Exercise Adherence, Geriatric
Conditions
Brief summary
Exercise is an effective treatment modality for many chronic conditions. The effectiveness of prescribed exercise can be limited by adherence to exercise programmes. Older people are more likely to have a long term, or multiple long term conditions, for which exercise is a treatment option. The investigators know that exercise engagement after discharge from hospital or physiotherapy is poor in older people. In addition to this there may be specific factors that affect exercise adherence in older people. Exercise adherence interventions can be viewed as behaviour change interventions, as their aim is to change the behaviour of the patient. However many interventions lack theoretical underpinning. This study will test the feasibility of a brief behavioural assessment underpinned by the COM-B behaviour change model, in addition to targeted adherence approaches based on that assessment. Participants will be randomised between usual care, and the behavioural assessment intervention arm. Adherence to the exercise programme given in physiotherapy will be recorded in both groups at 6 and 12 weeks. Feasibility of recruitment, retention and acceptability of the intervention will also be assessed. A subsection of participants will also take part in a qualitative interview, this will explore participants experience of the trial intervention, in addition to the participants experience of attempting to adhere to an exercise programme.
Detailed description
The design of this study, is a a two arm feasibility randomised controlled trial. Participants will be randomised between usual care, or the intervention arm which will consist of a brief behavioural assessment and recommended adherence strategies based on the outcome of the assessment. A sub sample of the population will undergo a qualitative interview to assess acceptability of the intervention Potential research participants will be invited to take part in the study with an invitation letter, along with the PIS and a reply slip. These will be sent out with information about their physiotherapy appointment, which they would normally receive. After time to consider the study and ask any questions, if participants are happy to take part, an appointment will be made to take consent and collect baseline measures. This will take place at the Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre, if possible just prior to their physiotherapy appointment in order to limit disturbance to the participant. If this is not possible the appointment to collect consent and baseline data will be at a time convenient to the patient. At this appointment, signed consent will be recorded and baseline data collected. This will involve the participants completing some questionnaires. Treatment allocation will be decided on the basis of the physiotherapist the participant is seeing. (Before the start of the study all physiotherapist taking part in the study will be randomly assigned to deliver either usual care or the intervention arm). Those participants in usual care will undergo physiotherapy as normal, the only additional thing they will be asked to do, is to complete an exercise diary for up to 12 weeks. Those in the intervention arm will be asked to complete 4 short questions related to exercise and treatment expectations. These will be completed in the waiting room prior to the physiotherapy appointment. The participant will be assessed and given treatment as normal in physiotherapy. After they have been given an exercise programme as part of their treatment, they will be asked to complete a further 7 short questions related to the exercise programme, and their motivation and intention to undertake it. On the basis of the answers to these questions and also in addition to any discussion with the physiotherapists, one or more adherence approaches may be suggested. The approaches are 'review of exercise programme', 'review of method of delivery', 'cues', 'reminders', 'discussion of barriers and problem solving', 'motivational interviewing', 'decision balance sheets', 'behavioural contract' and 'goal setting review'. The participants in the intervention group will also be asked to complete an exercise diary for up to 12 weeks. Participants in both groups will be followed up at 6 weeks and 12 weeks after their initial physiotherapy appointment. the follow appointment will consist of completing some questionnaires and to collect exercise diaries (12 week follow up). For the majority of participants this will be the end of the study. However a small sub-sample of participant will be invited to take part in an interview. This will last no longer than 1 hour, and will aim to explore the views of participants regarding the study, and also about trying to stick to an exercise programme. Participants will be given time to consider taking part in this additional interview, and will be asked to provide signed consent. Once they have finished the interview, they will be finished in the study.
