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Background: Maintaining or initiating regular physical activity (PA) is important for successful aging. Technology-based systems may support and stimulate older adults to initiate and persevere in performing PA. The aim of the current study was to assess to which extent a customised Kinect system is 1) a credible tool to increase PA in older adults, 2) motivating to perform PA by older adults, and 3) easy to be used in older adults., Methods: A mixed-method cross-sectional feasibility study was performed in 5 aged care facilities in Flanders, Belgium. Aged participants were asked to perform a 20-30 min test with the intelligent Activity-based Client-centred Training (i-ACT) system. After the test, the 'Credibility and Expectancy Questionnaire' (CEQ), the 'Intrinsic Motivation Inventory'(IMI), the System Usability Scale (SUS), and semi-structured interviews were conducted in the older adults. Feedback was gathered using the thinking aloud method in both aged participants and healthcare professionals., Results: A total of 48 older adults (20 males and 28 females, mean age = 81.19 (SD = 8.10)), were included. The scores pertaining to system credibility and expectancy, system usability, and motivation towards use were moderate to good. Participants reported that they liked using the i-ACT system, but that the context could be more attractive by adding more visualisations. Twelve professionals stated that they observed involvement in older adults but think that i-ACT is better used in day care centres., Conclusions: This study indicates that i-ACT is a usable and motivational system to engage older adults to perform PA and therefore supports successful aging. Future research is necessary to investigate the efficacy of i-ACT to perform PA and the transfer to regain and/or maintain engagement in ADLs that older adults find meaningful and purposeful at an older age. Also, further development of i-ACT is advisable to adapt the i-ACT system towards implementation at the home of older adults., Trial Registration: ClinicalTrial.gov ID NCT04489563 , 23 July 2020 - Retrospectively registered.

Background: In neurorehabilitation, clinicians and managers are searching for new client-centred task-oriented applications which can be administered without extra costs and effort of therapists, and increase the client's motivation.Objective: To develop and evaluate a prototype of an intelligent activity-based client-centred training (i-ACT) system based on Microsoft Kinect®.Methods: Within an iterative user centred process, the i-ACT prototype was developed and necessary features were established for use in neurological settings. After the test trial with a high fidelity prototype, the value, usefulness, and credibility were evaluated.Results: Seven therapists participated in focus groups and 54 persons with neurological problems participated in test trials. A prototype was established based on the user's experience. Results show that clients and therapists acknowledge the value and usefulness (clients 5.71/7; therapists 4.86/7), and credibility (clients 21.00/27; therapists 14.50/27) of i-ACT.Conclusions: Therapists want to be able to record an endless range of movements and activities which enables individualised exercise programs for persons with disabilities. For therapists it is important that the system provides feedback about the quality of movement and not only results. In future work, clinical trials will be performed towards feasibility and effectiveness of i-ACT in neurorehabilitation and other rehabilitation domains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Since physical activity and exercise levels are known to be generally low in persons with spinal cord injury (SCI), there seems to be a need for intervention. Exercise self-efficacy (ESE), the confidence persons have in their ability to be physically active and exercise, is an important and modifiable predictor of physical behavior. The goal of this study was to 1) describe ESE in persons with subacute SCI, 2) to assess ESE in subgroups based on demographic and lesion characteristics, and 3) to explore the relation between ESE and physical behavior and physical capacity.Methods: Thirthy-seven persons with subacute SCI who are wheelchair dependent participated. Participants completed the Exercise Self-Efficacy Scale. We recorded age and lesion characteristics, measured physical behavior (physical activity, motility and sedentary day time, n = 35) with an accelerometer-based activity monitor and measured physical capacity (peak power output, n = 28 and peak oxygen uptake, n = 24) during a maximal hand-cycling test. Measurements were performed 2 months prior to discharge from inpatient rehabilitation. Mann-Whitney tests were used to test for differences between subgroups based on age and lesion characteristics and spearman correlations were used to assess the relation between ESE and physical activity and physical capacity.Results: Persons with tetraplegia had lower ESE compared to persons with paraplegia (Z = -1.93, p = 0.05). No differences in ESE were found between subgroups based on age and motor completeness of the lesion. In persons with paraplegia, ESE was positively related to peak power output (ρ = 0.58, p = 0.02). The relation of ESE with wheeled physical activity was ρ = 0.36, p = 0.09.Conclusions: In persons with SCI who are dependent on a manual wheelchair, lesion level when categorized as paraplegic and tetraplegic affected ESE whereas age categories and completeness categories did not. Persons with tetraplegia were found to have lower confidence with regard to physical activity and exercise indicating that this subgroup can benefit from extra attention in the promotion of physical activity and exercise. In persons with paraplegia, ESE seemed to be lower in persons with less peak power output and less daily physical activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]