JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

Physical activity can the prolong the ability of older adults to live independently. Home-based exercises can help achieve the recommended levels. A blended intervention was developed to support older adults in performing home-based exercises. A tablet and a personal coach were provided to facilitate the self-regulation of exercise behavior.

Objective:

In line with the Medical Research Council Framework, the aim of the study was to carry out a process evaluation of the blended intervention. The objectives were a) to assess the long-term usability of the tablet used in the blended intervention and b) to explore how the tablet, in conjunction with a personal coach, supported older adults in performing home-based exercises.

Methods:

The process evaluation was conducted with a mixed-methods approach. At baseline, older adults participating in the blended intervention were asked to fill out a questionnaire about their general experience with ICT devices and rate their own skill level. After 6 months participants filled out the USE-questionnaire to assess the usefulness, satisfaction and ease of use of the tablet. With a random selection of participants in-depth interviews were held to explore how the tablet and coach supported the self-regulation. The interviews were double coded and analyzed with the Directed Content Analysis method.

Results:

65 participants filled out the baseline survey, 37 participants the USE questionnaire and with 7 participants follow-up interviews were held. Their average age was 71-73 years old. The baseline questionnaire showed that the large majority already had experience with a tablet, used it regularly and reported to be skillful in operating ICT devices. After 6 months of use, the participants rated the usefulness, satisfaction and ease of use of the tablet as 3.8, 4.2 and 4.1 on a 5-point scale. The interviews show that participants felt that the tablet supported action planning, behavior execution and self-monitoring. On the other hand, especially during the first few months, the personal coach had added value during the goal setting, behavior execution and evaluation phases of self-regulation.

Conclusions:

The process evaluation has shown that older adults are positive about a blended intervention that was designed to support them in performing home-based exercises. They reported that the tablet helped them to perform the exercises better, more frequent and safely. It supported them in various phases of self-regulation. The availability of personal coach was nevertheless crucial. To support physical activity in older adults a blended approach is promising.