The effect of the Smart Health Continuous Feedback For Elderly Exercise (SHe CoFFEE) program on mobility: a randomized controlled pilot study

Abstract

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ObjectivesThis study determined the effectiveness of a comprehensive home-based online exercise program called “Smart Health Continuous Feedback for elderly exercise (SHe CoFFEE)” on mobility.MethodsSixty community-dwelling seniors were randomized in a 1:1 ratio to intervention or control group. Intervention was an 8-week “SHe CoFFEE” program, featuring continuous feedback, self-monitoring, and fall prevention exercises. The primary outcome was mobility, measured at 8 weeks with the Timed Up and Go (TUG) test. Secondary outcomes included TUG at 4 weeks, 10 m walking test, 30-s chair stand test, falls efficacy scale, activity-specific balance confidence, and Euro Quality of Life 5 Dimensions 5 Levels.ResultsAt 8 weeks, the intervention group showed improved TUG scores compared with the control group (MD = −1.87, 95% CI, −2.60 to −1.14; ηp2 = 0.326) in the adjusted intention-to-treat analysis. The per-protocol analysis data showed similar results. All secondary outcomes apart from quality of life improved with intervention to a greater degree than in control.ConclusionSmart healthcare and self-managed exercise programs may be viable for community-based health promotion and fall prevention in older adults unfamiliar with online technology.

Keywords

• exercise
• information and communication technology
• older adults
• smart healthcare
• mobility