A web step-based digital solution's impact on physical, cognitive and psychosocial functioning of community-dwelling older adults: A mixed methods randomized and controlled trial.

Background: As the population ages, innovative responses are urgently needed to promote physical activity at scale. Thus, this study investigated whether a step-based activity mediated by a digital solution impacts the physical functioning of community-dwelling older adults. The secondary aims were to assess whether the same activity impacts cognitive and psychosocial functioning and explore participants' views towards the activity.
Methods: A mixed method, randomized, and controlled study with one group performing a step-based activity using DanceMove (recommended dosage: twice a week for 20 to 30 min for eight weeks) and the other their usual activities. DanceMove was used at the individuals' homes without any direct supervision. Clinical tests and questionnaires administered in person were used to assess participants at baseline, post-intervention, and three-month follow-up. The primary outcome of interest was gait velocity. Secondary outcomes were balance, pain intensity, cognitive functioning, self-efficacy, social support, loneliness, and quality of life. Also, at the end of the intervention, a semi-structured individual interview was conducted with participants in the experimental group.
Results: Seventy participants were randomized to the control ( n  = 37) and experimental ( n  = 33) groups. Of the 33 participants in the experimental group, four did not use the DanceMove at all and two used it for only 3 min. The remaining 26 participants used it for a total time over the eight weeks that varied between 15 and 991 min (mean ± SD = 306.55 ± 258.83 min). The step-based activity was not more effective than usual activities for any of the variables assessed ( P  > .05). Difficulties, positive and negative aspects regarding the digital solution, and reasons for not using it were identified in the interviews.
Conclusions: Eight weeks of a step-based activity mediated by a digital solution did not impact the physical, cognitive, and psychosocial functioning of community-dwelling healthy older adults. However, the activity was enjoyable and safe to be performed at home without direct supervision. Further studies are needed to explore aspects that could modulate the impact of this type of technology-mediated activity.
Trial Registration: The study was registered at clinialtrials.gov (NCT05460039) before the enrolment of the first participant.
Competing Interests: The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests: Anabela G Silva reports financial support was provided by SHAPES (Smart and Health Ageing through People Engaging in Supportive Systems) project funded by the Horizon 2020. All authors report a relationship with SHAPES (Smart and Health Ageing through People Engaging in Supportive Systems) project funded by the Horizon 2020 that includes: funding grants. Authors Anabela G Silva, Ana Isabel Martins, Telmo Silva, Óscar Ribeiro, Gonçalo Santinha, and Nelson P Rocha have a potential competing interest related to the fact that they also developed the step-based technology being assessed in the manuscript If there are other authors, they declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.
(© 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V.)