Process Evaluation of a Combined Lifestyle Intervention for Community-Dwelling Older Adults: ProMuscle in Practice

Community-based complex interventions to sustain independence in older people, stratified by frailty: a systematic review and network meta-analysis

Background

Sustaining independence is important for older people, but there is insufficient guidance about which community health and care services to implement.

Objectives

To synthesise evidence of the effectiveness of community services to sustain independence for older people grouped according to their intervention components, and to examine if frailty moderates the effect.

Review design

Systematic review and network meta-analysis.

Eligibility criteria

Studies: Randomised controlled trials or cluster-randomised controlled trials. Participants: Older people (mean age 65+) living at home. Interventions: community-based complex interventions for sustaining independence. Comparators: usual care, placebo or another complex intervention.

Main outcomes

Living at home, instrumental activities of daily living, personal activities of daily living, care-home placement and service/economic outcomes at 1 year.

Data sources

We searched MEDLINE (1946-), Embase (1947-), CINAHL (1972-), PsycINFO (1806-), CENTRAL and trial registries from inception to August 2021, without restrictions, and scanned reference lists.

Review methods

Interventions were coded, summarised and grouped. Study populations were classified by frailty. A random-effects network meta-analysis was used. We assessed trial-result risk of bias (Cochrane RoB 2), network meta-analysis inconsistency and certainty of evidence (Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation for network meta-analysis).

Results

We included 129 studies (74,946 participants). Nineteen intervention components, including 'multifactorial-action' (multidomain assessment and management/individualised care planning), were identified in 63 combinations. The following results were of low certainty unless otherwise stated. For living at home, compared to no intervention/placebo, evidence favoured: multifactorial-action and review with medication-review (odds ratio 1.22, 95% confidence interval 0.93 to 1.59; moderate certainty) multifactorial-action with medication-review (odds ratio 2.55, 95% confidence interval 0.61 to 10.60) cognitive training, medication-review, nutrition and exercise (odds ratio 1.93, 95% confidence interval 0.79 to 4.77) and activities of daily living training, nutrition and exercise (odds ratio 1.79, 95% confidence interval 0.67 to 4.76). Four intervention combinations may reduce living at home. For instrumental activities of daily living, evidence favoured multifactorial-action and review with medication-review (standardised mean difference 0.11, 95% confidence interval 0.00 to 0.21; moderate certainty). Two interventions may reduce instrumental activities of daily living. For personal activities of daily living, evidence favoured exercise, multifactorial-action and review with medication-review and self-management (standardised mean difference 0.16, 95% confidence interval -0.51 to 0.82). For homecare recipients, evidence favoured the addition of multifactorial-action and review with medication-review (standardised mean difference 0.60, 95% confidence interval 0.32 to 0.88). Care-home placement and service/economic findings were inconclusive.

Limitations

High risk of bias in most results and imprecise estimates meant that most evidence was low or very low certainty. Few studies contributed to each comparison, impeding evaluation of inconsistency and frailty. Studies were diverse; findings may not apply to all contexts.

Conclusions

Findings for the many intervention combinations evaluated were largely small and uncertain. However, the combinations most likely to sustain independence include multifactorial-action, medication-review and ongoing review of patients. Some combinations may reduce independence.

Future work

Further research is required to explore mechanisms of action and interaction with context. Different methods for evidence synthesis may illuminate further.

Study registration

This study is registered as PROSPERO CRD42019162195.

Funding

This award was funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Health Technology Assessment programme (NIHR award ref: NIHR128862) and is published in full in Health Technology Assessment; Vol. 28, No. 48. See the NIHR Funding and Awards website for further award information.

Facilitators and barriers to the implementation of dietary nutrition interventions for community-dwelling older adults with physical frailty and sarcopenia: A qualitative meta-synthesis

Objectives

With the acceleration of an aging society, the prevalence of age-related chronic diseases such as physical frailty and sarcopenia is gradually increasing with numerous adverse effects. Dietary nutrition is an important modifiable risk factor for the management of physical frailty and sarcopenia, but there are many complex influences on its implementation in community settings. This study aimed to summarize the facilitators and barriers to the implementation of dietary nutrition interventions for community-dwelling older adults with physical frailty and sarcopenia, and to provide a reference for the formulation of relevant health management programs.

