BACKGROUND:Older community-living disabled people often have unmet activity needs and participation restrictions potentially reducing their quality of life (QoL). AIMS: We examined the effects of an individualized out-of-home activity intervention delivered by volunteers on QoL among community-living older people, who have difficulty accessing the outdoors independently. METHODS: Volunteering, Access to Outdoor Activities and Wellbeing in Older People (VOW; ISRCTN56847832) was a two-arm randomized single-blinded, controlled effectiveness trial (RCT) in Jyväskylä, Finland. The inclusion criteria were: age 65 or over, severe mobility limitation, able to communicate, and agree to participate in a RCT. Each intervention group member was assigned a trained volunteer with whom out-of-home activities were done once a week for 3 months (e.g., running errands or recreational activities). The primary outcome was the environmental subscore of QoL assessed with WHOQOL-BREF. Secondary outcomes were the overall QoL, physical capacity, psychological well-being, and social relationships assessed with WHOQOL_BREF and lower-extremity performance assessed with Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB). RESULTS:121 people aged 67-92 years (mean age 81.9 years, SD 5.9, 90 % women) were randomized. No treatment effect on the environmental QoL subscore was observed, but for physical capacity subscore a significant treatment effect was observed (General Linear Model, Group by Time p = 0.001). No effects were observed for the other QoL subscores or for SPPB score. DISCUSSION: This study suggests that individualized out-of-home activity intervention delivered by volunteers may influence the QoL of old severely mobility-limited community-living people in a positive way. CONCLUSION: Further studies are needed to better understand how to improve QoL of older disabled community-living people and potentially buffer them against more severe care needs and institutionalization.
RCT Entities:
BACKGROUND: Older community-living disabled people often have unmet activity needs and participation restrictions potentially reducing their quality of life (QoL). AIMS: We examined the effects of an individualized out-of-home activity intervention delivered by volunteers on QoL among community-living older people, who have difficulty accessing the outdoors independently. METHODS: Volunteering, Access to Outdoor Activities and Wellbeing in Older People (VOW; ISRCTN56847832) was a two-arm randomized single-blinded, controlled effectiveness trial (RCT) in Jyväskylä, Finland. The inclusion criteria were: age 65 or over, severe mobility limitation, able to communicate, and agree to participate in a RCT. Each intervention group member was assigned a trained volunteer with whom out-of-home activities were done once a week for 3 months (e.g., running errands or recreational activities). The primary outcome was the environmental subscore of QoL assessed with WHOQOL-BREF. Secondary outcomes were the overall QoL, physical capacity, psychological well-being, and social relationships assessed with WHOQOL_BREF and lower-extremity performance assessed with Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB). RESULTS: 121 people aged 67-92 years (mean age 81.9 years, SD 5.9, 90 % women) were randomized. No treatment effect on the environmental QoL subscore was observed, but for physical capacity subscore a significant treatment effect was observed (General Linear Model, Group by Time p = 0.001). No effects were observed for the other QoL subscores or for SPPB score. DISCUSSION: This study suggests that individualized out-of-home activity intervention delivered by volunteers may influence the QoL of old severely mobility-limited community-living people in a positive way. CONCLUSION: Further studies are needed to better understand how to improve QoL of older disabled community-living people and potentially buffer them against more severe care needs and institutionalization.
Authors: Erik J Groessl; Robert M Kaplan; W Jack Rejeski; Jeffrey A Katula; Nancy W Glynn; Abby C King; Stephen D Anton; Michael Walkup; Ching-Ju Lu; Kieran Reid; Bonnie Spring; Marco Pahor Journal: Am J Prev Med Date: 2019-01 Impact factor: 5.043
Authors: Merja Rantakokko; Erja Portegijs; Anne Viljanen; Susanne Iwarsson; Markku Kauppinen; Taina Rantanen Journal: Qual Life Res Date: 2015-09-25 Impact factor: 4.147