Entwicklung und Evaluation des Gesundheitssportprogramms AOKardio

Gesundheitssportprogramme sind regelmäßige und systematische Trainings- und Übungsprogramme, die sich mit den Kernzielen des Gesundheitssports auseinandersetzen (Brehm, Bös, Opper, Saam, 2002). Gut evaluierte Programme hinsichtlich der Konzeptqualität, der Prozess- und der Ergebnisqualität sind selten. Daher wurde das Gesundheitssportprogramm „AOKardio – Ein kombiniertes Indoor- und Outdoorprogramm“ entwickelt und evaluiert. Es richtet sich an Bewegungseinsteiger sowie -wiedereinsteiger und ist nach den FITT-Empfehlungen für Gesundheitssport ausgerichtet. Die vorliegende Arbeit evaluiert das Gesundheitssportprogramm AOKardio hinsichtlich seiner Konzept-, und Planungsqualität, seiner Struktur- und Prozessqualität, sowie seiner Ergebnisqualität. Für die Konzept- und Planungsqualität erwies sich das logische Modell als hilfreiches Kommunikationstool, nicht nur bei der Planung und Entwicklung, sondern auch im Laufe der Intervention. Bei der Struktur- und Prozessqualität wurde das Programm nach den Kriterien des DTB (QUAGES-Fragebogen) und den Qualitätskriterien des DOSBs bewertet und besprochen. Für die Ergebnisqualität wurden die Effekte des Programms (orientiert an den sechs Kernzielen von Gesundheitssport) mittels einer kontrollierten Studie im Prä-Post-Testdesign untersucht. Die Effekte beziehen sich auf die Ausdauer, den BMI, die körperliche Befindlichkeit, den subjektiven Gesundheitszustand, das Körperbild, das Befinden, die seelische Gesundheit und die sportbezogene Selbstwirksamkeit. Die Kontrollgruppe besteht aus Teilnehmern eines Ernährungskurses der AOK. Für die Struktur- und Prozessqualität erhielt das AOKardio-Programm bei den Qualitätskriterien des DTB 150 von 162 möglichen Punkten (92%) und bei den Qualitätskriterien des DOSB 38 von 48 möglichen Punkten (79%). Daher kann die Struktur- und Prozessqualität überwiegend in einem sehr guten Bereich eingeordnet werden. Für die Ergebnisqualität zeigen sich durchweg positive Gesundheitseffekte in beiden Gruppen. Die Ergebnisse der 35 Kurse (KG: T1: N=96; T2: N=31/ IG: T1: N=126; T2: N=61) weisen deskriptiv gesehen in fast allen Bereichen eine deutliche Verbesserung der IG im Vergleich zur Kontrollgruppe auf. Die AOKardio Gruppe verbessert sich dabei von ihrem ohnehin höheren Niveau aus deutlicher als die Kontrollgruppe. Statistisch gesehen werden die Ergebnisse im Walking-Test (nur Interventionsgruppe: Walking-Test: p=.000; df= 60; t=.4,67; +5%) und BMI signifikant (BMI: F= 28,00; p= .000; eta2= .114), jedoch hier wie erwartet zugunsten der Ernährungsgruppe. Die anderen Parameter weisen keine statistische Signifikanz auf. Dies könnte einerseits an dem relativ hohen Leistungsstand der Probanden zu T1 liegen; andererseits könnten diese Ergebnisse für Gesundheitssportprogrammen sprechen, die mehr als einmal pro Woche stattfinden. Nachfolgende Studien sollten sich mit der Überprüfung der Nachhaltigkeit von Programmen auseinandersetzen, was es ermöglichen würde, qualitativ hochwertigere Studien durchzuführen. Politisch gesehen werden die Forderungen nach einer flächendeckenden und frei zugänglichen Datenbank zur Gesundheitsportprogrammen immer lauter

Utilizing Incentivized Economic Experiments to Test for Social Skills Acquisition Through Physical Education: Study Protocol of the Movigen Project

Besides cognitive skills, non-cognitive skills—social skills in particular—are crucial for outcomes in various domains of life. The present work describes the design of the Movigen project, an intervention study with children aged 10–13 years using enhanced physical education lessons to foster social skills in a playful way. Utilizing a novel methodological approach various incentivized economic experiments were applied to test for spillover effects of the intervention on social skills. At three points during the course of the study individuals participated in a series of incentivized economic experiments to elicit economic preferences and personality traits. Additional information about physical activity and free time activities, different psychometric scales, and family background were elicited with questionnaires. Furthermore, a subset of individuals was equipped with accelerometers for 7 days to validate the answers on physical activity in the questionnaire. The data set comprises a treatment group which received enhanced physical education lessons and a control group which received regular physical education lessons at school. The comparison of individuals\u27 decision in the economic experiments between both groups allows to study the impact of our intervention on social skills