Methods

Searches were conducted in databases including PubMed, Web of Science, Medline (Ovid), Embase (Ovid), and Cochrane Library from inception to January 2023. Searches were completed for a combination of MeSH terms and free terms. The Critical Appraisal Skills Program (CASP) instrument was used to appraise quality. Coding and analysis of the extracted information were performed using the socio-ecological modeling framework. The study protocol for this review was registered on the PROSPERO ( CRD42022381339).

Results

A total of 10 studies were included. Of these, four were nutrition-only focused interventions, and six were dietary nutrition and exercise interventions. The facilitators and barriers were summarized based on the socio-ecological model that emerged at three levels: individual trait level, external environment level, and intervention-related level, containing ten subthemes.

Conclusion

Individual internal motivation and external support should be integrated with the implementation of diet- and nutrition-related interventions in community-living aged people with physical frailty and sarcopenia. Develop "tailored" interventions for participants and maximize available human and physical resources.

Barriers and facilitators for implementation of a combined lifestyle intervention in community-dwelling older adults: a scoping review

Background

Lifestyle interventions, combining nutrition and exercise, are effective in improving the physical functioning of community-dwelling older adults and preventing healthcare risks due to loss in muscle mass. However, the potential of these types of interventions is not being fully exploited due to insufficient implementation. Having insight into the determinants that could hinder or facilitate the implementation of a combined lifestyle intervention could improve the development of matching implementation strategies and enhance the implementation of such lifestyle interventions. The aim of this study was to identify barriers and facilitators for the successful implementation of a combined lifestyle intervention for community-dwelling older adults.

Method

A scoping review was conducted. A literature search was conducted in four electronic databases, and references were checked for additional inclusion. Studies were screened if they met the inclusion criteria. Barriers and facilitators were extracted from the included studies. To validate the results of the literature search, healthcare professionals and community-dwelling older adults were interviewed. Barriers and facilitators were categorized by two researchers according to the constructs of the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR).

Results

The search identified 12,364 studies, and 23 were found eligible for inclusion in the review. Barriers and facilitators for 26 of the 39 constructs of the CFIR were extracted. The interviews with healthcare professionals and older adults yielded six extra barriers and facilitators for implementation, resulting in determinants for 32 of the 39 CFIR constructs. According to literature and healthcare professionals, cosmopolitanism (network with external organizations), patient needs and resources, readiness for implementation, costs, knowledge and beliefs about the intervention, network and communication, and engaging were found to be the most important determinants for implementation of a combined lifestyle intervention.

Conclusion

A broad range of barriers and facilitators across all domains of the CFIR framework emerged in this study. The results of this review reflect on determinants that should be taken into account when planning for the implementation of a combined lifestyle intervention. A further step in the implementation process is the development of implementation strategies aiming at the identified determinants to enhance the implementation of a combined lifestyle intervention in community care.

Exercise Training to Improve Brain Health in Older People Living With HIV: Study Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial

BACKGROUND

With the advent of antiretrovirals, people living with HIV are living near-normal lifespans. However, people living with HIV are at greater risk of experiencing cognitive impairment and reduced brain integrity despite well-controlled viremia. A robust literature supports exercise interventions as a method of improving cognition and structural brain integrity in older individuals without HIV. The effects of exercise on cardiometabolic, neurocognitive, and neural structures in middle-aged to older people living with HIV are less well known, with few prospective studies examining these measures.

OBJECTIVE

This prospective randomized clinical trial will examine the effects of a 6-month exercise training intervention compared to a 6-month stretching intervention (control) on cardiorespiratory fitness, physical function and strength, cognition, and neuroimaging measures of brain volumes and cerebral blood flow in people living with HIV.

