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
. 2018 Nov 29:4:179.
doi: 10.1186/s40814-018-0367-4. eCollection 2018.

Safety and feasibility of an interactive workshop and facilitated outdoor walking group compared to a workshop alone in increasing outdoor walking activity among older adults: a pilot randomized controlled trial

Ruth Barclay  1 , Sandra Webber  1 , Jacquie Ripat  1 , Theresa Grant  2 , C Allyson Jones  3 , Lisa M Lix  4 , Nancy Mayo  5 , Cornelia van Ineveld  6 , Nancy M Salbach  7
Affiliations

Safety and feasibility of an interactive workshop and facilitated outdoor walking group compared to a workshop alone in increasing outdoor walking activity among older adults: a pilot randomized controlled trial

Ruth Barclay et al. Pilot Feasibility Stud. .

Abstract

Background: Limited outdoor walking is a marker of frailty and a risk factor for decline in mobility and self-care functioning, social isolation, and reduced health-related quality of life (HRQL). Objectives were to evaluate the safety, feasibility, and preliminary effect of a supervised outdoor walking group and interactive workshop compared to the workshop alone in increasing outdoor walking activity and identify an optimal method for estimating outdoor walking activity among older adults who infrequently walk outdoors.

Methods: A pilot 2-parallel-group randomized controlled trial was conducted. Adults aged ≥ 65 years who reported walking ≤ 20 min/week outdoors were randomized in a 2:1 ratio to receive the GO-OUT program (1-day workshop and 9-week outdoor walking group), or the workshop alone. An external site conducted the randomization after workshop completion. The eight workshop activity stations aimed to build knowledge and skills to safely walk outdoors. The group-based outdoor walking program consisted of repetitive practice of mobility tasks at local parks. The primary outcome of outdoor walking activity used an activity monitor and GPS; secondary outcomes included aerobic, balance, and walking capacity; physical activity; participation; mood; and HRQL. Blinded outcome assessors evaluated participants at 0, 3, and 6 months. Qualitative interviews occurred after 3 months; data were analyzed with qualitative description. Quantitative data were summarized using descriptive statistics.

Results: Forty-eight individuals were screened; 9 were eligible and randomized to the GO-OUT (n = 6) or workshop (n = 3) group. Data from 9 participants were analyzed. Mean age was 77 and 74 years in the GO-OUT and workshop groups, respectively. No falls occurred during the workshop and outdoor walking program. Average attendance of the walking group was 61%. All participants attended the evaluations and workshop. An analysis method combining data from activity monitors and GPS was developed to estimate outdoor walking. Themes from the qualitative analysis included the barriers to outdoor walking, impact of the workshop and GO-OUT walking group, and feasibility and acceptance of the assessment and intervention strategies.

Conclusions: The trial protocol was deemed safe and feasible. Results were used to inform changes to the protocol to conduct a full-scale study.

Trial registration: Clinical Trials.gov: NCT02339467.

Keywords: Accelerometry; Community; Older adult; Outdoor walking; Randomized controlled trial; Walking barriers; Walking group; Workshop.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Ethics approval was obtained from the Health Research Ethics Board at the University of Manitoba (H2014:391). All participants received information regarding the study and signed an informed consent.NAThe authors declare that they have no competing interests.Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Conceptual framework for the GO-OUT intervention
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
CONSORT diagram—extension for pilot and feasibility trials
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Government of Canada. Walking Data, from Canadian Community Health Survey. 2009.
    1. Rantakokko M, Manty M, Iwarsson S, Tormakangas T, Leinonen R, Heikinnen E, et al. Fear of moving outdoors and development of outdoor walking difficulty in older people. J Am Geriatr Soc. 2009;57:634–640. doi: 10.1111/j.1532-5415.2009.02180.x. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Fujita K, Fujiwara Y, Chaves P, Motohashi Y, Shinkai S. Frequency of going outdoors as a good predictors for incident disability of physical function as well as disability recovery in community-dwelling older adults in rural Japan. J Epidemiol. 2006;16(6):261–270. doi: 10.2188/jea.16.261. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Sirois M, Emond M, Ouellet M, Perry J, Daoust R, Morin J, et al. Cumulative incidence of functional decline after minor injuries in previously independent older Canadian individuals in the emergency department. J Am Geriatr Soc. 2013;61:1661–1668. doi: 10.1111/jgs.12482. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Denkinger M, Lukas A, Herbolsheimer F, Peter R, Nikolaus T. Physical activity and other health-related factors predict health care utilisation in older adults. Z Gerontol Geriat. 2012;45:290–297. doi: 10.1007/s00391-012-0335-1. - DOI - PubMed

Associated data