Preliminary efficacy of a technology-based physical activity intervention for older Korean adults during the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

Physical activity (PA) interventions deployed using eHealth technologies have been shown to improve cardiovascular health (CVH) and physical function in older adults. This study tested the preliminary efficacy of a 12-week hybrid (web-based and center-based) PA intervention combining the use of a smartwatch and mobile application. Our intervention was concurrently implemented in-person at the local senior welfare center and at-home through a web-based modality. Participants (n = 120) had an average age of 72.7 year and were largely female (75%). Health status was categorized as low-risk (26.7%), middle-risk (43.3%), and high-risk (30%). Overall, increases were evident in diastolic blood pressure (t = -3.55, p < .01), and high-density-lipoprotein (t = -3.02, p < .01), with decreases seen for triglyceride levels (t = 2.42, p < .05) at posttest. Participants showed improvements in muscular function (t = -3.75, p < .001) and cardiopulmonary endurance (t = -2.34, p < .05). Moreover, while controlling for covariate, participants in the middle-risk health category showed lower diastolic blood pressure (b = -4.54, p < .05) and greater triglyceride levels (b = 37.74, p < .001) and cardiopulmonary endurance (b = 6.98, p < .05) than those within the low-risk health group. Participants with high-risk health showed greater triglyceride levels than those with low-risk group (b = 40.57, p < .001). Further studies should test a PA intervention using a randomized controlled trial design, with the expansion of the surveyed covariates and possible important mechanistic confounders.