A Municipality Implemented Behavioural Intervention to Improve Quality of Life Among Older Adults

Summary

Ageing is associated with circadian rhythm sleep disorders, poor sleep at night, less physical activity and more time spent indoors, affecting the wellbeing of older adults. Their sleep and mood could benefit from daytime outdoor physical activity, exposure to daylight, better indoor lighting and sleep routines. However, maintaining or increasing one's physical activity can be challenging depending on individual behavioural conditions, e.g., having the physical and cognitive capacity (capability), finding the activity enjoyable and relevant to one's needs (motivation), and having a supportive social and physical environment (opportunity), such as a walk-friendly environment. To address these challenges, a complex behavioural intervention was developed. The intervention is delivered as a web-based course ('Light, activity and sleep in my daily life', LAS) that targets light-related behaviour, outdoor walking and sleep behaviour among community-dwelling older adults. This protocol describes a pilot case study aiming to evaluate the usability and usefulness of the LAS intervention, the intervention outcomes and whether changes to routines are sustained.

Eligible intervention participants (target N=40) are Swedish-speaking adults (≥ 70 years), living in one-person households in apartments in four municipalities. Participants complete questionnaires assessing intervention outcome measures (e.g., quality of life), are interviewed about their daily routines, and wear an accelerometer which tracks activity and rest at the baseline. Participants then enrol in a 9-week course, including self-studies at home and four physical meetings at the senior citizen meeting point. Baseline measures are repeated after the course, at 3, 6 and 10 months after baseline. In addition, participants evaluate the intervention's usability and usefulness after the course at 3 months and are interviewed at 6 months after baseline about perceived enablers and inhibitors to daytime outdoor walking.

Results will inform a subsequent larger case study focused on optimising the LAS intervention's content and delivery procedures to enable an intervention better integrated into municipal health promotion services/strategies. An anticipated long-term outcome is continued active ageing and independence.

Conditions

• Quality of Life

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

'Light, activity and sleep in my daily life' intervention

The intervention is complex in that it considers multiple factors (e.g., light-related behaviour, physical activity and sleep behaviour) and multiple components (e.g., cognitive goal setting and implementation). The intervention is delivered as a web-based course on a digital learning platform. Course material is placed in nine modules covering electric lighting, daylight, physical activity outdoors and sleep. Besides online material, the course includes a test kit containing light bulbs, a sleep mask, a checklist for the room inventory, a cap, a notebook, and a sleep diary. The purpose of the test kit is to encourage experimentation and provide handouts and printed copies to facilitate the completion of assignments.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Lund University

  lead OTHER

Study Design

Allocation

NA

Purpose

OTHER

Masking

NONE

Model

SINGLE_GROUP

Eligibility

Min Age

70 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2024-05-15

Primary Completion

2026-10-16

Completion

2026-10-16

Countries

• Sweden

Study Locations