G. Wallbank1, C. Sherrington1, L. Hassett1,2, D. Kwasnicka3,4,5, J.Y. Chau6, F. Martin7, P. Phongsavan8, A. Grunseit8, C. Canning2, M. Baird9, R. Shepherd2, A. Tiedemann1
1The University of Sydney and Sydney Local Health District, Institute for Musculoskeletal Health, Sydney, Australia, 2The University of Sydney, Discipline of Physiotherapy, Sydney, Australia, 3Curtin University, School of Public Health, Perth, Australia, 4SWPS University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Wrocław, Poland, 5University of Melbourne, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, Melbourne, Australia, 6Macquarie University, Department of Health Systems and Population, North Ryde, Australia, 7The University of Sydney, Department of Media and Communications, Sydney, Australia, 8The University of Sydney, Charles Perkins Centre, Sydney, Australia, 9The University of Sydney, Discipline of Work and Organisational Studies, Sydney, Australia
Background: Regular physical activity has a protective effect against chronic diseases, can enhance mobility and delay physical disability. Women in their middle age years face unique barriers to physical activity and need a supportive approach to adopt and sustain this health behaviour.
Purpose: This pilot trial established the acceptability, feasibility, and likely impact of the Active Women over 50 (AWo50) program on physical activity among women aged 50+.
Methods: Participants were community-dwelling women aged 50+ who were randomised to receive the online AWo50 program either immediately or after a 3-month delay (wait-list control). The AWo50 program is a 3-month physical activity behaviour change program informed by the integration of the Behaviour Change Wheel (incorporating the COM-B model of behaviour) and Self-Determination Theory. It includes access to the AWo50 website, 8 email or 24 SMS motivational-based messages, and 1 telephone health coaching session. Outcomes were acceptability (likelihood participants would recommend study participation to others at 3 months post-randomisation), feasibility (process indicators of study methods and intervention uptake at 3 months post-randomisation), and likely intervention impact (physical activity participation at baseline and 3 months post-randomisation).
Results: Sixty-two eligible participants (mean age 59.3±7.1 years) completed baseline measures and were randomised between May and September 2019. Most participants had ≥2 medical conditions (n=57,92%), were metropolitan living (n=52,84%), of English speaking background (n=54,87%), and had mean baseline physical activity 7459±2424 daily steps. Recruitment was predominantly by email (n=27, 48%), word of mouth (n=10,18%) and social media (n=10,18%). Fifty-two (84%) participants completed the acceptability outcome and 57(92%) participants completed feasibility and impact outcomes. Forty-three (83%) participants would recommend study participation to others. The AWo50 website was accessed by 28 participants in the first 3 months, who spent on average 6 minutes/session in 4.8 sessions. Most frequently viewed webpages were the “Home page”(22%), “How to be active”(13%) and “Getting started”(12%). Twenty-seven (90%) intervention participants elected to receive messages: 12(44%) via SMS and 15(56%) via email whereby 82% of all email messages were opened. Health coaching was received by 24(77%) intervention participants. Physical activity participation impact data are being analysed.
Conclusion(s): Women aged 50+ are motivated to participate in a program offering online information, regular messaging, and tailored health coaching to increase their physical activity. Participants’ high rate of recommending study participation, uptake of health coaching, and engagement with the website and messaging suggest the AWo50 program is acceptable and feasible. Further testing of the impact of the AWo50 program on physical activity outcomes in a fully powered RCT is warranted.
Implications: The remotely delivered AWo50 program is a scalable solution for the burden that physical inactivity places on individuals and on health systems. If found effective, the AWo50 program could be directly implemented within COVID19 restrictions at a population level, to reach women who are isolated or in broad range of socio-geographic contexts to support physical activity for healthy ageing and independence.
Funding, acknowledgements: Externally funded by a Charles Perkins Centre Active Ageing Research Node seed grant, The University of Sydney.
Keywords: exercise, eHealth, behaviour change
Topic: Health promotion & wellbeing/healthy ageing/physical activity
Did this work require ethics approval? Yes
Institution: The University of Sydney
Committee: Human Research Ethics Committee
Ethics number: 2019/075
All authors, affiliations and abstracts have been published as submitted.