Interventions
Before their physiotherapy appointment participants will be given four short questions to answer. Following this the participant will be assessed as normal. As part of the treatment they will be given an exercise programme as standard within physiotherapy. Following this participants will be asked to answer a further seven short questions; depending on the answers to both sets of questions, and on any discussion based on the answers, the physiotherapist will suggest one or more adherence approaches from a list of suggestions. These are; Review of exercise programme; Review of method of delivery; Cues or prompts; Discussion of barriers and problem solving; Motivational interviewing, Decision balance sheets; Behavioural contract; Goal setting review; Monitoring telephone call; Reminders.
Participants in usual care will attend physiotherapy sessions as they would have had they not been in the trial.These sessions will include assessment and treatment approaches as given as part of routine care, without including the intervention described above for the 'exercise adherence intervention' arm
Sponsors
Study design
Intervention model description
Participants will be randomised between usual care or the intervention arm which will consist of a brief behavioural assessment and recommended adherence strategies based on the outcome of the assessment. A sub sample of the population will undergo a qualitative study to assess acceptability of the intervention.
Eligibility
Inclusion criteria
* Participant is willing and able to give informed consent for participation in the study * Male or Female, aged 65 years or above * Referred to physiotherapy with a musculoskeletal problem * Able to converse in and read English
Exclusion criteria
* Any comorbidity that precludes exercising such as unstable angina, or acute illness * Dementia or cognitive impairment precluding the ability to follow an exercise programme * Patients referred to physiotherapy for post-surgery rehabilitation
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Self-reported Adherence | 12 weeks | This is a self-report scale ranging from 0-10, where patient will be asked to rate their adherence over the previous twelve weeks, ranging from 0 = 'no exercises performed' to 10 = 'all exercise performed as instructed' |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Exercise Diary | 12 weeks | This diary will have been completed post physiotherapy, recording the number, sets and reps of exercises that the patient has been undertaken. |
| Global Rating of Change | 6 weeks and 12 weeks | This is the participants' perception of their change since their initial appointment; possible scores range from -3 = 'very much worse', -2 = 'much worse', -1 = 'a little worse', 0 = 'about the same/no difference', 1 = 'a little better', 2 = 'much better', 3 = 'very much better'. Higher scores indicate a better outcome. |
| Physical Activity Scale for the Elderly (PASE) | 6 weeks and 12 weeks | The Physical Activity Scale for the Elderly is a physical activity self-report questionnaire that takes around 5-10 minutes to complete. Different activities have been weighted as assigned by the developers of the scale. The total score for PASE is calculated by multiplying the time spent undertaking an activity by it's respective weigh. Scores range from 0 to 360, with higher scores equating to more physical activity. |
| Exercise Adherence Rating Scale (EARS) | 6 weeks and 12 weeks | The Exercise Adherence Rating Scale is a 6 item self-report questionnaire, that asks people to record the answer to 6 question on exercise adherence, on a 5 point Likert scale. Each question is scored 0 to 4 (0 - completely agree to 4 - completely disagree), however questions 1,4 and 6 are reverse scored (4 - completely agree to 0 - completely disagree). The total score can range from 0-24. A higher score equals better adherence. |
| Self-Efficacy for Exercise Scale | 6 weeks and 12 weeks | The Self-Efficacy for Exercise Scale is a self-report scale that measures self-efficacy expectations to continue to exercise in the face of barriers to exercise. It consists of 9 questions each scored from 0 to 10, this gives a total score range of 0 to 90. A higher score indicates higher self-efficacy for exercise. |
| Exercise Regulations Questionnaire (BREQ-3) | 6 weeks and 12 weeks | This self-report questionnaire measures motivation for exercise, it measures forms of intrinsic and extrinsic regulation of exercise behaviour. It consists of 24 questions, each question is scored from 0 to 4, these scores can be summed to give various subscale scores, or all questions can be used by summing scores and multiplying by its subscores weighing to obtain the relative autonomy index (RAI) score. The RAI score can range from -24 to 24. A higher score indicating greater relative autonomy and a lower score indicating more controlled regulation. higher scores indicates more relative automony, and lower scores a more controlled regulation. |
| VAS Self-rated Capacity to Exercise, Confidence to Exercise and Motivation to Exercise | 6 weeks and 12 weeks | Participants will be asked to rate their perceived capacity, confidence and motivation to exercise on a scale of 0-10, where 0 is no capacity/confidence/motivation' and 10 is maximum capacity/confidence/motivation |
| EQ 5D 5L | 6 weeks and 12 weeks | This self-report questionnaire is a measure of health-related quality of life. Scores for each question range from 1 to 5, these scores are converted to an index value ranging from -0.5940 to 1.0000, a higher score indicating a better health state |
Countries
United Kingdom
Participant flow
Participants by arm
| Arm | Count |
|---|---|
| Usual Care The usual care arm will consist of routine physiotherapy treatment, without the intervention.
