Online Chair Yoga and Digital Learning for Rural Underserved Older Adults at Risk for Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias

Abstract

ABSTRACT Objectives We evaluated the feasibility and preliminary efficacy of a home-based online chair yoga (OCY) program for racially and ethnically diverse rural community-dwelling older adults. Methods We randomly assigned participants to OCY or a computer brain game (CBG). After a computer literacy training led by high school students, participants engaged in remotely supervised OCY or CBG in twice-weekly 45-minute sessions for 12 weeks. Outcome data (pain interference, cognitive function, mobility, computer skills) were collected at baseline, post-intervention, and 3-month follow-up. Results A total of 32 eligible residents with mean age of 71 years participated in this intervention study. The interventions were feasible (100% recruitment rate, 96.8% retention rate, 100% safety rate). There were significant improvements in pain interference, cognitive function, mobility, and computer skills from baseline to follow-up among participants in both OCY and CBG but no significant differences in outcomes between groups. Conclusions Preliminary results indicated that the CBG was as effective as online OCY in clinical outcomes in these participants. However, this should be confirmed in future studies. Clinical Implications This telehealth-based intervention is feasible for older adults in rural and digitally underserved communities and could provide a strategy for delivering health-promoting interventions for home-bound older adults at risk for Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD) and connect caregivers to online resources.