active students (an increase of 41%). A higher percentage of primary than secondary school students entered data onto the website in any given week. Forty -eight per cent of primary school children entered baseline data, while only 36% of secondary school pupils did so. CONCLUSION: This pedometer-based intervention has helped school children to increase their walking behaviour. The project was more successful with the children who were more sedentary at baseline. The project should be carefully evaluated and re-designed to become more appealing to secondary school children.
Measures of stepping volume and rate are common outputs from wearable devices, such as accelerometers. It has been proposed that biomedical technologies, including accelerometers and their algorithms, should undergo rigorous verification as well as analytical and clinical validation to demonstrate that they are fit for purpose. The aim of this study was to use the V3 framework to assess the analytical and clinical validity of a wrist-worn measurement system of stepping volume and rate, formed by the GENEActiv accelerometer and GENEAcount step counting algorithm. The analytical validity was assessed by measuring the level of agreement between the wrist-worn system and a thigh-worn system (activPAL), the reference measure. The clinical validity was assessed by establishing the prospective association between the changes in stepping volume and rate with changes in physical function (SPPB score). The agreement of the thigh-worn reference system and the wrist-worn system was excellent for total daily steps (CCC = 0.88, 95% CI 0.83–0.91) and moderate for walking steps and faster-paced walking steps (CCC = 0.61, 95% CI 0.53–0.68 and 0.55, 95% CI 0.46–0.64, respectively). A higher number of total steps and faster paced-walking steps was consistently associated with better physical function. After 24 months, an increase of 1000 daily faster-paced walking steps was associated with a clinically meaningful increase in physical function (0.53 SPPB score, 95% CI 0.32–0.74). We have validated a digital susceptibility/risk biomarker—pfSTEP—that identifies an associated risk of low physical function in community-dwelling older adults using a wrist-worn accelerometer and its accompanying open-source step counting algorithm.
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