Usual Care: Participants in usual care will attend physiotherapy sessions as they would have had they not been in the trial.These sessions will include assessment and treatment approaches as given as part of routine care, without including the intervention described above for the 'exercise adherence intervention' arm | 26 |
| Exercise Adherence Intervention The intervention arm will consist of a brief behavioural assessment and recommended adherence strategies based on the outcome of the assessment.
Exercise adherence intervention: Before their physiotherapy appointment participants will be given four short questions to answer. Following this the participant will be assessed as normal. As part of the treatment they will be given an exercise programme as standard within physiotherapy. Following this participants will be asked to answer a further seven short questions; depending on the answers to both sets of questions, and on any discussion based on the answers, the physiotherapist will suggest one or more adherence approaches from a list of suggestions. These are; Review of exercise programme; Review of method of delivery; Cues or prompts; Discussion of barriers and problem solving; Motivational interviewing, Decision balance sheets; Behavioural contract; Goal setting review; Monitoring telephone call; Reminders. | 21 |
| Total | 47 |
Withdrawals & dropouts
| Period | Reason | FG000 | FG001 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall Study | Lost to Follow-up | 1 | 0 |
Baseline characteristics
| Characteristic | Usual Care | Exercise Adherence Intervention | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age, Categorical <=18 years | 0 Participants | 0 Participants | 0 Participants |
| Age, Categorical >=65 years | 26 Participants | 21 Participants | 47 Participants |
| Age, Categorical Between 18 and 65 years | 0 Participants | 0 Participants | 0 Participants |
| Age, Continuous | 74.58 years STANDARD_DEVIATION 7.05 | 74.10 years STANDARD_DEVIATION 6.2 | 74.36 years STANDARD_DEVIATION 6.62 |
| Physical Activity Scale for the Elderly (PASE) | 137.61 units on a scale STANDARD_DEVIATION 82.67 | 112.50 units on a scale STANDARD_DEVIATION 70.08 | 126.38 units on a scale STANDARD_DEVIATION 82.67 |
| Race and Ethnicity Not Collected | — | — | 0 Participants |
| Region of Enrollment United Kingdom | 26 participants | 21 participants | 47 participants |
| Self-efficacy for exercise scale | 64.69 units on a scale STANDARD_DEVIATION 21.52 | 59.14 units on a scale STANDARD_DEVIATION 19.43 | 62.21 units on a scale STANDARD_DEVIATION 20.58 |
| Self-rated capacity to exercise | 6.77 units on a scale STANDARD_DEVIATION 2.47 | 6.48 units on a scale STANDARD_DEVIATION 2.66 | 6.64 units on a scale STANDARD_DEVIATION 2.53 |
| Self-rated confidence to exercise | 7.35 units on a scale STANDARD_DEVIATION 2.56 | 6.48 units on a scale STANDARD_DEVIATION 2.58 | 6.96 units on a scale STANDARD_DEVIATION 2.58 |
| Self-rated motivation to exercise | 7.85 units on a scale STANDARD_DEVIATION 2.54 | 7.29 units on a scale STANDARD_DEVIATION 2.43 | 7.60 units on a scale STANDARD_DEVIATION 2.48 |
| Sex: Female, Male Female | 17 Participants | 13 Participants | 30 Participants |
| Sex: Female, Male Male | 9 Participants | 8 Participants | 17 Participants |
| Tilburg Frailty Indicator | 5.04 units on a scale STANDARD_DEVIATION 3.34 | 4.86 units on a scale STANDARD_DEVIATION 3.41 | 4.96 units on a scale STANDARD_DEVIATION 2.84 |
