Health promotion among elderly -
experiences from senior exercise groups
Health Promotion Research – An International Forum
6th - 9th August 2012
Randi Granbo, 9. 8.2012 St. Olavs University Hospita [email protected]
Definitions
Physical activity (PA)
– any bodily movements prodused by sceletal muscles that increases energy expenditure.
(Pate m.fl 1995)
Exercise - a subcategory of PA that is
– planned, structured and repetitive and
purposive in the sence that the improvement or maintenance of one or more components of physical fitness is the objective.
(Caspersen m.fl. 2005)
Physical activity-level in Norway
Physical Activity among Adults and Elders in Norway (2008-2009) Norwegian Directorate of Health
0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350
Physical Activity-level counts/min
20-64 65-69 70-74 75-79 > 80
Male Female
Assosiation between
Physical Activity and Health
An active lifestile helps to increase quality of life of older adults by preserving functional ability and independence across the lifespan
Schutzer et al (2004)
Participation and maintainance of regular
physical activity is one of the most important health behaviors in preventing the onset or reducing the severity of many chronic
diseases
US. Department of Health and Human
Services. Physical activity and health, 1996
Unique challenges are assosiated with
initiating and maintaining physical activity in the elderly
Schutzer et al., 2004
A model for translating research based knowledge into practice
Helbostad, Granbo, Vaskinn, 2005
Project: Preventing dysfunction and falls among older people (2005-2006).
Aim:
To develop locally driven exercise
groups for seniors in the municipality.
The target group:
People > 65 years (with gait instability, difficulties with outdoors mobility or who had experienced a fall the last year).
- A collaborative project between research and practice
Results from the pilot – project (2006)
Participants´ characteristics:
•average age: 78.2 years
•80 % females
•38 % had suffered a fall within the past year before entering the exercise group.
•90 % reported good health
•84 % reported fear of falling.
No improvements in SF-36, or Senior Fitness Test, but a reduction in fear of falling
Taraldsen et al 2010
Status Summer 2012 - 6 year follow –up
- 12 exercise groups
- 150 – 170 senior participants
- 7 instructors
Evaluation of the exercise groups for seniors in Trondheim
Questionnaire
(135 respondants)
Focus groups (3)
(17 senior informants)
Focus group (1)
(5 instructors)
Who are they?
135 respondants: 120 (89 %) females og 15 (11 %) males and the average age was 77, 8 år
Age
Total< 70 70 - 79 80 - 89 => 90 missing
Gender Male 1 2 12 0 15
(11 %)
Female 18 47 52 1 2 120
(89 %)
Total 19 49 64 1 2 135
Only 17 (12,6 %) of the seniors received any form of health services - safety alarm (12)
- personal or practical support (5)
How do they transport themselves to the exercise group ?
104 (77 %) take part in an exercice group near by their homes.
81 % of them report that they usually walk to the group.
16 (15 %) of the seniors live near by and transport themselves by car or go by car together with one of the other seniors in the group
0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160
Exellent Very good
Good Fairly good
Poorly Missing Total
Seniors N Seniors %
How they perceive their own state of health
Falls and fear of falling
30 % reported 1 or more falls during the last year (34 % of the seniors > 80 years)
%
not at all concerned a little concerned rather conserned very concerned missing
17 %
59 % 15 %
6 % 3 %
Durability of participation in exercise group
Almost 90 % of the these seniors have been exercising in the same group for more than 1 and 50 % for more than 3 years.
0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140
< 1 year 1 - 3 years 3 - 5 years > 5 years missing total
n
%
Motivation for partaking in an exercise group
Knowing someone already participating in an exercise group
I had a friend who participated in this group – and I noticed the advertisement in the newspaper, it was the invitation from my friend …. (female 83)
Support from family and friends
In the beginning I was ashamed not to manage the exercises, but then I
thought …this is a social setting and perhaps I can try it out a few times …and you (NN) encouraged me – of course you can, you said – it is so easy….
(female 80)
Identifying with the advertisement in the newspaper / poster
The advertisement spoke to me – do you worry about the winter – that was me!
(female 78)
Motivation for weekly exercising
Physical health and managing activities of daily living
Mental health
Social well-being
Physical health/activity of daily living and physical functioning
Getting older is a motivation in itself – as exercising can help us manage on our own longer …and for the balance and the strength in our legs. (female 88)
First of all it´s a nice thing to meet, and I struggle with my balance. I can´t say it has improved that much, but perhaps this helps in not making it any worse. (female 83)
The thing is, I feel much better. I can do so many more things, and my breathing has improved – something I experience walking up and down the stairs… I also appreciate the company it brings with it, and it is a really nice setting. (female 80)
Mental health
…before I used to trip all the time, and I suppose that had do with my balance. Now I´m happier, and it´s made me become more active. (female 83)
Meeting the group and exercising together makes you really happy. Participation in this group saves my day. Our mood improves and we shape up at the same time.
(female 84)
It also enlightens your mood. … Now the group has grown by three men, and that certainly adds a little something to the meetings
(female 83).
Social well-being
We started out just exercising together, then we all got to know each other better, so the social bit of the
session improved after some time
female 83
… in addition participating in an exercise
group lead to new acquaintances and in this way the group also have a social value….
male 67
