Online Physical Activity Advice For Older Adults During COVID-19: Results Of A Pilot Study

Abstract

Older adults in quarantine due to the COVID-19 pandemic likely have turned to the internet for advice on exercise and health. PURPOSE: Given adherence to physical activity guidelines (PAGs) lowers risk of sickness and death due to COVID-19, this presentation presents the results of a pilot study to determine the extent messages of online physical activity promotion articles tailored to older adults, and published during the COVID-19 pandemic, aligned with US. 2018 PAGs. METHODS: An apriori inclusion criteria was used (e.g., online article, in English, published March 2020-February 2021). Three search engines set to private browsing were used: Bing, Google, and Yahoo. After piloting search terms, an internet search was conducted within a 24-hour period (February 10, 2021). Two review levels (title & full text) narrowed the initial sample from 763 articles to 15. The Content Analysis Approach to Theory-specified Persuasive Educational Communication (CAATSPEC) guided the line-by-line categorization of article messages into three categories: PAG-mismatch, -partial match, - full match. The coding form contained 15 PAGs across four topic areas: aerobic, muscle, older adult, sedentary adult. The coding form and procedures were refined across three practice phases using a random set of like, pre-pandemic articles. Rater reliability was verified using a random subset of the study sample (n = 9/15). Preliminary results are based on the analysis of the article subset (n = 9) and second author coding (chosen apriori). RESULTS: Between-rater reliability was fair (1st vs 2nd author, ICC = .56). Within-rater reliability was excellent (2nd author, 3-day grace period, ICC = .99). The pilot articles contained the following fitness topics: aerobic (100%), muscle (78%) and safety (78%). Twenty-six advisements that explicitly aligned with 8 PAGs were tallied. Most tallies were a partial match (92%). None were a mismatch. Advisements fell within three PAG categories: older adult (46%), sedentary adults (36%), and muscle fitness (15%). Zero statements mirrored aerobic PAGs. CONCLUSION: Pilot data suggests older adults seeking credible advice for maintaining their health during COVID-19 likely receive little advice matching PAGs through online articles. Implication of these findings and project next steps will be presented.