Healthy Aging Through Active Leisure: Design and Methods of SHAPE—a Randomized Controlled Trial of a Neighborhood-based Walking Project

Abstract

Although it has been established that health benefits can be gained from low to moderate levels of regular physical activity for all ages, a significant proportion of the elderly population remains sedentary, especially in developed countries. Despite the fact that the elderly population has much to gain from adopting health-promoting behaviors such as regular exercise, significant psychological, social, and environmental barriers remain. The Senior Health and Physical Exercise (SHAPE) project is a randomized controlled trial, which adopts an ecological approach to identifying, recruiting and promoting physical activity among populations of inactive elderly citizens in an urban setting. Bandura's Social Cognitive Theory incorporating self-efficacy factors, exercise behavior and neighborhood environment, underpins the planning and implementation of this project. This study identifies the heterogeneity of demographic characteristics, and examines related social and environmental influences enhancing or compromising physical activity patterns of seniors. A sample population of 583 healthy but inactive elderly citizens, 65 years and over was recruited from 56 metropolitan neighborhoods for participation in the study. This paper reports on the conceptual framework, design, neighborhood randomization and recruitment methods of a community-based physical activity program for elderly citizens.