National Ageing Research Institute, Royal Melbourne Hospital, PO Box 2127, Melbourne, VIC, 3050, Australia.
Institute for Health and Sport, Victoria University, Melbourne, Australia.
BMC Public Health. 2022 May 21;22(1):1027. doi: 10.1186/s12889-022-13335-1.
Physical activity is important to maintain health in older age, with physical activity in the outdoors providing mental and physical health benefits for all age groups. One way by which older people can engage in physical activity in the outdoors is through using suitable age-friendly outdoor exercise equipment, the Seniors Exercise Park. The ENJOY MAP for HEALTH aims to evaluate the effect of the Seniors Exercise Park installation and associated capacity building activities on park visitation, park-based physical activity by older people and delivery of community physical activity programs.
This study is a quasi-experimental (natural experiment) with pre and post study design evaluating the effect of age-friendly outdoor spaces with specialised outdoor exercise equipment on older people's physical activity and wellbeing in six Victorian municipalities (local governments/councils). Each council will undergo four stages (site construction and development, promotion and marketing, capacity building and training, evaluation and sustainability). Several activities and methods will be employed from stage one through stage four to evaluate the potential impact of the age-friendly outdoor spaces on physical activity and wellbeing and will comprise the following elements: site observation and equipment utilisation, face to face intercept surveys, development of an online access monitor and community building activities.
The project is expected to result in a significant change in the physical outdoor environment for the participating councils and communities whereby older people and other community members will be able to engage in safe physical and social activity programs, socialise more and hence improve the overall wellbeing of older people.
This trial is retrospectively registered with the Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry. Trial registration number ACTRN12621000965808 . Date registered 23/07/2021.
体力活动对于老年人的健康至关重要，户外活动中的体力活动为所有年龄段的人提供身心健康益处。老年人可以通过使用合适的适合老年人的户外锻炼设备（老年人锻炼公园）来进行户外活动。ENJOY MAP for HEALTH 旨在评估老年人锻炼公园的安装以及相关能力建设活动对公园访问量、老年人在公园内的身体活动以及社区身体活动计划实施的影响。
本研究是一项准实验（自然实验），采用前后研究设计，评估具有特殊户外锻炼设备的友好型户外空间对六个维多利亚州直辖市（地方政府/议会）老年人身体活动和健康的影响。每个议会将经历四个阶段（场地建设和发展、推广和营销、能力建设和培训、评估和可持续性）。从第一阶段到第四阶段将采用多种活动和方法来评估友好型户外空间对身体活动和健康的潜在影响，包括以下内容：场地观察和设备利用、面对面拦截调查、在线访问监测的开发以及社区建设活动。
该项目有望使参与议会和社区的户外物理环境发生重大变化，使老年人和其他社区成员能够参与安全的身体和社交活动计划、更多地社交，从而提高老年人的整体幸福感。
该试验是在澳大利亚新西兰临床试验注册中心进行的回顾性注册。试验注册号：ACTRN12621000965808。注册日期：2021 年 7 月 23 日。
