Web-Site-Based Tailored Advice to Promote Strength and Balance Training: An Experimental Evaluation

Abstract

This study evaluated a Web site providing tailored advice to encourage older people to undertake strength and balance training (SBT). Adults age 60-88 (N = 302) were randomized to read either generic advice or advice tailored to their self-perceived balance problems and activity preferences. Between-groups differences in attitudes toward SBT after reading the advice did not quite reach significance (p = .059), but the tailored group reported higher ratings than the generic group that the advice was personally relevant (p = .017) and that the activities would be good for them (p = .047). Within-groups differences in the tailored group showed that completing an action plan increased confidence in undertaking SBT (p = .006). These findings were supported by a meta-analysis that pooled the effect sizes with those of a previous study. Thus, a tailored Web site might be a cost-effective way of encouraging some older people to undertake SBT.

Web-Based Physical Activity Interventions for Older Adults: A Review

“…Silveira et al [21] focuses on the efficacy of motivational elements in ActiveLifestyle, whilst Hughes et al [20] on the efficacy of online consultation. Nyman et al [18], Pekmezi et al [19] and Amman et al [22] on the other hand specifically focus on the acceptability of tailored advice components in enhancing physical activity. Besides these, another three studies aim to identify user characteristics of the interventions.…”

“…Out of fifteen studies, only five specifically aim to investigate the efficacy of the interventions in increasing the level of physical activity among participants [12,13,14,15,16]. Another six studies aim to investigate the effectiveness of design components in encouraging physical activity [17,18,19,20,21,22]. Albaina et al [17] for example aims to evaluate persuasive design principles and interaction metaphors in Flowie, a persuasive virtual coach that encourages seniors to walk more.…”

“…Six of these studies focus only on an older adult population [14,15,16,17,21,23], while three physical activity interventions developed for a general population [12,19,22]. The remaining six studies only described physical activity as sub-components of the interventions, as these studies involved interventions that were not mainly developed to enhance physical activity but to encourage weight loss [26], fall prevention [18], weight maintenance [13], general health assessment [20,24] and health behaviour change [25].…”

“…Meanwhile, all of the remaining six studies with physical activity as subcomponents of the interventions only used subjective measurements such as self-reported questionnaires to measure physical activity outcome [13,18,20,26,24,25].…”

“…Using the ActiPED pedometer data, which automatically registers activity levels up to 21 days [18] To evaluate a website providing tailored advice to encourage older people to undertake strength and balance training (SBT).…”