Can Primary Care Change Elderly Physical Activity and Salt Intake? An Australian Pilot Trial
- Conditions
- Health Behaviour
- Registration Number
- NCT01693536
- Lead Sponsor
- Health HQ
- Brief Summary
A randomised controlled trial to test if offering three visits to a dietician + two visits to a physiotherapist over six months + a home sphygmomanometer, will result in a reduction in sodium intake and an increase in fitness in people over 75yrs. Volunteers were enrolled from Oct 2008 to July 2009.
- Detailed Description
There is evidence that both sedentary lifestyle and high sodium diets contribute to cardiovascular disease and possibly dementia among the elderly. There is a need to show that minimal intervention can reduce sodium intake and increase fitness in the elderly. Finland has shown that five dietician visits/year could change diet in respect to fat and fibre. In Australia the National Health Insurer (Medicare) funds five allied health visits/year for those with chronic disease, hence our use of this model. This is consistent with WHO guidelines for a national approach using existing health infrastructure. The elderly (75-95yrs) were chosen as this group is thought most difficult to change behaviour and has a higher incidence of dementia.
Recruitment & Eligibility
- Status
- COMPLETED
- Sex
- All
- Target Recruitment
- 85
- Living independently
- Must be able to walk for six minutes
- Dementia as defined by Standardised Mini-Mental State Examination score <25/30
- All patients of HealthHQ-Southport General Practice
Study & Design
- Study Type
- INTERVENTIONAL
- Study Design
- PARALLEL
- Primary Outcome Measures
Name Time Method the change in morning urine sodium/potassium ratio between enrollment and six months this measure is to reflect sodium intake. A 24hr urinary sodium cannot be readily validated as an accurate collection and even in the Trials of Hypertension Prevention study was changed to 8hrs to assist compliance. A spot morning ratio is a useful marker of sodium intake for group evaluation.
the increased distance in a six minute walk test between enrollment and six months to measure objectively an increase in fitness the increase in the six minute walk test was used
- Secondary Outcome Measures
Name Time Method change in systolic BP between enrollment and six months teaching people to reduce sodium intake and increase fitness may reduce systolic blood pressure as a secondary outcome
change in doses/day of antihypertensive medication between enrollment and six months teaching reduction in sodium and increased fitness may mean people need less antihypertensive medication as a secondary outcome
change in waist measurement between enrollment and six months teaching increased fitness would be expected to reduce waist measurement as a secondary outcome
change in weight & BMI between enrollment and six months teaching increased fitness would be expected to reduce weight and therefore calculated Body Mass Index as a secondary outcome
change in cognition measurement between enrollment and six months Cognition measurements using the Standardised Mini-Mental State Examination, and the more comprehensive and sensitive Addenbrooke Cognitive Examination to compare those in the intervention group with the highest and lowest quartiles of reduction in sodium intake + increased fitness (equally weighted), as a secondary outcome of teaching these lifestyle changes.
Trial Locations
- Locations (1)
Health HQ-Southport General Practice
🇦🇺Southport, Queensland, Australia
Health HQ-Southport General Practice🇦🇺Southport, Queensland, Australia