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- Title
Which older people decline participation in a primary care trial of physical activity and why: insights from a mixed methods approach.
- Authors
Rogers, Annabelle; Harris, Tess; Victor, Christina; Woodcock, Alison; Limb, Elizabeth; Kerry, Sally; Iliffe, Steve; Whincup, Peter; Ekelund, Ulf; Beighton, Carole; Ussher, Michael; Adams, Fredrika; Cook, Derek G
- Abstract
<bold>Background: </bold>Physical activity is of vital importance to older peoples' health. Physical activity intervention studies with older people often have low recruitment, yet little is known about non-participants.<bold>Methods: </bold>Patients aged 60-74 years from three UK general practices were invited to participate in a nurse-supported pedometer-based walking intervention. Demographic characteristics of 298 participants and 690 non-participants were compared. Health status and physical activity of 298 participants and 183 non-participants who completed a survey were compared using age, sex adjusted odds ratios (OR) (95% confidence intervals). 15 non-participants were interviewed to explore perceived barriers to participation.<bold>Results: </bold>Recruitment was 30% (298/988). Participants were more likely than non-participants to be female (54% v 47%; p = 0.04) and to live in affluent postcodes (73% v 62% in top quintile; p < 0.001). Participants were more likely than non-participants who completed the survey to have an occupational pension OR 2.06 (1.35-3.13), a limiting longstanding illness OR 1.72 (1.05-2.79) and less likely to report being active OR 0.55 (0.33-0.93) or walking fast OR 0.56 (0.37-0.84). Interviewees supported general practice-based physical activity studies, particularly walking, but barriers to participation included: already sufficiently active, reluctance to walk alone or at night, physical symptoms, depression, time constraints, trial equipment and duration.<bold>Conclusion: </bold>Gender and deprivation differences suggest some selection bias. However, trial participants reported more health problems and lower activity than non-participants who completed the survey, suggesting appropriate trial selection in a general practice population. Non-participant interviewees indicated that shorter interventions, addressing physical symptoms and promoting confidence in pursuing physical activity, might increase trial recruitment and uptake of practice-based physical activity endeavours.
- Publication
BMC Geriatrics, 2014, Vol 14, Issue 1, p46
- ISSN
1471-2318
- Publication type
journal article
- DOI
10.1186/1471-2318-14-46