Adverse events
| Event type | EG000 affected / at risk | EG001 affected / at risk |
|---|---|---|
| deaths Total, all-cause mortality | 0 / 26 | 0 / 21 |
| other Total, other adverse events | 0 / 26 | 0 / 21 |
| serious Total, serious adverse events | 0 / 26 | 0 / 21 |
Outcome results
Self-reported Adherence
This is a self-report scale ranging from 0-10, where patient will be asked to rate their adherence over the previous twelve weeks, ranging from 0 = 'no exercises performed' to 10 = 'all exercise performed as instructed'
Time frame: 12 weeks
| Arm | Measure | Group | Value (MEAN) | Dispersion |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Usual Care | Self-reported Adherence | 6 weeks | 6.77 score on a scale | Standard Deviation 2.86 |
| Usual Care | Self-reported Adherence | 12 weeks | 6.60 score on a scale | Standard Deviation 3 |
| Exercise Adherence Intervention | Self-reported Adherence | 6 weeks | 7.35 score on a scale | Standard Deviation 3 |
| Exercise Adherence Intervention | Self-reported Adherence | 12 weeks | 7.10 score on a scale | Standard Deviation 2.77 |
EQ 5D 5L
This self-report questionnaire is a measure of health-related quality of life. Scores for each question range from 1 to 5, these scores are converted to an index value ranging from -0.5940 to 1.0000, a higher score indicating a better health state
Time frame: 6 weeks and 12 weeks
Population: Numbers analysed different at 6 and 12 weeks due to sections of questionnaires not completed by 2 participants
| Arm | Measure | Group | Value (MEAN) | Dispersion |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Usual Care | EQ 5D 5L | 6 weeks | 0.632308 units on a scale | Standard Deviation 0.149925 |
| Usual Care | EQ 5D 5L | 12 weeks | 0.645892 units on a scale | Standard Deviation 0.1544202 |
| Exercise Adherence Intervention | EQ 5D 5L | 6 weeks | 0.618553 units on a scale | Standard Deviation 0.2104626 |
| Exercise Adherence Intervention | EQ 5D 5L | 12 weeks | 0.600624 units on a scale | Standard Deviation 0.3110265 |
Exercise Adherence Rating Scale (EARS)
The Exercise Adherence Rating Scale is a 6 item self-report questionnaire, that asks people to record the answer to 6 question on exercise adherence, on a 5 point Likert scale. Each question is scored 0 to 4 (0 - completely agree to 4 - completely disagree), however questions 1,4 and 6 are reverse scored (4 - completely agree to 0 - completely disagree). The total score can range from 0-24. A higher score equals better adherence.
Time frame: 6 weeks and 12 weeks
| Arm | Measure | Group | Value (MEAN) | Dispersion |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Usual Care | Exercise Adherence Rating Scale (EARS) | 6 weeks | 16.35 score on a scale | Standard Deviation 5.87 |
| Usual Care | Exercise Adherence Rating Scale (EARS) | 12 weeks | 15.64 score on a scale | Standard Deviation 6.6 |
| Exercise Adherence Intervention | Exercise Adherence Rating Scale (EARS) | 6 weeks | 18.25 score on a scale | Standard Deviation 5.82 |
| Exercise Adherence Intervention | Exercise Adherence Rating Scale (EARS) | 12 weeks | 17.38 score on a scale | Standard Deviation 6.78 |
Exercise Diary
This diary will have been completed post physiotherapy, recording the number, sets and reps of exercises that the patient has been undertaken.
