Health‐Promoting Interventions for Persons Aged 80 and Older Are Successful in the Short Term—Results from the Randomized and Three‐Armed Elderly Persons in the Risk Zone Study

Abstract

Objectives To examine the outcomes of the Elderly Persons in the Risk Zone study, which was designed to evaluate whether it is possible to delay deterioration if a health‐promoting intervention is made when an older adult (≥80) is at risk of becoming frail and whether a multiprofessional group intervention is more effective in delaying deterioration than a single preventive home visit with regard to frailty, self‐rated health, and activities of daily living (ADLs) at 3‐month follow‐up. Design Randomized, three‐armed, single‐blind, controlled trial performed between November 2007 and May 2011. Setting Two urban districts of Gothenburg, Sweden. Participants Four hundred fifty‐nine community‐living adults aged 80 and older not dependent on the municipal home help service. Intervention A preventive home visit or four weekly multiprofessional senior group meetings with one follow‐up home visit. Measurements Change in frailty, self‐rated health, and ADLs between baseline and 3‐month follow‐up. Results Both interventions delayed deterioration of self‐rated health (odds ratio (OR) = 1.99, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.12–3.54). Senior meetings were the most beneficial intervention for postponing dependence in ADLs (OR = 1.95, 95% CI = 1.14–3.33). No effect on frailty could be demonstrated. Conclusion Health‐promoting interventions made when older adults are at risk of becoming frail can delay deterioration in self‐rated health and ADLs in the short term. A multiprofessional group intervention such as the senior meetings described seems to have a greater effect on delaying deterioration in ADLs than a single preventive home visit. Further research is needed to examine the outcome in the long term and in different contexts.

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“…48,63,64 Most interventions (n = 11/22) targeted a single behaviour, 12,[61][62][63][64][66][67][68]70,71 while nine targeted two or three behaviours 13,[56][57][58][59]65,69 and two targeted four or more behaviours. 48, 60 The behaviours most commonly targeted were medication adherence or management (n = 16), 13,48,56,[58][59][60][61][63][64][65][66]68,69 physical activity (n = 11) 12,13,48,56,57,59,60,65,70 and diet (n = 8), 13,48,56,57,60,69...…”

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