Alexandre Mouton

Web-based interventions to promote physical activity by older adults: promising perspectives for a public health challenge

Regular physical activity is associated with a wide range of health benefits. As population age, promotion of physical activity should specifically target older adults, an expanding group involving potential higher health care costs in the near future. Innovative interventions focusing on physical activity behaviors of senior adults exposed promising results, most recently through the use of the Internet. If seniors and Internet are generally considered as two opposite concepts, arguments in favour of bringing them together in a public health perspective have been identified by the recent literature. Older adults are the fastest growing group of Internet users and are more prone than younger to use it for health-related subjects. Web-based interventions are effective in many health promotion sectors, including physical activity. This is particularly true when interventions target the environmental determinants of each senior citizen and are specifically designed for this population. Those early research findings must clearly be extended, particularly regarding to the long term effects of Web-based physical activity interventions. Solutions that will reduce the high dropout rate recorded in the existing literature must also be considered as a priority in order to ensure the development of this forward-looking field of research.

Efficacy of a web-based, center-based or combined physical activity intervention among older adults

With more social support and environment-centered interventions being recommended in web-based interventions, this study examined the efficacy of three intervention conditions aimed at promoting physical activity (PA) in older adults. The efficacy analyses included the self-reported PA level, stage of change for PA and awareness about PA among participants. Eligible participants (N = 149; M = 65 years old, SD = 6), recruited in a unique Belgian French-speaking municipality, were randomized in four research arms for a 3-month intervention: (i) web-based; (ii) center-based; (iii) mixed (combination of web- and center-based); and (iv) control (no intervention). Web-based condition included a PA website and monthly tailored emails whereas center-based condition comprised 12 sessions (1 per week) of group exercising. With a significant increase in PA, the PA stage of change and the PA awareness at 12 months, the mixed intervention condition seemed to include the key social and motivating elements for sustainable behavior change. Center-based intervention was more likely to produce significant improvements of the PA level and the stage of change for PA change whereas web-based intervention was more likely to extend the awareness about PA.

Physical Therapists' Knowledge, Attitudes, and Beliefs about Physical Activity: A Prerequisite to their Role in Physical Activity Promotion?

Background. The promotion of physical activity (PA) is widely recognized as a major component of the prevention and management of several chronic diseases. As experts in human movement, physical therapists (PTs) are logical agents for the promotion of PA. Nevertheless, to date only few studies have investigated factors that influence PA promotion. Objectives. This study aimed to analyze the relationships between physical therapist knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs about PA, and their own self‐reported PA promotion. Design. A sample of 185 PTs (male = 102) completed a cross‐sectional survey through an online questionnaire. It included 25 multiple choice, Likert scale, and open‐ended questions related to (1) personal characteristics, (2) knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs about PA, and (3) self‐reported PA promotion by PTs. A deductive and inductive content analysis of the open‐ended questions was also performed. Results. The questionnaire revealed that 99% of PTs agreed (n = 30) or completely agreed (n = 154) with the fact that they have to contribute to PA promotion in their patients. Significant correlations were found between physical therapist knowledge of the definition of PA, the benefits of PA, and their self‐reported PA promotion (0.251, P < .01 and 0.180, P < .05, respectively). Additional multivariate analysis of the predictors of the self‐reported PA promotion exposed significant univariate effects of knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs about PA (P < .01). Conclusion. Although the role of PTs in PA promotion seems evident, this survey underlines important misconceptions about PA within this group of health care professionals. Significant relationships between physical therapist knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs about PA and self‐reported promotion of PA highlight the need for physical therapist education programs to emphasize teaching the fundamentals of PA.

Effects of a giant exercising board game intervention on ambulatory physical activity among nursing home residents: a preliminary study

Purpose This study examined the effects of a giant (4×3 m) exercising board game intervention on ambulatory physical activity (PA) and a broader array of physical and psychological outcomes among nursing home residents. Materials and methods A quasi-experimental longitudinal study was carried out in two comparable nursing homes. Ten participants (aged 82.5±6.3 and comprising 6 women) meeting the inclusion criteria took part in the 1-month intervention in one nursing home, whereas 11 participants (aged 89.9±3.1 with 8 women) were assigned to the control group in the other nursing home. The giant exercising board game required participants to per-form strength, flexibility, balance and endurance activities. The assistance provided by an exercising specialist decreased gradually during the intervention in an autonomy-oriented approach based on the self-determination theory. The following were assessed at baseline, after the intervention and after a follow-up period of 3 months: PA (steps/day and energy expenditure/day with ActiGraph), cognitive status (mini mental state examination), quality of life (EuroQol 5-dimensions), motivation for PA (Behavioral Regulation in Exercise Questionnaire-2), gait and balance (Tinetti and Short Physical Performance Battery), functional mobility (timed up and go), and the muscular isometric strength of the lower limb muscles. Results and conclusion In the intervention group, PA increased from 2,921 steps/day at baseline to 3,358 steps/day after the intervention (+14.9%, P=0.04) and 4,083 steps/day (+39.8%, P=0.03) after 3 months. Energy expenditure/day also increased after the intervention (+110 kcal/day, +6.3%, P=0.01) and after 3 months (+219 kcal/day, +12.3%, P=0.02). Quality of life (P<0.05), balance and gait (P<0.05), and strength of the ankle (P<0.05) were also improved after 3 months. Such improvements were not observed in the control group. The preliminary results are promising but further investigation is required to confirm and evaluate the long-term effectiveness of PA interventions in nursing homes.