Strong Evidence: Digitally Delivered Exercise in Older Adults

Summary

The investigators have successfully completed a pilot project focused on feasibility and user acceptability of a digitally delivered program for fall prevention in older adults. It was well received among a population of lower and moderate risk individuals. The investigators propose to extend this research by repeating the training program with the inclusion of a wait list control group.

Group A (immediate intervention) will start their initial 12 week exercise program (Intensive Exercise) within 4 weeks of baseline (BL) measurement (as a cohort). This will be followed by an optional additional 12 week exercise program (Maintenance Exercise 2) that participants who complete at least 10 of the Exercise 1 classes will be invited to join. This will be followed by a 12 week wash out period. Measurements will occur each 12 weeks (BL, 12 week post randomization, 24 week post randomization, 36 week post randomization)

Group B (waitlist control) will start with a 12 week life as normal period that is concurrent with Group A's intensive Exercise. They will start Intensive Exercise when Group A is doing Maintenance exercise. They will be invited to Maintenance Exercise while Group A is doing washout. They will not have a washout period. Measurements will occur at the same period(s) as Group A (i.e. all participants measured during the same time period).

The intervention will be identical to what was offered in the past, and measurements will be very similar (removing those that did not show change with intervention or were deemed too difficult for participants).

Conditions

• Fall Prevention
• Fall Prevention in Healthy Aging

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

Digitally Delivered Exercise

Our fall- risk reduction program, Strong Foundations, was designed to be delivered digitally, and while there are many such programs currently available on the Internet, especially in the time of COVID-19, the novel feature of this program is the delivery of semi-individualized instruction in real time within a small group setting. The program was designed with physician input and by exercise physiologists and a Doctor of Physical Therapy candidate, all with extensive training in both group and individualized exercise for geriatric populations. Strong Foundations is a 12 week iterative curricular program with three core components: postural alignment and control, balance and mobility, and muscular strength and power. All the exercises offered over the course of the intervention are appropriate for the target population and are standardized so all participants receive the same basic instruction, but level of difficulty is scaled to participant capability.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Sanford Burnham Prebys

  collaborator OTHER

• National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS)

  collaborator NIH

• University of California, San Diego

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Caroline Kumstra, PhD · Sanford Burnham Prebys

• Ryan Moran, MD, MPH · University of California, San Diego

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

PREVENTION

Masking

DOUBLE

Model

CROSSOVER

Eligibility

Min Age

60 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2025-12-01

Primary Completion

2027-01-01

Completion

2027-01-01

Countries

• United States

Study Locations