The effect of a buddy-style intervention on physical activity in community-dwelling older adults with disabilities: A 24-week follow-up of a randomized controlled trial

Abstract

Objective

To assess the sustained effects of a buddy-style intervention aiming to improve physical activity.

Design

A parallel-group, open-label, randomized controlled trial.

Setting

Three adult day-care centers.

Participants

Sixty-five community-dwelling older adults with disabilities.

Intervention

All participants received a 12-week home-based exercise program. An intervention group (n = 33) received a 5–10 min buddy-style intervention once a week at an adult day-care center for older adults.

Main measures

The primary outcome was the average daily time spent performing “walking outside home” and “muscle strength exercises” at 24 weeks follow-up post-intervention.

Results

Of the 65 participants, one participant in each group dropped out before the program began, 4 and 5 in the intervention and control groups by the 12-week assessment, and 4 and 3 by the 24-week assessment, respectively. Analysis of covariance of the 47 participants who were able to be assessed after 24 weeks revealed that outdoor walking time (min/day) was significantly longer in the intervention group (n = 24) than in the control group (n = 23) at 24 weeks (intervention group, 73.5 [66.1]; control group, 42.7 [45.5]; P = 0.030, f = 0.38). There was no significant difference in the duration of muscle strength exercises (min/day) between the two groups at 24 weeks (intervention group, 8.2 [9.7]; control group, 6.5 [9.3]; P = 0.593, f = 0.08).

Conclusions

The buddy-style intervention increased the duration of outdoor walking, with a sustained effect up to 12 weeks after the end of the intervention.