Improving Health Behaviors in Housebound Older Adults with Arthritis
Author Information
Author(s): Nour Kareen, Sophie Laforest, Lise Gauvin, Monique Gignac
Primary Institution: University of Montreal
Hypothesis
The intervention will increase the frequency of involvement in health behaviors among housebound older adults with arthritis.
Conclusion
A self-management intervention can successfully improve involvement in exercise and relaxation among housebound older adults with arthritis.
Supporting Evidence
- Experimental participants significantly increased their weekly frequency of exercise and relaxation activities.
- Socioeconomic status and depression moderated the changes in exercise frequency.
- Participants without depression showed improvements in exercise frequency, while those with depression did not.
Takeaway
This study shows that older adults with arthritis can get better at exercising and relaxing by following a special program at home.
Methodology
Participants were randomly assigned to an experimental or wait list control group and were interviewed using standardized questionnaires at baseline, pre-intervention, and post-intervention.
Potential Biases
Self-reporting may introduce bias in the measurement of health behaviors.
Limitations
The sample size, while large for the target population, remains small for statistical analyses, and self-report measures may include measurement error.
Participant Demographics
Participants were primarily older adults (M = 77.7 years), mostly women (90%), with a significant portion living alone (71%) and having low education levels (47% reported less than nine years).
Statistical Information
P-Value
p<0.001
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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