Abstract
Parkinson’s disease (PD), a progressive neurodegenerative disorder, presents unique and daily challenges. Living with PD may limit one’s physical activity and negatively affect quality of life (QOL). No studies were identified that utilized online technology to promote health in this population. The purposes of this study were to (a) assess the feasibility of an intervention that requires wearing a physical activity tracker and participating in an online support group, and (b) examine the effect of this intervention on the self-efficacy for physical activity and QOL of older adults with PD. A 12-week longitudinal pretest/posttest design was used to assess physical activity, engagement in an online support group, self-efficacy, and QOL. A postintervention questionnaire was used to capture the participants’ (n = 5) experience using the physical activity tracker and an electronic tablet to engage in an online support group. The sample size of this feasibility study precluded robust quantitative analysis of QOL or self-efficacy. Findings from the open-ended questionnaire suggest technology was challenging for most participants, yet it did provide social support. Teaching effective interventions to promote self-management for increasing physical activity, and consequently improving QOL, is recommended. While technology can assist, older persons with PD may experience technological challenges.
Description
This article was originally published by SAGE in Gerontology & Geriatric Medicine under a Creative Commons Non Commercial CC BY-NC: This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 License (http://www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/)
Publisher
Sage Journals
Date of publication
3-2019
Language
english
Persistent identifier
http://hdl.handle.net/10950/1341
Document Type
Article
Recommended Citation
Hermanns, Melinda and Haas, Barbara K., "Engaging Older Adults With Parkinson’s Disease in Physical Activity Using Technology: A Feasibility Study" (2019). Nursing Faculty Publications and Presentations. Paper 32.
http://hdl.handle.net/10950/1341
Publisher Citation
• Hermanns, M., Haas, B. K., Rath, L., Murley, B., Arce-Esquivel, A. A., Ballard, J., & Wang, Y.T. (2018). Impact of tai chi on peripheral neuropathy revisited: A mixed-methods study. Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine, 4, 1-9. doi: 10.1177/2333721418819532