Implementation of a co-designed physical activity program for older adults: positive impact when delivered at scale

• DOI: 10.1186/s12889-018-6210-2
• Publication Date: 2018-11-23T11:37:47Z
• Authors: Heather McKay; Lindsay Nettlefold; Adrian Bauman; Christa Hoy; Samantha M. Gray; Erica Lau; Joanie Sims-Gould
• Keywords: Biostatistics; Christian ministry

Despite 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 meet recommended To influence population health, interventions that are effective in small trials must be disseminated at scale. evidence for efficacy, few PA scaled up to reach wider community. 2015, British Columbia (BC) Ministry Health released a strategy where were identified as priority. partnership Ministry, Active Aging Research Team co-created promotion program called Choose Move (CTM). CTM will implemented three phases increasingly greater scale across BC. The objective this study is evaluate effectiveness during Phase I (pilot) and II (initial up) on PA, mobility, social connectedness BC, Canada.We used type 2 hybrid effectiveness-implementation design, herein focus effectiveness. implementation evaluation published companion paper elsewhere. Two community delivery partner organizations delivered 56 programs 26 large urban locations Outcome measurement occurred 0 (baseline), 3 (mid-intervention) 6 (post-intervention) months. We collected survey data from all participants (n = 458; province-wide) also conducted subset 209).PA increased significantly intervention phase (baseline-3 months) younger (60-74 yrs.; + 1.6 days/week; p < 0.001) (≥75 1.0 participants. increase was sustained months only, who remained more than baseline (+ 1.4 0.001). Social exclusion indicators declined group. Mobility strength improved group, both groups months.CTM adopted central tenets science consider complicated systems improve public health. iteration we demonstrate partner-based can effectively settings enhance mobility adults.