Changes in Physical Activity in Community-dwelling Older Adults Associated With the Matter of Balance Volunteer Lay Leader Model Program
Public Deposited- Last Modified
- March 22, 2019
- Creator
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Palmer, Walter E.
- Affiliation: School of Medicine, Department of Allied Health Sciences
- Abstract
- Physical inactivity among older adults is a major public health problem associated with higher health costs and a variety of negative health outcomes. The Matter of Balance / Volunteer Lay Leader Model (MOB/VLL) program is specifically designed to reduce the fear of falling and increase activity levels among older adults. The purpose of this study was to assess changes in physical activity (PA) and fear of falling (FOF) among MOB/VLL participants. A MOB cohort (n = 56) completed a survey before and after participating in a MOB/VLL class. The survey included demographic, health, and falls information, along with the Rapid Assessment of Physical Activity scale (RAPA), the Activities-specific Balance Confidence scale (ABC), Fear of Falling Avoidance Behavior Questionnaire (FFABQ), Self-Efficacy for Increased Physical Activity scale (SEIPA), and the Outcome Expectations for Increased Physical Activity scale (OEIPA). A Community cohort (n = 23) was recruited from a local senior center to complete the same survey on two occasions, four weeks apart (no intervention). These subjects also wore step counters for seven days at baseline and again four weeks later. In the MOB cohort, paired samples t-tests assessed changes in ABC, RAPA1, and the MOB-PA scores from baseline to follow-up. Pearson's r correlations were calculated between MOB-PA and RAPA1 scores at baseline and follow-up for both cohorts. A linear regression model for change from baseline to follow-up in RAPA1 score was developed with age, gender, race, sessions attended, ABC, RAPA1, MOB-PA, SEIPA, OEIPA, and FFABQ entered simultaneously. No evidence was found for an intervention effect of MOB/VLL class participation on PA levels or FOF. No evidence for the construct validity of the MOB-PA, as measured against the RAPA1, was found in the MOB cohort. In the MOB cohort, only baseline RAPA1 score was predictive of post-intervention change in RAPA1 score. These findings, coupled with the levels and distributions of the RAPA1 and ABC scores, suggest that the program may not be effective in increasing PA, or older adults who might benefit most from the MOB/VLL program are not being enrolled.
- Date of publication
- December 2013
- DOI
- Resource type
- Rights statement
- In Copyright
- Advisor
- Mercer, Vicki S.
- Degree
- Doctor of Philosophy
- Degree granting institution
- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
- Graduation year
- 2013
- Language
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