Dalhousie University, 5869 University Avenue, B3H 1X7, Halifax Nova Scotia, Canada.
, 5869 University Avenue, B3H 1X7, Halifax Nova Scotia, Canada.
BMC Geriatr. 2023 Aug 30;23(1):530. doi: 10.1186/s12877-023-04237-x.
Resistance and balance training are important exercise interventions for older populations living with chronic diseases. Accurately measuring if an individual is adhering to exercises as prescribed is important to determine if lack of improvement in health outcomes is because of issues with adherence. Measuring adherence to resistance and balance exercises is limited by current methods that depend heavily on self-report and are often better at and tailored towards capturing aerobic training parameters (e.g., step count, minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity). Adherence measures must meet users' needs to be useful.
Using a Dillman tailored study design, we surveyed researchers who conduct exercise trials, clinicians who prescribe exercise for older adults, and older adults to determine: (1) how they are currently measuring adherence; (2) barriers and facilitators they have experienced to measurement; and (3) the information they would like collected about adherence (e.g., repetitions, sets, intensity, duration, frequency, quality). Surveys were disseminated internationally through professional networks, professional organizations, and social media. Participants completed an online survey between August 2021 and April 2022.
Eighty-eight older adults, 149 clinicians, and 41 researchers responded to the surveys. Most clinicians and researchers were between the ages of 30 and 39 years, and 70.0% were female. Most older adults were aged 70-79 years, and 46.6% were female. Diaries and calendars (either analog or digital) were the most common current methods of collecting adherence data. Users would like information about the intensity and quality of exercises completed that are presented in clear, easy to use formats that are meaningful for older adults where all data can be tracked in one place. Most older adults did not measure adherence because they did not want to, while clinicians most frequently reported not having measurement tools for adherence. Time, resources, motivation, and health were also identified as barriers to recording adherence.
Our work provides information about current methods of measuring exercise adherence and suggestions to inform the design of future adherence measures. Future measures should comprehensively track adherence data in one place, including the intensity and quality of exercises.
对于患有慢性病的老年人群体，进行抗阻和平衡训练是重要的运动干预措施。准确衡量个体是否按照规定进行锻炼对于确定健康结果改善不佳是否是由于坚持度问题至关重要。衡量抗阻和平衡运动的坚持度受到当前方法的限制，这些方法严重依赖自我报告，并且通常更擅长和专门针对捕获有氧运动参数（例如，步数、中等至剧烈体力活动的分钟数）。坚持度测量必须满足用户的需求才有意义。
我们采用了 Dillman 量身定制的研究设计，对进行运动试验的研究人员、为老年人开运动处方的临床医生和老年人进行了调查，以确定：（1）他们目前如何衡量坚持度；（2）他们在测量过程中遇到的障碍和促进因素；（3）他们希望收集的关于坚持度的信息（例如，重复次数、组数、强度、持续时间、频率、质量）。调查通过专业网络、专业组织和社交媒体在国际上进行分发。参与者于 2021 年 8 月至 2022 年 4 月期间在线完成了调查。
88 名老年人、149 名临床医生和 41 名研究人员对调查做出了回应。大多数临床医生和研究人员年龄在 30 至 39 岁之间，70.0%为女性。大多数老年人年龄在 70-79 岁之间，46.6%为女性。日记和日历（无论是模拟的还是数字的）是目前最常用的收集坚持度数据的方法。用户希望获得关于完成的运动的强度和质量的信息，这些信息以清晰、易于使用的格式呈现，对老年人有意义，并且所有数据都可以在一个地方跟踪。大多数老年人不测量坚持度是因为他们不想，而临床医生则最常报告没有坚持度的测量工具。时间、资源、动力和健康也被确定为记录坚持度的障碍。
我们的工作提供了有关目前衡量运动坚持度的方法的信息，并提出了一些建议，以告知未来坚持度测量的设计。未来的测量方法应全面地在一个地方跟踪坚持度数据，包括运动的强度和质量。
