Researchers and students conduct statewide evaluation activities for the Idaho Fit and Fall Proof (FFP) program housed in the Idaho Physical Activity and Nutrition Program, Division of Public Health at the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare. The FFP program, established in 2004, is a peer volunteer-led collaboration between state and local public health organizations. The goal of the program is to help older adults maintain independence by improving mobility and function and providing opportunities for social engagement. FFP also brings sustainable physical activity programs to underserved populations, including those in rural and frontier communities.
A six-month longitudinal study, conducted by Arnett and colleagues (2019) found that FFP produced results similar to programs using physiotherapists or athletic trainers. Significant improvements were seen in TUG and SF-36v2 measures of physical, social, and emotional health. Participants completing at least one 10-week session (66%) demonstrated sustained improvements on these measures. While the average change in TUG between baseline and 10 weeks was statistically significant (p = 0.003), improvement in TUG was dependent on age and attendance. For participants < 75 years, all attendance levels resulted in similar improvements in TUG. However, for those ≥75, improvements were strongly associated with the number of classes attended. Both the raw data and the model-based estimates of TUG times demonstrated that as age and attendance increase, greater improvements in TUG times were observed.
Citation: Arnett, M., Toevs, S., Bond, L., & Hannah, E. (2019). Outcomes of Participation in a Community-Based Physical Activity Program. Frontiers in public health, 7, 225. doi:10.3389/fpubh.2019.00225