Time frame: 12 weeks
Population: Some participants lost their diaries and did not return them at follow up, therefore 21 in usual care were analysis and 16 in the intervention arm were analysed.
| Arm | Measure | Value (MEAN) | Dispersion |
|---|---|---|---|
| Usual Care | Exercise Diary | 62.57 percentage of completed exercise | Standard Deviation 27.47 |
| Exercise Adherence Intervention | Exercise Diary | 77.21 percentage of completed exercise | Standard Deviation 18.33 |
Exercise Regulations Questionnaire (BREQ-3)
This self-report questionnaire measures motivation for exercise, it measures forms of intrinsic and extrinsic regulation of exercise behaviour. It consists of 24 questions, each question is scored from 0 to 4, these scores can be summed to give various subscale scores, or all questions can be used by summing scores and multiplying by its subscores weighing to obtain the relative autonomy index (RAI) score. The RAI score can range from -24 to 24. A higher score indicating greater relative autonomy and a lower score indicating more controlled regulation. higher scores indicates more relative automony, and lower scores a more controlled regulation.
Time frame: 6 weeks and 12 weeks
| Arm | Measure | Group | Value (MEAN) | Dispersion |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Usual Care | Exercise Regulations Questionnaire (BREQ-3) | 6 weeks | 9.27 units on a scale | Standard Deviation 8.36 |
| Usual Care | Exercise Regulations Questionnaire (BREQ-3) | 12 weeks | 8.56 units on a scale | Standard Deviation 9.4 |
| Exercise Adherence Intervention | Exercise Regulations Questionnaire (BREQ-3) | 6 weeks | 11.55 units on a scale | Standard Deviation 8.25 |
| Exercise Adherence Intervention | Exercise Regulations Questionnaire (BREQ-3) | 12 weeks | 9.71 units on a scale | Standard Deviation 8.31 |
Global Rating of Change
This is the participants' perception of their change since their initial appointment; possible scores range from -3 = 'very much worse', -2 = 'much worse', -1 = 'a little worse', 0 = 'about the same/no difference', 1 = 'a little better', 2 = 'much better', 3 = 'very much better'. Higher scores indicate a better outcome.
Time frame: 6 weeks and 12 weeks
| Arm | Measure | Group | Value (MEDIAN) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Usual Care | Global Rating of Change | 6 weeks | 1 units on a scale |
| Usual Care | Global Rating of Change | 12 weeks | 1 units on a scale |
| Exercise Adherence Intervention | Global Rating of Change | 6 weeks | 1 units on a scale |
| Exercise Adherence Intervention | Global Rating of Change | 12 weeks | 1 units on a scale |
Physical Activity Scale for the Elderly (PASE)
The Physical Activity Scale for the Elderly is a physical activity self-report questionnaire that takes around 5-10 minutes to complete. Different activities have been weighted as assigned by the developers of the scale. The total score for PASE is calculated by multiplying the time spent undertaking an activity by it's respective weigh. Scores range from 0 to 360, with higher scores equating to more physical activity.
Time frame: 6 weeks and 12 weeks
| Arm | Measure | Group | Value (MEAN) | Dispersion |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Usual Care | Physical Activity Scale for the Elderly (PASE) | 6 weeks | 132.96 score on a scale | Standard Deviation 70.75 |
| Usual Care | Physical Activity Scale for the Elderly (PASE) | 12 weeks | 132.45 score on a scale | Standard Deviation 70.86 |
| Exercise Adherence Intervention | Physical Activity Scale for the Elderly (PASE) | 6 weeks | 131.48 score on a scale | Standard Deviation 70.68 |
| Exercise Adherence Intervention | Physical Activity Scale for the Elderly (PASE) | 12 weeks | 137.14 score on a scale | Standard Deviation 98.57 |
Self-Efficacy for Exercise Scale
The Self-Efficacy for Exercise Scale is a self-report scale that measures self-efficacy expectations to continue to exercise in the face of barriers to exercise. It consists of 9 questions each scored from 0 to 10, this gives a total score range of 0 to 90. A higher score indicates higher self-efficacy for exercise.
