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Volume 99, Issue 2 (February 2009)
Susan L. Hughes, Rachel B. Seymour, Richard T. Campbell, Nancy Whitelaw, and Terry Bazzarre Best-Practice Physical Activity Programs for Older Adults: Findings From the National Impact Study. American Journal of Public Health: February 2009, Vol. 99, No. 2, pp. 362-368.
doi: 10.2105/AJPH.2007.131466

Accepted on: Jun 9, 2008

Best-Practice Physical Activity Programs for Older Adults: Findings From the National Impact Study

Susan L. Hughes, DSW, Rachel B. Seymour, PhD, Richard T. Campbell, PhD, Nancy Whitelaw, PhD, and Terry Bazzarre, PhD

Susan L. Hughes, Rachel B. Seymour, and Richard T. Campbell are with the School of Public Health and the Center for Research on Health and Aging, Institute for Health Research and Policy, University of Illinois, Chicago. Nancy Whitelaw is with the National Council on Aging, Washington, DC. Terry Bazzarre is with The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Princeton, NJ.

Request for reprints should be sent to Susan L. Hughes, Center for Research on Health and Aging, Institute for Health Research and Policy, University of Illinois at Chicago, 1747 W. Roosevelt Road, Room 558, Chicago, IL 60608 (e-mail: ).

Peer Reviewed

Note. The findings and conclusions in this report are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the National Council on Aging or other institutions with which the authors are affiliated.

Contributors

S. L. Hughes supervised all aspects of study implementation and led the writing of the article. R. B. Seymour assisted with the study and completed the analyses. R. T. Campbell assisted with the study and supervised the analyses. T. Bazzarre and N. Whitelaw helped originate the study. All authors helped to interpret findings and review drafts of the article.



ABSTRACT

Objectives. We assessed the impact of existing best-practice physical activity programs for older adults on physical activity participation and health-related outcomes.

Methods. We used a multisite, randomized trial with 544 older adults (mean age 66 years) and measures at baseline, 5, and 10 months to test the impact of a multiple-component physical activity program compared with results for a control group that did not participate in such a program.

Results. For adults who participated in a multiple-component physical activity program, we found statistically significant benefits at 5 and 10 months with regard to self-efficacy for exercise adherence over time (P < .001), adherence in the face of barriers (P = .01), increased upper- and lower-body strength (P = .02, P = .01), and exercise participation (P = .01).

Conclusions. Best-practice community-based physical activity programs can measurably improve aspects of functioning that are risk factors for disability among older adults. US public policy should encourage these inexpensive health promotion programs.