Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Randomized Controlled Trial
. 2011 May-Jun;52(3):344-9.
doi: 10.1016/j.archger.2010.04.007.

Comparing the effectiveness of peer mentoring and student mentoring in a 35-week fitness program for older adults

Sandor Dorgo  1 , George A King, Julia O Bader, John S Limon
Affiliations
Randomized Controlled Trial

Comparing the effectiveness of peer mentoring and student mentoring in a 35-week fitness program for older adults

Sandor Dorgo et al. Arch Gerontol Geriatr. 2011 May-Jun.

Abstract

To investigate the applicability and effectiveness of a peer-mentored exercise program, this study compared the retention and participation rates, and physical improvements of older adults trained by peer mentors (PM) to a group trained by young qualified student mentors (SM). A group of older adults were prepared as peer mentors through a 30-week preparation program. Later, 60 older adults (mean ± SD age: 68.7 ± 6.1 years) were recruited and randomly assigned to either the PM or SM group. Both groups completed an identical 35-week fitness program. Pre-, midterm- and post-training assessments of fitness were completed and rates of participation and retention were documented. The same retention rates were observed in the two groups, but SM group had higher participation. Both groups improved significantly in all measures of fitness and there were no significant post-test differences between the groups in the fitness measures. Findings suggest that the peer mentor model is applicable in an older adult exercise program and may be as effective as a program mentored by young professionals.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of interest statement: None of the authors had any financial or personal conflict of interest associated with this study.

References

    1. Ashbury FD, Cameron C, Mercer SL, Fitch M, Nielsen E. One-on-one peer support and quality of life for breast cancer patients. Patient Educ Couns. 1998;35(2):89–100. - PubMed
    1. Belza B, Walwick J, Schwartz S, LoGerfo J, Shiu-Thornton S, Taylor M. Older adult perspectives on physical activity and exercise: Voices from multiple cultures. Prev Chronic Dis. 2004;1(4):A09. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Blumenthal JA, Emery CF, Madden DJ, Coleman RE, Riddle MW, Schniebolk S, et al. Effects of exercise training on cardiorespiratory function in men and women older than 60 years of age. Am J Cardiol. 1991;67:633–639. - PubMed
    1. Boyette LW, Lloyd A, Boyette JE, Watkins E, Furbush L, Dunhbar SB, et al. Personal characteristics that influence exercise behavior of older adults. J Rehabil Res Dev. 2002;39:95–103. - PubMed
    1. Bratter B, Freeman E. The maturing of peer counseling. Generations. 1990;14(1):49–52.

Publication types