Abstract
The aim of this study was to assess physical activity and sedentary behavior, as well as the usage behavior, usability, acceptance, and motivational impact of an applied activity tracker among nursing home residents. Physical activity and usage behavior were measured among 22 residents (68 to 102 years) by use of a commercial activity tracker worn during waking hours for 77 days on average. Usability, acceptance, and motivational impact of the tracker were examined using an adapted questionnaire. Participants walked, on average, 1007 ± 806 steps per day and spent, on average, more than 9 h (77.2% of their waking time) sedentary. The average steps/day increased significantly within the first five weeks of wearing the activity tracker. The acceptance rate was high (94.4%). The tracker was used for 65.4% of the individual study period, and usage behavior did not significantly change during the first five wearing weeks. Participants with a usage time of ≥50% walked significantly more steps per day than those with a lower usage. Overall, we were able to reveal that the residents were highly inactive and sedentary. The results support the feasibility of a long-term application of activity trackers to assess or even increase physical activity behavior.
Highlights
In the European Union, the number of people aged 80 years and older is projected to grow from4.9% in 2016 to 13% in 2070 [1]
The results of the present study suggest that nursing home residents have a very low activity level of about 1000 steps per day with a range between 70 and 2770 steps, and spend about 9 h of their waking time sedentary, usually without interruptions
The results suggest that using activity trackers can positively influence the Physical activity (PA) behavior of nursing home residents, even without targeted feedback
Summary
In the European Union, the number of people aged 80 years and older is projected to grow from4.9% in 2016 to 13% in 2070 [1]. In the European Union, the number of people aged 80 years and older is projected to grow from. In Germany, the number of care-dependent elderly, such as nursing home residents, is expected to increase by 47.4% up to 2030 [2]. PA is a promising approach to maintain health and independence into old age and to reduce health resource use and costs [13]. Despite these findings, older adults (especially nursing home residents) are considered the least active group [14,15,16].
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