METHODS

Sedentary middle-aged to older people living with HIV (ages≥40; n=150) with undetectable HIV viral load (<20 copies/mL) will be enrolled in the study. At the baseline and final visit, fasting plasma lipid, insulin, glucose, and brain neurotrophic factor concentrations; cardiorespiratory fitness; cognitive performance; brain volumes; and cerebral blood flow via a magnetic resonance imaging scan will be measured. Participants will be randomized in a 2:1 ratio to either the exercise or control stretching intervention. All participants will complete their assigned programs at a community fitness center 3 times a week for 6 months. A professional fitness trainer will provide personal training guidance at all sessions for individuals enrolled in both arms. Individuals randomized to the exercise intervention will perform endurance and strength training exercises, while those randomized to the control intervention will perform stretches to increase flexibility. A midpoint visit (at 3 months) will assess cognitive performance, and at the end point visit, subjects will undergo cardiorespiratory fitness and cognition testing, and a magnetic resonance imaging scan. Physical activity throughout the duration of the trial will be recorded using an actigraph.

RESULTS

Recruitment and data collection are complete as of December 2020. Data processing, cleaning, and organization are complete as of December 2021. Data analysis began in January 2022, with the publication of study results for primary aims 1 and 2 expected by early 2023.

CONCLUSIONS

This study will investigate the effects of a 6-month aerobic and resistance exercise training intervention to improve cardiometabolic risk factors, cognitive performance, cerebral structure, and blood flow in sedentary people living with HIV. Results will inform clinicians and patients of the potential benefits of a structured aerobic exercise training program on the cognitive, functional, and cardiometabolic health status of older people living with HIV. Assessment of compliance will inform the development and implementation of future exercise programs for people living with HIV.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02663934; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02663934.

INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID)

DERR1-10.2196/41421.

Effects and contextual factors of a diet and resistance exercise intervention vary across settings: an overview of three successive ProMuscle interventions

Background

Although many effective interventions have been developed, limited interventions have successfully been implemented. An intervention that was translated across settings is ProMuscle: a diet and resistance exercise intervention for older adults. However, varying contexts often lead to varying effects due to contextual factors (characteristics of individuals, organizations, communities or society). The current study aimed to gain insights into effects and contextual factors of ProMuscle in the controlled setting (ProMuscle: PM), real-life setting (ProMuscle in Practice: PiP), and real-life setting of the implementation pilots (ProMuscle Implementation Pilots: IP).

Methods

Data from the intervention arms of PM (N = 31) and PiP (N = 82), and from IP (N = 35) were used. Physical functioning (chair-rise test) and leg strength (1-10 repetition maximum) were measured at baseline and after 12-weeks intervention. Paired t-tests and General Linear Models were used to study changes after 12 weeks and differences between interventions. To explore contextual factors, researchers of PM and physiotherapists and dietitians of PiP and IP were interviewed. Factors were categorized according to the five domains and its underlying constructs of the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR).

Results

Improvements on chair-rise performance were found in PM (-2.0 ± 7.0 s, p = 0.186), PiP (-0.8 ± 2.9 s, p = 0.019) and IP (-3.3 ± 4.2 s, p = 0.001). Similar results were found for leg strength in PM (32.6 ± 24.8 kg, p < 0.001), PiP (17.0 ± 23.2 kg, p < 0.001), and IP (47.8 ± 46.8 kg, p < 0.001). Contextual factors that contribute to explaining the relatively high effects in IP included room for adapting and tailoring the intervention, involvement of experienced professionals, availability of and access to facilities, and participants characteristics.

Conclusions

Effects of the intervention appeared to be strongest in the real-life setting of the implementation pilots. Specific contextual factors contributed to explaining the different findings across settings. Future studies should investigate crucial factors that determine successful implementation of interventions in the real-life setting, to ensure that effective interventions are put into action and reach a broad population.

