Effect of buddy-style intervention on exercise adherence in community-dwelling disabled older adults: A pilot randomized controlled trial

Abstract

Objective To assess the preliminary effects of a buddy-style intervention to improve exercise adherence. Design A parallel-group, open-label, pilot randomized controlled trial. Setting Adult day-care centers. Participants Sixty-five disabled older adults. Interventions All participants underwent a 12-week home exercise program, and the intervention group received a 5–10 min buddy-style intervention between older adults in the intervention group once weekly at an adult day-care center. Main measures Based on the exercise log calendar, the number of days of exercise was assessed for each of the three phases: 1–4 weeks, 5–8 weeks, and 9–12 weeks. Short physical performance battery was measured at baseline and after 12 weeks. Results Of the 590 screened older adults, 65 were recruited and 33 were assigned to the intervention group. One participant in each group withdrew before the program began, and four and five patients in the intervention and control groups, respectively, dropped out by the 12-week assessment. Analysis of covariance of the 28 and 26 patients in the intervention and control groups, respectively, for whom exercise log calendars could be retrieved, showed that the intervention group (24.4/28 days) exercised significantly more days than the control group (20.6/28 days) at 9–12 weeks ( P = 0.009). In the between-group effect of the intention-to-treat analysis of short physical performance battery, walking and standing test ( P = 0.790, P = 0.829) were not significantly different, and balance test ( P = 0.049) was significantly better in the control group. Conclusions There was a preliminary effect of the buddy-style intervention to improve exercise adherence.

A qualitative study assessing the barriers and facilitators to physical activity in adults with hearing loss

“…However, the review found that the effects of peer involvement on physical function were unclear. Similar results were found in a randomized controlled trial for older adults with a physical disability (Takeda & Takatori, 2021). As such, a buddy system may be a promising intervention component to improve participation in physical activity in adults with hearing loss.…”

The effect of a buddy-style intervention on physical activity in community-dwelling older adults with disabilities: A 24-week follow-up of a randomized controlled trial

“…A previous study reported that a buddy-style intervention led to an increase in the frequency of home-based exercise. 10 The present study holds strong clinical significance because it shows that the outdoor walking time can be increased with a sustained effect when the buddy-style intervention is applied.…”

“…11 Details of the original trial methodology have already been published. 10 From June to July 2020, older adults with disabilities were recruited from three adult day-care centers in Osaka City. The inclusion criterion was community-dwelling adults aged ≥65 years who were able to walk independently.…”

“…12 The appropriate sample size was calculated to detect between-group differences. Based on an effect size of f = 0.4, alpha level = 0.05, and power = 0.8, obtained from a previous study, 10 we calculated that 26 participants were required in each group. The dropout rate was estimated to be 20%; therefore, the target size was 33 participants in each group.…”

“…A pilot randomized controlled trial conducted by our team demonstrated that a buddy-style intervention integrated into a 12-week home-based exercise program was effective in increasing physical activity in older adults with disabilities. 10 This previous study focused on the frequency of exercise during the implementation of the home-based exercise program, whereas the duration of exercise and the sustained effect after the intervention were not investigated. Therefore, the primary aim of this follow-up study of the buddy-style intervention was to determine the duration of exercise and its sustained effects, and the secondary aim was to determine whether it was effective in improving physical and psychological status.…”