Social skills and sports: Pupils of an elite school of sports are more competitive and cooperative

It is frequently observed that individuals who actively practice sports also do well in other domains of life, e.g., the labor market. While the underlying mechanisms are not yet fully understood, it is often argued that sports participation is embedded in a setting which fosters qualities which prove advantageous beyond sports. In the present paper, we examine competitive and cooperative behavior in children aged 10–13 years. Rather than on individual levels of sports participation, the focus is on the institutional setting of an elite school of sports (ESS) as compared to regular upper secondary schools. To obtain measures for competitiveness and cooperativeness, we utilize experimental methods which are established in economics. Our results show that ESS students are both more competitive and more cooperative than their counterparts at regular schools

A multicomponent exercise intervention to improve physical functioning, cognition and psychosocial well-being in elderly nursing home residents: a study protocol of a randomized controlled trial in the PROCARE (prevention and occupational health in long-term care) project

Background Older adults, who are living in nursing homes that provide a high level of long-term nursing care, are characterized by multimorbidity and a high prevalence of dependency in activities of daily living. Results of recent studies indicate positive effects of structured exercise programs during long-term care for physical functioning, cognition, and psychosocial well-being. However, for frail elderly the evidence remains inconsistent. There are no evidence-based guidelines for exercises for nursing home residents that consider their individual deficits and capacities. Therefore, high-quality studies are required to examine the efficacy of exercise interventions for this multimorbid target group. The purpose of this study is to determine the feasibility and efficacy of a multicomponent exercise intervention for nursing home residents that aims to improve physical and cognitive functioning as well as quality of life. Methods A two-arm single-blinded multicenter randomized controlled trial will be conducted, including 48 nursing homes in eight regions of Germany with an estimated sample size of 1120 individuals. Participants will be randomly assigned to either a training or a waiting time control group. For a period of 16 weeks the training group will meet twice a week for group-based sessions (45–60 min each), which will contain exercises to improve physical functioning (strength, endurance, balance, flexibility) and cognitive-motor skills (dual-task). The intervention is organized as a progressive challenge which is successively adapted to the residents’ capacities. Physical functioning, cognitive performance, and quality of life will be assessed in both study groups at baseline (pre-test), after 16-weeks (post-treatment), and after 32-weeks (retention test, intervention group only). Discussion This study will provide information about the efficacy of a multicomponent exercise program in nursing homes (performance, recruitment). Results from this trial will contribute to the evidence of multicomponent exercises, which specifically focus on cognitive-motor approaches in the maintenance of mental and physical functioning. In addition, it will help to encourage older adults to actively engage in social life. Furthermore, the findings will lead to recommendations for health promotion interventions for frail nursing home residents. Trial registration The trial was prospectively registered at DRKS.de with the registration number DRKS00014957 on October 9, 2018

Recommendations for assessing motor performance in individuals with dementia:suggestions of an expert panel - a qualitative approach

Background: Recommendations for assessing motor performance in individuals with dementia (IWD) are rare, and most existing assessment tools previously applied in IWD were initially developed for healthy older adults. However, IWD and their healthy counterparts differ in motor and cognitive capabilities, which needs to be considered when designing studies for this population. This article aims to give recommendations for motor assessments for IWD and to promote standardisation based on a structured discussion of identified assessment tools used in previous trials.Methods: Appropriateness and standardisation of previously applied motor assessments for IWD were intensively discussed using a qualitative approach during an expert panel. Furthermore, the use of external cues and walking aids, as well as psychometric properties were considered. Starting with a comprehensive overview of current research practice, the discussion was gradually specified and resulted in the elaboration of specific recommendations.Results: The superior discussion emphasised the need for tailoring motor assessments to specific characteristics of IWD and attaching importance to standardised assessment procedures. Specific recommendations include the use of sequential approaches, which incorporate a gradual increase of complexity from simple to more difficult tasks, a selection of motor assessments showing sufficient relative reliability and appropriateness for IWD, as well as allowing external cues and walking aids when restricted to repeated instructions and commonly used devices, respectively.Conclusions: These are the first recommendations for assessing motor performance in IWD based on a comprehensive qualitative approach. Due to limited evidence, it was not possible to address all existing questions. It is therefore important to evaluate these recommendations in studies with IWD. Besides tailoring and evaluating available assessments, future research should focus on developing specific tools for IWD. Moreover, further progress in standardisation is necessary to enhance comparability between different trials. This article provides initial approaches for overcoming existing limitations in trials with IWD by giving recommendations and identifying future research questions, and therefore contributes to enhancing evidence regarding efficacy and effectiveness of physical activity interventions.</p

