Tablet-based strength-balance training to motivate and improve adherence to exercise in independently living older people: part 2 of a phase II preclinical exploratory trial

• Published in: Journal of medical Internet research 2014-06, Vol.16 (6), p.e159-e159
• Main Authors: van Het Reve, Eva, Silveira, Patrícia, Daniel, Florian, Casati, Fabio, de Bruin, Eling D
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Analysis; Balance; Brochures; Collaboration; Compliance; Computers, Handheld; Educational Programs; Efficacy; Elderly; Elderly people; Exercise; Exercise Therapy; Falls; Female; Functional impairment; Gait; Gerontology; Goal setting; Health Problems; Health status; Home based; Humans; Illnesses; Inactive; Independent Living; Intervention; Interventions; Male; Mental health; Motivation; Older people; Original Paper; Physical Fitness; Postural Balance; Quality of Health Care; Social education; Social motivation; Social networks; Telemedicine; Training; Trials; Walking; Walking speed
• ISSN: 1438-8871; 1439-4456; 1438-8871
• DOI: 10.2196/jmir.3055

Home-based exercise programs can improve physical functioning and health status of elderly people. Successful implementation of exercise interventions for older people presents major challenges and supporting elderly people properly while doing their home-based exercises is essential for training success. We developed a tablet-based system-ActiveLifestyle-that offers older adults a home-based strength-balance training program with incorporated motivation strategies and support features. The goal was to compare 3 different home-based training programs with respect to their effect on measures of gait quality and physical performance through planned comparisons between (1) tablet-based and brochure-based interventions, (2) individual and social motivation strategies, and (3) active and inactive participants. A total of 44 autonomous-living elderly people (mean 75, SD 6 years) were assigned to 3 training groups: social (tablet guided, n=14), individual (tablet guided, n=13), and brochure (brochure guided, n=17). All groups joined a 12-week progressive home-based strength-balance training program. Outcome measures were gait performance under single and dual task conditions, dual task costs of walking, falls efficacy, and physical performance as measured by the Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB). Furthermore, active (≥75% program compliance) and inactive (