Comparison of a fall prevention exercise program offered online and in-person for older adults
Oral Presentation C14.6
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.14288/hfjc.v14i3.736Keywords:
Fall Prevention, Older Adults, Online DeliveryAbstract
Background: In some cases, older adults have limited access to community programs to reduce the risk of falls. Online delivery increases accessibility, but their effectiveness is unknown. Purpose: To compare an online and in-person delivery exercise program offered to older adults aiming to reduce risk of falls. Methods: The Zoomers on the Go program is a peer-led exercise program offered for 12 weeks, two times per week to adults age 50+. The program includes resistance exercise, balance, and flexibility. The in-person group completed the intervention in 2017-2018, while the online group did the intervention in 2020-2021. The primary outcomes were lower body strength (30-second chair stand), and the one leg stance balance (seconds). Results: A total of 100 participants (66.4 ± 7.4 years old) in the online group and 95 participants in the in-person group (67.1± 7.0 years old) attended 17.2 ± 5.9 and 16.2 ± 5.4 sessions (p=0.3). Participants in the in-person and online groups improved lower body strength (pre 14.4 ± 2.8, post 17.0 ± 4.16; p< 0.05 vs. pre 14.1 ± 4.3 post 17.5 ±5.08; p<0.05) without any difference between groups (p=0.08). While balance was significantly improved in the in-person group (pre 27.2 ± 14.7 post 32.4 ± 14.6; p <0.01) and not in the online group pre (36.5 ± 13.7 post 38.0 ± 12.5; p<0.03) the difference between the group was not significant. Conclusions: Online exercise program delivery improves physical function in older adults; however, their functional benefits appear to be similar to in-person delivery. Funding: Healthy Seniors Pilot Project- Public Health Agency of Canada.
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Copyright (c) 2021 Vanessa Pitre, Martin Sénéchal, Danielle R. Bouchard
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