Promoting physical activity in older adults by education of home visitors

The objectives were to investigate in older adults (1) whether regular preventive home visits are associated with change or stability in physical activity and (2) whether education of home visitors influences stability and change in physical activity. The design was a prospective controlled randomised follow-up study with randomization at municipality level (17 intervention and 17 control municipalities) and outcomes measured at individual level. Visitors in the intervention-municipalities received regular education during 3 years. The effect of the intervention was measured by a questionnaire survey among 1,913 old persons living in the 34 municipalities at baseline and 4 1/2-year follow-up. Changes in physical activity were measured through self-reported frequencies of vigorous physical activity. All logistic regression analyses were stratified by sex and age group (75 and 80 years old). There was no effect of receiving preventive home visits on change in physical activity among the men and among the 75-year-old women. Among the physically active 80-year-old women those who accepted and received more than four preventive home visits were more likely to go on being physically active compared to women who did not receive preventive home visits. Among the sedentary 80-year-old women those living in the intervention municipalities tended to increase their physical activity compared to the control women. These results were not seen in the old men. Preventive home visits as part of daily routine in primary care and education of home visitors and general practitioners may promote physical activity in older women.