Trial registration

The ProMuscle intervention was registered in the Trial Registration (clinicaltrials.gov identifier: NCT01110369) on February 12th, 2010. The ProMuscle in Practice intervention was registered in the Netherlands Trial Register (NTR6038) on August 30th, 2016. Trial registration was not needed for the ProMuscle Implementation Pilots as this research did not fall within the remit of the Dutch ‘Medical Research Involving Human Subjects Act’.

In-Depth Analyses of the Effects of a Diet and Resistance Exercise Intervention in Older Adults: Who Benefits Most From ProMuscle in Practice?

BACKGROUND

The ProMuscle in Practice intervention, comprising resistance exercise and an increased protein intake, was effective in improving muscle strength, lean body mass, and physical functioning in older adults aged 65 years and older (N = 168). However, a heterogeneous response to such interventions is common. Therefore, we explored the differences in responsiveness to the intervention in subgroups based on demographic characteristics and mobility-impairing disorders.

METHOD

Multiple regression analyses were performed to study mean changes between baseline and 12 weeks on the Short Physical Performance Battery, chair rise test, lean body mass, knee extension strength, leg press strength, and leg extension strength. The interaction term Treatment × Subgroup was included to study differences in effects between subgroups. Subgroups comprised age (≤75 vs >75 years), sex (men vs women), presence of frailty, presence of sarcopenia, and presence of osteoarthritis.

RESULTS

A significant interaction effect including age was found on lean body mass (β = -0.8; 95% CI: -1.5, -0.2), favoring participants aged 75 years and younger. A significant interaction effect including sex was found on leg press strength (β = 15.5; 95% CI: 0.6, 30.3), favoring women. Participants with or without frailty, sarcopenia, or osteoarthritis responded equally to the intervention in terms of absolute effects.

CONCLUSIONS

Participants aged 75 years and younger and women benefited to a great extent from the intervention, as they improved significantly on nearly every outcome. Effects in participants with and without a mobility-impairing disorder were comparable, indicating that the intervention is suitable for both groups.

Cost-effectiveness of a Diet and Resistance Exercise Intervention in Community-Dwelling Older Adults: ProMuscle in Practice

OBJECTIVES

Ageing is associated with a decline in functioning and a loss of independence, which will lead to increased health care costs in the future. The ProMuscle in Practice intervention was found to be effective in improving muscle strength, muscle mass, and functioning of older adults. The current study assesses the cost-effectiveness and perceived benefits of the intervention.

DESIGN

Trial-based cost-effectiveness analysis complemented by interviews.

SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS

A total of 168 community-dwelling older adults were included. Intervention participants started with a 12-week intensive support program, comprising resistance exercise guided by physiotherapists and consultations with a dietitian to increase protein intake. To maintain the adapted lifestyle pattern, they continued with a 12-week moderate support intervention. The control group received usual care.

METHODS

Costs and outcomes were measured at baseline, after 12 and 24 weeks. Costs were assessed from a societal perspective. Health care use, out-of-pocket costs, and productivity losses were measured using questionnaires. Intervention costs were quantified according to bottom-up micro-costing. Outcomes included quality of life (EQ-5D-5L) and physical functioning (Short Physical Performance Battery [SPPB]). Bootstrap analyses were used to generate cost-effectiveness planes and acceptability curves. Interviews with participants and professionals were conducted after 24 weeks to measure perceived benefits.

RESULTS

An Incremental Cost-Effectiveness Ratio of €2988 ($3385)/point increase in SPPB was found. The intervention has an 82.4% probability of being cost-effective at a willingness to pay (WTP) of €12.000 ($13.559)/point increase in SPPB. No change in quality of life was found according to EQ-5D-5L. Interviews, however, revealed a wide range of function-related perceived benefits.

CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS

At a WTP of €12.000 ($13.559)/point increase in SPPB, the intervention was found to have an 82.4% probability of being cost-effective. Because generic quality of life questionnaires seem unable to detect subtle changes in public health interventions, future studies are advised to include targeted and specific questionnaires.