Dataset Information

Effects of Activity Tracker Use With Health Professional Support or Telephone Counseling on Maintenance of Physical Activity and Health Outcomes in Older Adults: Randomized Controlled Trial.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Despite a range of efforts to increase physical activity participation in Australia, inactivity levels in older adults have remained high over recent decades, contributing to increased rates of chronic health conditions. Lifestyle interventions, including telephone counseling (TC), improve physical activity participation and associated health outcomes over the short term; however, ongoing feedback and support is required to maintain these changes. Newer technologies such as wearable activity trackers (ATs) may offer an alternative method for providing ongoing support.

Objective

This study aims to investigate whether newer technologies such as wearable ATs assist in providing ongoing support to maintain physical activity levels and health outcomes.

Methods

Older adults aged >60 years who had just completed a 12-week face-to-face individualized community exercise program in Tasmania, Australia, participated in the study. They were randomized to receive AT, TC, or usual care (UC). All groups received a home exercise program and an optional referral to a community-based exercise program. The AT group also received an AT and text message feedback from an accredited exercise physiologist (AEP). The TC group received phone calls from an AEP throughout the 12-month intervention. The primary outcome was daily steps measured by an ActivPAL (TM) accelerometer at baseline and at 3, 6, and 12 months. Secondary outcome measures included body composition, blood pressure, 10-time sit-to-stand (TTSTS) test, timed up and go test, and cardiorespiratory fitness. This trial was approved by the Tasmanian Health and Medical Human Research Ethics Committee (H0014713).

Results

A total of 117 participants were randomized to the study (AT, n=37; TC, n=38; UC, n=42). At baseline, the participants (75/117, 64.1% female; mean age 72.4 years, SD 6.4) completed an average of 6136 steps (SD 2985) per day. Although there were no significant differences between groups, the TC and AT groups maintained daily step counts (mean difference [MD] -79 steps, 95% CI -823 to 663 steps; P=.81; and MD -588 steps, 95% CI -1359 to 182 steps; P=.09), and UC showed a reduction in daily steps (MD 981 steps, 95% CI -1668 to -294 steps; P=.003) during the 12-month period. Diastolic blood pressure was significantly higher after AT than after UC (MD 5.62 mm Hg, 95% CI 1.30 to 9.94 mm Hg; P=.01), and TTSTS was significantly slower on TC compared with UC (MD 2.36 seconds, 95% CI -0.14 to 4.87 seconds; P=.03).

Conclusions

The use of an AT with AEP support or TC is effective at maintaining daily step count in older adults over a 12-month period, suggesting that wearable ATs are as effective as TC. Further research to investigate which option is more cost-effective would be beneficial.

Trial registration

Australian New Zealand Clinical Trial Registry ACTRN12615001104549; https://www.anzctr.org.au/Trial/Registration/TrialReview.aspx?id=369118.

SUBMITTER: Brickwood KJ

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7815450 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

ACCESS DATA

Publications

Effects of Activity Tracker Use With Health Professional Support or Telephone Counseling on Maintenance of Physical Activity and Health Outcomes in Older Adults: Randomized Controlled Trial.

Brickwood Katie-Jane KJ Ahuja Kiran D K KDK Watson Greig G O'Brien Jane A JA Williams Andrew D AD

JMIR mHealth and uHealth 20210105 1

<h4>Background</h4>Despite a range of efforts to increase physical activity participation in Australia, inactivity levels in older adults have remained high over recent decades, contributing to increased rates of chronic health conditions. Lifestyle interventions, including telephone counseling (TC), improve physical activity participation and associated health outcomes over the short term; however, ongoing feedback and support is required to maintain these changes. Newer technologies such as we ...[more]