Recommendations for assessing motor performance in individuals with dementia: suggestions of an expert panel - a qualitative approach

Background: Recommendations for assessing motor performance in individuals with dementia (IWD) are rare, and most existing assessment tools previously applied in IWD were initially developed for healthy older adults. However, IWD and their healthy counterparts differ in motor and cognitive capabilities, which needs to be considered when designing studies for this population. This article aims to give recommendations for motor assessments for IWD and to promote standardisation based on a structured discussion of identified assessment tools used in previous trials.Methods: Appropriateness and standardisation of previously applied motor assessments for IWD were intensively discussed using a qualitative approach during an expert panel. Furthermore, the use of external cues and walking aids, as well as psychometric properties were considered. Starting with a comprehensive overview of current research practice, the discussion was gradually specified and resulted in the elaboration of specific recommendations.Results: The superior discussion emphasised the need for tailoring motor assessments to specific characteristics of IWD and attaching importance to standardised assessment procedures. Specific recommendations include the use of sequential approaches, which incorporate a gradual increase of complexity from simple to more difficult tasks, a selection of motor assessments showing sufficient relative reliability and appropriateness for IWD, as well as allowing external cues and walking aids when restricted to repeated instructions and commonly used devices, respectively.Conclusions: These are the first recommendations for assessing motor performance in IWD based on a comprehensive qualitative approach. Due to limited evidence, it was not possible to address all existing questions. It is therefore important to evaluate these recommendations in studies with IWD. Besides tailoring and evaluating available assessments, future research should focus on developing specific tools for IWD. Moreover, further progress in standardisation is necessary to enhance comparability between different trials. This article provides initial approaches for overcoming existing limitations in trials with IWD by giving recommendations and identifying future research questions, and therefore contributes to enhancing evidence regarding efficacy and effectiveness of physical activity interventions

A multicomponent exercise intervention to improve physical functioning, cognition and psychosocial well-being in elderly nursing home residents: a study protocol of a randomized controlled trial in the PROCARE (prevention and occupational health in long-term care) project

Background Older adults, who are living in nursing homes that provide a high level of long-term nursing care, are characterized by multimorbidity and a high prevalence of dependency in activities of daily living. Results of recent studies indicate positive effects of structured exercise programs during long-term care for physical functioning, cognition, and psychosocial well-being. However, for frail elderly the evidence remains inconsistent. There are no evidence-based guidelines for exercises for nursing home residents that consider their individual deficits and capacities. Therefore, high-quality studies are required to examine the efficacy of exercise interventions for this multimorbid target group. The purpose of this study is to determine the feasibility and efficacy of a multicomponent exercise intervention for nursing home residents that aims to improve physical and cognitive functioning as well as quality of life. Methods A two-arm single-blinded multicenter randomized controlled trial will be conducted, including 48 nursing homes in eight regions of Germany with an estimated sample size of 1120 individuals. Participants will be randomly assigned to either a training or a waiting time control group. For a period of 16 weeks the training group will meet twice a week for group-based sessions (45–60 min each), which will contain exercises to improve physical functioning (strength, endurance, balance, flexibility) and cognitive-motor skills (dual-task). The intervention is organized as a progressive challenge which is successively adapted to the residents’ capacities. Physical functioning, cognitive performance, and quality of life will be assessed in both study groups at baseline (pre-test), after 16-weeks (post-treatment), and after 32-weeks (retention test, intervention group only). Discussion This study will provide information about the efficacy of a multicomponent exercise program in nursing homes (performance, recruitment). Results from this trial will contribute to the evidence of multicomponent exercises, which specifically focus on cognitive-motor approaches in the maintenance of mental and physical functioning. In addition, it will help to encourage older adults to actively engage in social life. Furthermore, the findings will lead to recommendations for health promotion interventions for frail nursing home residents. Trial registration The trial was prospectively registered at DRKS.de with the registration number DRKS00014957 on October 9, 2018