Time frame: 6 weeks and 12 weeks
Population: At 12 weeks, 2 questionnaires had SEE left blank
| Arm | Measure | Group | Value (MEAN) | Dispersion |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Usual Care | Self-Efficacy for Exercise Scale | 6 weeks | 61.50 score on a scale | Standard Deviation 22.83 |
| Usual Care | Self-Efficacy for Exercise Scale | 12 weeks | 58.20 score on a scale | Standard Deviation 23.58 |
| Exercise Adherence Intervention | Self-Efficacy for Exercise Scale | 6 weeks | 61.00 score on a scale | Standard Deviation 22.07 |
| Exercise Adherence Intervention | Self-Efficacy for Exercise Scale | 12 weeks | 52.53 score on a scale | Standard Deviation 28.16 |
VAS Self-rated Capacity to Exercise, Confidence to Exercise and Motivation to Exercise
Participants will be asked to rate their perceived capacity, confidence and motivation to exercise on a scale of 0-10, where 0 is no capacity/confidence/motivation' and 10 is maximum capacity/confidence/motivation
Time frame: 6 weeks and 12 weeks
| Arm | Measure | Group | Value (MEAN) | Dispersion |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Usual Care | VAS Self-rated Capacity to Exercise, Confidence to Exercise and Motivation to Exercise | 12 weeks Capacity | 7.44 score on a scale | Standard Deviation 2.6 |
| Usual Care | VAS Self-rated Capacity to Exercise, Confidence to Exercise and Motivation to Exercise | 12 weeks confidence | 7.48 score on a scale | Standard Deviation 2.84 |
| Usual Care | VAS Self-rated Capacity to Exercise, Confidence to Exercise and Motivation to Exercise | 6 weeks Capacity | 7.85 score on a scale | Standard Deviation 2.05 |
| Usual Care | VAS Self-rated Capacity to Exercise, Confidence to Exercise and Motivation to Exercise | 6 weeks Motivation | 8.15 score on a scale | Standard Deviation 2.13 |
| Usual Care | VAS Self-rated Capacity to Exercise, Confidence to Exercise and Motivation to Exercise | 6 weeks Confidence | 8.00 score on a scale | Standard Deviation 2.26 |
| Usual Care | VAS Self-rated Capacity to Exercise, Confidence to Exercise and Motivation to Exercise | 12 weeks Motivation | 8.00 score on a scale | Standard Deviation 2.31 |
| Exercise Adherence Intervention | VAS Self-rated Capacity to Exercise, Confidence to Exercise and Motivation to Exercise | 12 weeks Motivation | 7.57 score on a scale | Standard Deviation 2.82 |
| Exercise Adherence Intervention | VAS Self-rated Capacity to Exercise, Confidence to Exercise and Motivation to Exercise | 6 weeks Capacity | 7.00 score on a scale | Standard Deviation 2.73 |
| Exercise Adherence Intervention | VAS Self-rated Capacity to Exercise, Confidence to Exercise and Motivation to Exercise | 12 weeks Capacity | 7.48 score on a scale | Standard Deviation 2.48 |
| Exercise Adherence Intervention | VAS Self-rated Capacity to Exercise, Confidence to Exercise and Motivation to Exercise | 6 weeks Confidence | 7.50 score on a scale | Standard Deviation 2.95 |
| Exercise Adherence Intervention | VAS Self-rated Capacity to Exercise, Confidence to Exercise and Motivation to Exercise | 12 weeks confidence | 7.48 score on a scale | Standard Deviation 2.84 |
| Exercise Adherence Intervention | VAS Self-rated Capacity to Exercise, Confidence to Exercise and Motivation to Exercise | 6 weeks Motivation | 8.05 score on a scale | Standard Deviation 2.54 |