PMID: 33399541

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Project description:Background and objectives: There are studies showing that exercise counseled by health professionals can improve physical fitness. However, less is known about the effects of exercise counseling on quality of life. The aim of this study was to investigate health-related quality of life of older adults who received or did not receive physical exercise counseling by sport and exercise professionals or physicians. Materials and Methods: This was a cross-sectional study that investigated quality of life of older adults who did or did not receive exercise counseling from health professionals. Older adults who were physically active took part in this study: 45 participants performed exercise advised by sport and exercise professionals (SEPCG), 19 participants performed exercise advised by physicians (PCG), and 26 participants performed exercise without counseling (NCG). Participants answered the SF-36 to estimate quality of life. Results: Analysis revealed that responses on all SF-36 subscales were higher in those participants who received counseling by sport and exercise professionals (Functioning capacity, ? = -26.283, p < 0.001 and ? = -26.482, p < 0.001, Role limitations due to physical problems, ? = -43.372, p < 0.001 and ? = -45.177, p < 0.001, Pain, ? = -17.634, p < 0.001 and ? = -16.015, p < 0.001, General health perceptions, ? = -38.008, p < 0.001 and ? = -32.529, p < 0.001, Vitality, ? = -18.573, p < 0.001 and ? = -16.406, p = 0.001, Social functioning, ? = -37.963, p < 0.001 and ? = -29.224, p < 0.001, Role limitations due to emotional problems, ? = -52.246, p < 0.001 and ? = -40.173, p < 0.001, Mental health, ? = -17.381, p < 0.001 and ? = -12.121, p < 0.001, PCG and NCG respectively). Conclusions: The results showed that those older adults who were counseled by sport and exercise professionals presented better quality of life, possibly because these professionals counseled exercise based on current guidelines for exercise prescription.

Project description:BACKGROUND:As adults age, their physical activity decreases and sedentary behavior increases, leading to increased risk of negative health outcomes. Wearable electronic activity monitors have shown promise for delivering effective behavior change techniques. However, little is known about the feasibility and acceptability of non-Fitbit wearables (Fitbit, Inc, San Francisco, California) combined with telephone counseling among adults aged more than 55 years. OBJECTIVE:The purpose of our study was to determine the feasibility, acceptability, and effect on physical activity of an intervention combining a wearable physical activity monitor, tablet device, and telephone counseling among adults aged 55-79 years. METHODS:Adults (N=40, aged 55-79 years, body mass index=25-35, <60 min of activity per week) were randomized to receive a 12-week intervention or to a wait list control. Intervention participants received a Jawbone Up24 monitor, a tablet with the Jawbone Up app installed, and brief weekly telephone counseling. Participants set daily and weekly step goals and used the monitor's idle alert to notify them when they were sedentary for more than 1 h. Interventionists provided brief counseling once per week by telephone. Feasibility was measured using observation and study records, and acceptability was measured by self-report using validated items. Physical activity and sedentary time were measured using ActivPAL monitors following standard protocols. Body composition was measured using dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry scans, and fitness was measured using a 6-min walk test. RESULTS:Participants were 61.48 years old (SD 5.60), 85% (34/40) female, 65% (26/40) white. Average activity monitor wear time was 81.85 (SD 3.73) of 90 days. Of the 20 Up24 monitors, 5 were reported broken and 1 lost. No related adverse events were reported. Acceptability items were rated at least 4 on a scale of 1-5. Effect sizes for most outcomes were small, including stepping time per day (d=0.35), steps per day (d=0.26), sitting time per day (d=0.21), body fat (d=0.17), and weight (d=0.33). CONCLUSIONS:The intervention was feasible and acceptable in this population. Effect sizes were similar to the sizes found using other wearable electronic activity monitors, indicating that when combined with telephone counseling, wearable activity monitors are a potentially effective tool for increasing physical activity and decreasing sedentary behavior. TRIAL REGISTRATION:Clinicaltrials.gov NCT01869348; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01869348 (Archived by WebCite at http://www.webcitation.org/6odlIolqy).

Dataset Information

Effects of Activity Tracker Use With Health Professional Support or Telephone Counseling on Maintenance of Physical Activity and Health Outcomes in Older Adults: Randomized Controlled Trial.

Background

Objective

Methods

Results

Conclusions

Trial registration

Publications

Effects of Activity Tracker Use With Health Professional Support or Telephone Counseling on Maintenance of Physical Activity and Health Outcomes in Older Adults: Randomized Controlled Trial.

Similar Datasets

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