Dataset Information

Evaluation of a Novel Technology-Based Program Designed to Assess and Train Everyday Skills in Older Adults.

ABSTRACT:

Background and objectives

Performance of everyday activities is often challenging for older adults. We evaluated a novel computer-based functional skills assessment and training (CFSAT) program, which includes simulations of everyday tasks (e.g., money and medication management).

Research design and methods

The sample included noncognitively impaired (NC) older adults (n = 51) and cognitively impaired (CI) older adults (n = 43), who ranged in age from 60 to 86 years (M = 73.12; SD = 6.06), were primarily female (90%), and ethnically diverse (23% Hispanic, 51% African American). Participants (stratified by cognitive status) were randomized to 1 of the 2 conditions training alone (CFSAT) or CFSAT with computerized cognitive training and trained up to 24 training sessions. Task performance, using measures of completion time and efficiency (accuracy/completion time), was evaluated at baseline, the final training session, and immediately posttraining with an alternate form of the CFSAT assessment.

Results

Both NC and CI participants demonstrated significant performance improvements across all tasks following training (all ps < .001). The CI participants demonstrated reduced training gains compared to the NC participants (all ps < .001). Training gains did not vary as a function of training conditions.

Discussion and implications

The findings suggest that CFSAT is an efficacious program for assessing and training everyday task performance. CFSAT can ultimately be used as an intervention strategy to enhance functional independence for aging adults with and without cognitive impairments.

SUBMITTER: Czaja SJ

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7724569 | biostudies-literature | 2020

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Publications

Evaluation of a Novel Technology-Based Program Designed to Assess and Train Everyday Skills in Older Adults.

Czaja Sara J SJ Kallestrup Peter P Harvey Philip D PD

Innovation in aging 20201209 6

<h4>Background and objectives</h4>Performance of everyday activities is often challenging for older adults. We evaluated a novel computer-based functional skills assessment and training (CFSAT) program, which includes simulations of everyday tasks (e.g., money and medication management).<h4>Research design and methods</h4>The sample included noncognitively impaired (NC) older adults (<i>n</i> = 51) and cognitively impaired (CI) older adults (<i>n</i> = 43), who ranged in age from 60 to 86 years ...[more]

PMID: 33324761

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Project description:Population aging is a major concern worldwide. Active aging should be promoted by increasing the social participation of older adults and enabling them to remain involved in the community. Research has demonstrated the utility of digital resources for addressing the needs of older adults, which include networking, entertaining, and seeking health-related information. However, the digital divide among older adults (i.e., the "gray digital divide") is increasingly being recognized as a social problem that may be related to poor well-being. To obtain updated local data on the prevalence of Internet access and usage and their relationship with perceived well-being, we conducted telephone interviews with a random sample of 1018 older adults in Hong Kong from January to July 2021 (This research has received funding support from the Interdisciplinary Research Matching Scheme, Hong Kong Baptist University). We found that only 76.5% of the participants had Internet access at home, a mobile phone data plan, or both, whereas 36.3% had never used Internet services and 18.2% had no digital devices. A younger age, male gender, higher education level, living with others, and higher self-perceived social class were associated with material access to digital devices and everyday use of Internet services. Participants who accessed the Internet every day had higher levels of life satisfaction and self-rated physical and mental health than those who rarely or never used the Internet. Hierarchical multiple regression analysis revealed that digital skills were significantly associated with self-rated mental health even when controlling for demographic variables (including age, gender, education level, and self-perceived social class). This study contributes to the limited body of literature on the relationship between Internet use, digital skills, and perceived well-being. Our findings highlight the importance of addressing the digital divide even in cities with high penetration of information and communication technology, such as Hong Kong. We also discuss our insights into the use of timely interventions for older adults to address the gray digital divide.

Project description:BackgroundDespite known health benefits of physical activity (PA), older adults remain among the least physically active age group globally with 30-60% not meeting guidelines. In Canada, 87% do not meet recommended guidelines. To influence population health, interventions that are effective in small trials must be disseminated at scale. Despite evidence for efficacy, few PA interventions are scaled up to reach the wider community. In 2015, British Columbia (BC) Ministry of Health released a PA strategy where older adults were identified as a priority. In partnership with the Ministry, the Active Aging Research Team co-created a health promotion program called Choose to Move (CTM). CTM will be implemented in three phases at increasingly greater scale across BC. The objective of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of CTM during Phase I (pilot) and Phase II (initial scale up) on PA, mobility, and social connectedness among older adults in BC, Canada.MethodsWe used a type 2 hybrid effectiveness-implementation study design, and herein focus on effectiveness. The implementation evaluation will be published as a companion paper elsewhere. Two community delivery partner organizations delivered 56 CTM programs in 26 large and small urban locations across BC. Outcome measurement occurred at 0 (baseline), 3 (mid-intervention) and 6 (post-intervention) months. We collected survey data from all participants (n = 458; province-wide) and also conducted a subset evaluation (n = 209).ResultsPA increased significantly during the active intervention phase (baseline-3 months) in younger (60-74 yrs.; + 1.6 days/week; p < 0.001) and older (≥75 yrs.; + 1.0 days/week; p < 0.001) participants. The increase was sustained at 6 months in younger participants only, who remained significantly more active than at baseline (+ 1.4 days/week; p < 0.001). Social exclusion indicators declined significantly in the younger group. Mobility and strength improved significantly at 3 months in the younger group, and in both groups at 6 months.ConclusionsCTM adopted central tenets of implementation science that consider the complicated systems where interventions are delivered to improve public health. In this iteration of CTM we demonstrate that a partner-based health promotion intervention can be effectively implemented across settings to enhance PA, mobility and social connectedness in older adults.

Dataset Information

Evaluation of a Novel Technology-Based Program Designed to Assess and Train Everyday Skills in Older Adults.

Background and objectives

Research design and methods

Results

Discussion and implications

Publications

Evaluation of a Novel Technology-Based Program Designed to Assess and Train Everyday Skills in Older Adults.

Similar Datasets

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