MedPath

Evaluating the Impact of the McMaster Optimal Aging Portal on Physical Mobility Outcomes

Not Applicable
Completed
Conditions
Mobility Limitation
Interventions
Other: Tailored Knowledge Translation
Registration Number
NCT02947230
Lead Sponsor
McMaster University
Brief Summary

The McMaster Optimal Aging Portal (the Portal) was launched in 2014 to increase public access to trustworthy health information. The Portal helps readers to access evidence-based resources; identify trustworthy messages; and understand scientific findings. Now the investigators want to know whether using the Portal changes what people know and do to stay healthy and mobile.

This project will help us to:

1. Understand how middle aged and older adults (age 40+) use the Portal to obtain information about maintaining and improving mobility

2. Evaluate whether use of the Portal results in a change in knowledge about maintaining and improving mobility, or change in lifestyle behaviours that may help maintain or improve mobility with age.

Detailed Description

Physically active lifestyles are important for health aging, but most Canadians do not meet published physical activity guidelines. This may be in part due to lack of access to evidence-based information on mobility and aging, and knowledge of strategies to maintain or improve mobility with age. The McMaster Optimal Aging Portal (the Portal) was launched in 2014 to increase public access to trustworthy health information. Now the investigators want to know if easy-to-understand evidence-based messages change what people know and do to stay healthy and mobile.

Sequential, explanatory mixed-methods design consisting of a two-armed randomized controlled trial and a qualitative process study to explore quantitative findings in depth.

Consent forms and a baseline survey will be sent to all interested participants. Following baseline data collection, participants will be stratified by previous Portal use, and randomized to the Knowledge Translation (KT) intervention or control group. During the 12-week KT intervention, intervention group participants will have access to the Portal and will receive mobility- focused weekly email alerts including blog posts and evidence summaries relevant to mobility and be invited to follow a Twitter and Facebook feed; a unique hashtag will be created to identify and collate relevant mobility information. Control group participants will be able to access the Portal in a 'self-serve' fashion, but will not receive targeted KT strategies.

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status
COMPLETED
Sex
All
Target Recruitment
535
Inclusion Criteria
  • English-speaking
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Exclusion Criteria
  • None
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Study & Design

Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Study Design
PARALLEL
Arm && Interventions
GroupInterventionDescription
Tailored Knowledge TranslationTailored Knowledge TranslationDuring the 12-week KT intervention, intervention group participants will have access to the Portal and will receive mobility-focused weekly email alerts including blog posts and evidence summaries relevant to mobility and be invited to follow a Twitter and Facebook feed; a unique hashtag will be created to identify and collate relevant mobility information.
Primary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Google analytics12 weeks

Understanding participant engagement with the Portal and knowledge translation strategies

Website analytics12 weeks

Understanding participant engagement with the Portal and knowledge translation strategies

Email analytics12 weeks

Understanding participant engagement with the Portal and knowledge translation strategies

Secondary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Knowledge Questionnaire12 weeks, 3 months post-intervention

Participants knowledge of mobility recommendations and guidelines

Beliefs Questionnaire12 weeks, 3 months post-intervention

Participants beliefs about the importance of maintaining and improving mobility for health

Intentions Questionnaire12 weeks, 3 months post-intervention

Participants intentions to engage in lifestyle behaviours related to maintaining or improving mobility

Manty Preclinical Mobility Disability Scale12 weeks, 3 months post-intervention

Mobility limitation

Rapid Assessment of Physical Activity12 weeks, 3 months post-intervention

To quantify self-reported physical activity

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

McMaster University

🇨🇦

Hamilton, Ontario, Canada

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