Translating a functional exercise program for fall prevention among diverse older adults in urban medically underserved areas: A mixed methods study

Yi Ling Hu, Marian Keglovits, Emily Somerville, Makenna Snyder, Susan Stark

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

2 Scopus citations

Abstract

The Lifestyle-integrated Functional Exercise Program (LiFE) is proven to have high adherence rates and can significantly reduce falls, but it has not yet been implemented for diverse older adults residing in urban medically underserved (MU) areas. An exploratory sequential mixed methods study was conducted to adapt LiFE and test the adapted program's preliminary feasibility. Focus groups with MU older adults and service providers were conducted to identify modifications. The new adapted program, Diverse Older Adults Doing LiFE (DO LiFE), was then evaluated with older adults. Thematic analysis revealed health literacy and lack of racial representation as barriers to implementing LIFE in this population. The pilot study showed that DO LiFE was feasible with good retention (89%) and high adherence (81.27%) rates. DO LiFE demonstrated preliminary feasibility for diverse MU older adults. Researchers should proceed to larger studies for translating DO LiFE from research to the community.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)612-619
Number of pages8
JournalJournal of Aging and Physical Activity
Volume29
Issue number4
DOIs
StatePublished - Aug 2021

Keywords

  • Habit formation
  • Translational research
  • Vulnerable population

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