WEBSITE EVALUATION OF COMMUNITY-BASED EXERCISE PROGRAMS FOR PEOPLE WITH PHYSICAL DISABILITIES IN A LARGE URBAN AREA

M. Browne¹, N. Da Rosa¹, M. Guo¹, M. Loukides¹, B. St. Peters¹, A. Sze¹, K. Alsbury², N.M. Salbach^1,2,3, G. Aravind^1,4

Background: Web-based information is important for facilitating the participation of individuals with physical disabilities in community-based exercise programs (CBEPs) to enable self-management of health.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the availability of website information regarding CBEPs for individuals with physical disabilities and the availability of CBEPs in a large urban area.

Methods: We used multiple Google search methods to identify websites of CBEPs designed for individuals with physical disabilities in the General Toronto Area (GTA). The GTA is a large urban area in Canada with 5 regions: Toronto (pop. 2,731,571), Peel (pop. 1,381,739), York (pop. 1,109,909), Durham (pop. 645,862), and Halton (pop. 548,435). Population values were obtained from Statistics Canada. Following piloting and training, six authors used a standardized form to evaluate the availability (based on pre-determined criteria) and nature of website information for 14 characteristics identified in the literature as important to potential participants. Characteristics included:
1) program eligibility;
2) cost;
3) facility accessibility;
4) transportation;
5) parking;
6) goal of the program;
7) type of exercise;
8) healthcare professional involvement;
9) caregiver involvement;
10) schedule;
11) referral;
12) screening;
13) registration; and
14) contact information.
CBEP availability was estimated by calculating the number of CBEPs per 500,000 people.

Results: Of the 93 websites identified, 4.3% described 10-14 characteristics, 81.7% presented information on 5-9 characteristics, and 14.0% described 0-4 characteristics. The three characteristics most frequently described were contact information (96.8%), program eligibility (92.5%) and goal of the program (75.3%). The three characteristics least frequently described were involvement of healthcare professionals (25.8%), the need for referral to participate in the program (19.4%), and the option for caregivers/assistants to attend the program with participants (4.3%). Only 20.4% of websites specified the minimum level of function required to participate. Of the 83 condition-specific CBEPs, 58.9%, 10.8%, and 9.6% targeted people with musculoskeletal, neurological, and cardio-respiratory conditions, respectively. Across 52 CBEPs describing type of exercise, 69.2% included practicing functional exercises either alone or combined with resistance and/or aerobic exercise. The Halton region in the GTA had the highest number of CBEPs per 500,000 (11.8) while Peel had the lowest (3.6). 

Conclusion(s): Few websites provide comprehensive information that can help people with physical disabilities decide to participate CBEPs. Although the majority provide eligibility information related to diagnosis, less than a quarter of CBEPs describe the level of physical function required to participate, even though the exercises commonly involve practice of functional activities. The GTA region with the lowest population, had the highest density of CBEPs available.

Implications: Study findings can be used to guide recreation providers to improve website design to facilitate participation in CBEPs targeting people with physical disabilities. Results will help to inform future research to prioritize the importance of web-based CBEP characteristics and determine the optimal density of CBEPs for urban areas.

Funding, acknowledgements: This work was supported by a personnel award from the Heart & Stroke Foundation.

Keywords: community exercise programs, web-based information, physical disability

Topic: Health promotion & wellbeing/healthy ageing/physical activity

Did this work require ethics approval? No

Institution: University of Toronto

Committee: Health Sciences

Reason: Data collected were publicly available on websites.