Development and Validation of New Exercises to Promote Physical Activity in Nursing Home Settings

Abstract

Background: GAMotion is a giant physical activity board game intended to improve levels of physical activity and a broader array of physical and psychological outcomes among nursing home residents. Objective: The aim of the present study is to develop and validate new balance, flexibility, muscle strength, and walking exercises to be included in GAMotion. Methods: A two-step design combining the Focus group and Delphi method was conducted among healthcare professionals divided into two independent samples of experts. The first sample was asked to develop exercises during a focus group. The second sample participated in a two-round Ranking-type Delphi method. During the first round, the participants were asked to rate the exercises developed during the focus group on a four-point Likert scale (from 1: not adapted at all to 4: very adapted). The exercises that did not reach consensus were removed (consensus established: median ≥ 3 on the Likert scale and at least 75% of experts rating the exercises as « adapted » or « very adapted »). During the second round, it was asked to rank the exercises selected at the end of the first round from most suitable to least suitable. Results: The Focus group developed nine balance, twelve flexibility, twelve strength, and nine walking exercises. Following the first round of the Delphi method, two exercises in each category did not reach a consensus and were then removed. In the second round, the remaining seven balance, ten flexibility, ten strength, and seven walking exercises were ranked by the experts, and this classification allowed us to determine the four most suitable exercises from each category to be included in the GAMotion. Conclusion: A consensus-based approach among healthcare professionals allowed us to contribute to the development of new exercises to promote physical activity in nursing homes. These validated exercises can be included in the GAMotion board game.

Keywords

• physical exercise
• muscle strength
• balance
• flexibility
• gait