Supporting physical activity for mobility in older adults with mobility limitations (SuPA Mobility): study protocol...

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Public Health
• Behavioral Science

Background:

• Limited mobility in older adults is a significant predictor of morbidity and mortality.
• Mobility disability rates increase substantially with age, affecting over 20% of adults over 65.
• Effective interventions are needed to prevent mobility limitations and increase physical activity in this population.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the effect of a physical activity health coaching intervention on mobility in older adults with mobility limitations.
• To determine if health coaching can increase physical activity participation to a dose of 50 minutes per week.
• To improve the quality of life for older adults by addressing mobility challenges.

Main Methods:

• A randomized controlled trial involving 290 community-dwelling older adults (aged 70-89) with mobility limitations.
• Comparison of a physical activity health coaching intervention against a general healthy aging education program.
• Intervention delivered by trained coaches using behavior change techniques over 26 weeks, with a 26-week follow-up.

Main Results:

• The study will assess mobility using the Short Physical Performance Battery.
• It aims to demonstrate a significant improvement in mobility in the health coaching group compared to the control group.
• The intervention is designed to encourage a specific dose of moderate-intensity physical activity.

Conclusions:

• Limited mobility significantly impacts the quality of life for older adults.
• This trial is novel in using health coaching to implement a known effective dose of physical activity for mobility improvement.
• The findings are expected to inform widely deliverable interventions for older adults.