Smart Television and Exercise Promotion for Independent Living Facilities
| Status: | Completed |
|---|---|
| Conditions: | Healthy Studies |
| Therapuetic Areas: | Other |
| Healthy: | No |
| Age Range: | 55 - Any |
| Updated: | 9/22/2018 |
| Start Date: | August 15, 2014 |
| End Date: | June 30, 2017 |
Physical activity (PA) has physical, emotional, and cognitive benefits for seniors (e.g.,
increased strength and balance, reduced frailty, fewer falls, improved brain function, lower
mortality risk), yet many seniors have limited access to exercise options due to numerous
barriers (e.g., transportation concerns, financial costs, fear of injury/falling). This
project will overcome common exercise barriers by creating an interactive web-enabled TV
program (i.e., Smart TV), adapted from research-based PA protocols, to be implemented in an
Independent Living Facility (ILF) setting. A web-based prototype will be developed, and ILF
residents and administrators will be able to create, use, and evaluate a customizable
exercise program tailored to the individual's preferred type of exercise, intensity, and
duration.
increased strength and balance, reduced frailty, fewer falls, improved brain function, lower
mortality risk), yet many seniors have limited access to exercise options due to numerous
barriers (e.g., transportation concerns, financial costs, fear of injury/falling). This
project will overcome common exercise barriers by creating an interactive web-enabled TV
program (i.e., Smart TV), adapted from research-based PA protocols, to be implemented in an
Independent Living Facility (ILF) setting. A web-based prototype will be developed, and ILF
residents and administrators will be able to create, use, and evaluate a customizable
exercise program tailored to the individual's preferred type of exercise, intensity, and
duration.
Older Adults (OAs), aged 65 years and older, are the fastest growing segment of the U.S.
population. As life expectancy increases, maintaining physical independence has become a
public health priority. It is well recognized that regular physical activity (PA) can be done
safely by seniors, and has multiple physical, emotional, and cognitive benefits. Yet, they
remain the least physically active of any age group. This suggests that the translational
reach of efficacious PA protocols to the real-world remains limited, and a need for research
which is scalable to the individual in more naturalistic settings exists. An emerging trend
for seniors is to choose Independent Living Facilities (ILFs) as their home. ILFs offer a
variety of social, cultural, and fitness services. Access to up-to-date technologies (e.g.,
wireless Internet), web-based education, and wellness programs are a priority for ILF
residents, thus opportunities for using technology for health promotion with OAs exists. ILFs
provide a unique opportunity for PA promotion, because 1) more seniors are choosing ILFs for
aging-in-place, 2) PA is of interest to ILF residents, 3) ILFs should continue to increase
their wellness offerings, and 4) ILFs should be interested in incorporating PA programs into
wellness offerings. Research is needed to translate efficacious PA protocols for seniors into
formats that are scalable to OAs in real-world settings. The goal is to extrapolate knowledge
gained from efficacy research to improve the utilization and sustainability of evidence-based
methods by producing programs that are agreeable, user-friendly, and optimal at both the
individual and organizational level. Smart Television and Exercise Promotion for Independent
Living Facilities (STEP for LIFE) will establish the feasibility for translating an
evidence-based PA program using an interactive web-enabled, streaming-video technology (i.e.,
Smart TV) for ILF residents. This program offers 1) an innovative and potentially effective
medium to reach seniors, 2) the ability to select and sequence together a session that is
personalized to fitness level, type of exercise, and duration, and 3) organizations the
ability to provide desired wellness options which meet both resident and organizational
needs. The purpose of this study is to provide the initial research for translating
efficacious research-based PA protocols for seniors into a scalable format usable in a
real-world ILF setting, and to gain knowledge at individual and organizational levels to
improve implementation and sustainability of this evidence-based approach. Specific Aims
include extensive formative research on the use, interest, and effectiveness of interactive
multimedia approaches for promoting PA, and its integration into senior living settings. A
working prototype will be developed and tested for usability with ILF residents and
administrators, and seniors not residing in ILFs. Outcomes will establish the feasibility of
producing and testing STEP for LIFE in a large-scale randomized trial. A larger trial can
inform 1) future translation of PA promotion to other OA residential settings (e.g., assisted
living, memory care, rural settings), and 2) sustainable implementation strategies for other
evidence-based health promotion protocols for seniors.
population. As life expectancy increases, maintaining physical independence has become a
public health priority. It is well recognized that regular physical activity (PA) can be done
safely by seniors, and has multiple physical, emotional, and cognitive benefits. Yet, they
remain the least physically active of any age group. This suggests that the translational
reach of efficacious PA protocols to the real-world remains limited, and a need for research
which is scalable to the individual in more naturalistic settings exists. An emerging trend
for seniors is to choose Independent Living Facilities (ILFs) as their home. ILFs offer a
variety of social, cultural, and fitness services. Access to up-to-date technologies (e.g.,
wireless Internet), web-based education, and wellness programs are a priority for ILF
residents, thus opportunities for using technology for health promotion with OAs exists. ILFs
provide a unique opportunity for PA promotion, because 1) more seniors are choosing ILFs for
aging-in-place, 2) PA is of interest to ILF residents, 3) ILFs should continue to increase
their wellness offerings, and 4) ILFs should be interested in incorporating PA programs into
wellness offerings. Research is needed to translate efficacious PA protocols for seniors into
formats that are scalable to OAs in real-world settings. The goal is to extrapolate knowledge
gained from efficacy research to improve the utilization and sustainability of evidence-based
methods by producing programs that are agreeable, user-friendly, and optimal at both the
individual and organizational level. Smart Television and Exercise Promotion for Independent
Living Facilities (STEP for LIFE) will establish the feasibility for translating an
evidence-based PA program using an interactive web-enabled, streaming-video technology (i.e.,
Smart TV) for ILF residents. This program offers 1) an innovative and potentially effective
medium to reach seniors, 2) the ability to select and sequence together a session that is
personalized to fitness level, type of exercise, and duration, and 3) organizations the
ability to provide desired wellness options which meet both resident and organizational
needs. The purpose of this study is to provide the initial research for translating
efficacious research-based PA protocols for seniors into a scalable format usable in a
real-world ILF setting, and to gain knowledge at individual and organizational levels to
improve implementation and sustainability of this evidence-based approach. Specific Aims
include extensive formative research on the use, interest, and effectiveness of interactive
multimedia approaches for promoting PA, and its integration into senior living settings. A
working prototype will be developed and tested for usability with ILF residents and
administrators, and seniors not residing in ILFs. Outcomes will establish the feasibility of
producing and testing STEP for LIFE in a large-scale randomized trial. A larger trial can
inform 1) future translation of PA promotion to other OA residential settings (e.g., assisted
living, memory care, rural settings), and 2) sustainable implementation strategies for other
evidence-based health promotion protocols for seniors.
Independent Living Facility (ILF) Resident Inclusion Criteria:
- 55 years of age or older
- live in an ILF
- able tor read and speak English
- able to consent to participate
- exercise 60 min or more a week (self-reported)
ILF Resident Exclusion Criteria:
- under 55 years of age
- not live in an ILF
- unable to read and speak English
- unable to consent to participate
- exercise less than 60 minutes (self-reported)
Non-ILF Resident Inclusion Criteria:
- 55 years of age or older
- not live in an ILF
- able to read and speak English
- able to consent to participate
- exercise 60 min or more a week (self-reported)
Non-ILF Resident Exclusion Criteria:
- under 55 years of age
- live in an ILF
- unable to read and speak English
- unable to consent to participate
- exercise less than 60 minutes (self-reported)
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