None listed
Conditions
Brief summary
We will conduct a cluster randomised trial (60 groups of older people) to evaluate two healthy ageing strategies among community-dwelling people who attend established community-based groups. The primary objective is to measure the effectiveness of: a) a physical activity and fall prevention intervention including telephone-based health coaching and written information on physical activity and falls over a 12 month period, and b) a nutrition intervention including telephone-based health coaching and written information on eating habits over 12 months. The trial also aims to establish the impact of the interventions on physical activity guideline adherence, eating habits, body mass index, goal attainment, mobility confidence, quality of life, fear of falling, risk taking behaviour, wellbeing and mood.
Interventions
Arm 1: Participants allocated to the physical activity and fall prevention intervention arm:
1. Will receive a printed booklet about physical activity and fall prevention for healthy ageing.
2. Will undergo an initial two-hour physiotherapy session (at home), in which:
a) A fall risk assessment will be conducted by a research physiotherapist. This will take approximately 10 minutes to complete and will include assessment of key fall risk factors such as balance, mobility, vision, medication use
Arm 1: Participants allocated to the physical activity and fall prevention intervention arm: 1. Will receive a printed booklet about physical activity and fall prevention for healthy ageing. 2. Will undergo an initial two-hour physiotherapy session (at home), in which: a) A fall risk assessment will be conducted by a research physiotherapist. This will take approximately 10 minutes to complete and will include assessment of key fall risk factors such as balance, mobility, vision, medication use and sensation. b) A fall prevention and physical activity plan will be jointly developed by the participant and the research therapist using a motivational interviewing approach. This will involve goal setting and developing strategies to maximise motivation and maintenance of increased physical activity and strategies to prevent falls. c) A pedometer-based activity monitor and feedback device will be provided to all participants by the research therapist who will also demonstrate its use. Participants will be able to choose a device which is able to connect to the internet (e.g. Fitbit activity tracker) or a simple pedometer that does not connect to the internet. 3. Participants will receive access to individual, telephone-based health coaching provided by the research physiotherapist. Each health coaching session will last for approximately 30 minutes and will focus on strategies for increasing physical activity and preventing falls, through behaviour modification and goal setting. Participants will be encouraged to access the service approximately once a fortnight for the first 6 months and then on a monthly basis for the remaining 6 months of the study, so the intervention period is one year in total. Access to this service will cease at the conclusion of the study. Adherence to the intervention will be monitored through records kept regarding the number of health coaching sessions completed and the number of steps taken as recorded by the internet-based activity tracker or by the steps recorded on a paper-based pedometer diary.
Sponsors
The George Institute for Global Health, Sydney Medical School, The University of Sydney
Study design
Allocation
Randomised controlled trial
Intervention model
Parallel
Primary purpose
Prevention
Masking
Blinded (masking used) (Investigator, Outcomes Assessor)
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
All
Age
60 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
Eligible participants will: Be aged 60 years and over; Live in a private dwelling or retirement village and; Regularly (at least once every two months) attend meetings or social events at the participating established community-based group
Exclusion criteria
People will be excluded if they: a) are already meeting the Australian Physical Activity Guidelines for older adults (operationalised as 30 minutes of moderate intensity physical activity five days a week assessed using the Incidental and Planned Exercise Questionnaire and have had a falls risk assessment and intervention program in the past year b) have a cognitive impairment (a diagnosis of dementia or a Memory Impairment Screen score of less than 5) c) have insufficient English language skills to fully participate in the program d) are unable to leave the house without physical assistance from another person or e) have a progressive neurological disease; or a medical condition precluding exercise
Outcome results
None listed