E-health Brisk Walking in Older People With Cognitive Frailty

Launched by TUNG WAH COLLEGE · Feb 24, 2023

Keywords

ClinConnect Summary

This clinical trial is studying how effective two different programs are at helping older people with cognitive frailty become more physically active. Cognitive frailty means having both memory or thinking problems and being physically weak or inactive. The trial will see if using a smartphone app to encourage brisk walking can help improve physical activity and cognitive function compared to a traditional in-person program. The goal is to find out which method works better to help older adults improve their health and reduce the risks associated with cognitive frailty.

To be eligible for this trial, participants need to be at least 60 years old, have cognitive frailty, and not be getting enough physical activity – specifically less than 150 minutes of moderate to vigorous activity each week. They also need to have a smartphone that can run certain apps and be able to speak Cantonese. Over 14 weeks, participants will either use the e-health program or the traditional program, and their progress will be measured at the start, immediately after the program, and six months later. This study could help determine if e-health programs can be a successful alternative for promoting physical activity and improving cognitive health in older adults living in the community.

Gender

ALL

Eligibility criteria

• Inclusion Criteria:
• • 1) aged ≥ 60 years, because the WHO defines older people in Asia as those aged 60 or older;
• • 2) presence of cognitive frailty, defined as the co-existence of MCI and frailty at either the pre-frail or the frail level;
• • 3) physical inactivity, defined as \< 150 min of MVPA every week in the 4 weeks preceding the study, as confirmed by a Rapid Assessment of Physical Activity (RAPA) score of ≤ 4 (i.e., regularly underactive);
• • 4) possession of a smartphone on which Samsung Health and WhatsApp can be installed for \> 6 months; and
• • 5) being a Cantonese speaker, defined as possessing the ability to communicate in Cantonese.
• Exclusion Criteria:
• • 1) impaired mobility caused by conditions that require medication (e.g., severe arthritis) and inability to walk briskly outdoors, as defined by a modified Functional Ambulatory Classification score of \< 7);
• • 2) depressive symptomatology, as defined by a Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) score of ≥ 8;67
• • 3) having probable dementia (i.e., a Montreal Cognitive Assessment \[MoCA\] score of \< 20 or Clinical Dementia Rating \[CDR\] score of ≥ 1),
• • 4) being physically unfit because of chronic illness, as defined by a Physical Activity Readiness Questionnaire (PAR-Q) score of ≥ 1, and not having been examined by a medical doctor and certified as physically fit to participate in brisk walking;
• • 5) not enrolled in any other interventions to promote physical activity or training