EFFECTIVENESS OF GROUP-MEDIATED LIFE STYLE PHYSICAL ACTIVITY (GLPA)PROGRAM FOR PHYSICAL ACTIVITIES AMONG OLDER PERSONS IN PHRA NAKHON SI AYUTTHAYA DISTRICT PHRA NAKHON SI AYUTTHAYA PROVINCE THAILAND

Abstract

Background and objective: Phranakhonsiayutthaya province currently is becoming an aging society. Previous study showed that the older persons in Phranakhonsiayutthaya district have had exercise only 23% in the last 3 months. Physical activity in older persons is one of the major factors for promoting older persons health. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of Group-Mediated Lifestyle Physical Activity (GLPA) program on changing physical activity among older persons in Phranakhonsiayutthaya district, Phranakhonsiayutthaya Province, Thailand. Methods: A quasi-experimental study, pretest-posttest with control group was conducted in Phranakhonsiayutthaya district, Phranakhonsiayutthaya Province, Thailand in 2014. 102 older persons who had aged 60 and over were randomly selected. 52 older persons from Ban-Mai sub-district were enrolled in the intervention group and 50 older persons from Wat Tum sub-district were enrolled for the control group. Physical activity was measured with Global Physical Activity Questionnaire-GPAQv2 (WHO, 2006). Physical activities classified into four activity domains: 1) activities at work (vigorous intensity activities: heavy loads, farming, moderate intensity activities: brisk walking, housework), 2) travel to and from places (transport activities: walking, bike), 3) recreational activities (vigorous intensity activities: jogging, aerobic, moderate intensity activities: swimming, cycling), and 4) sedentary behavior (sitting at work, home, time spent with friend). The intervention group received the GLPA program and the control group did not receive. The evaluation was done at baseline and 6 month after finished the intervention program. For an evaluation the effects of intervention program used General Linear Model repeated-measure ANOVA adjusted confounding factors. Results: 53.8% in the intervention group and 48.0% in the control group were females. Mean age of older persons in the intervention group was 69.33 (SD±6.408) and 67.96 (SD±5.119) in the control group. Health problems showed three-fifth (61.5 %) of intervention group and two-fifth (42.0%) in control group knew; prevalent disease was hypertension (44.2% intervention group and 38.0% in control group). The physical activity showed that less than two-third of them (65.4% in the intervention group), and half of them (50.0%) in the control group) had performed physical activities. Activities at work were vigorous intensity activities (36.5% in the intervention group, 62.0% in the control group) and moderate intensity activities (53.8% in the intervention group, 56.0% in the control group)). Travel to and from places was 46.2% in the intervention group and 54.0% in the control group. Recreational activities were vigorous intensity activities (30.8% in the intervention group, 60.0 % in the control group) and moderate intensity activities were 40.4% in the intervention group and 10.0% in the control group. Most of them have had sedentary behavior mean 2.81 hours per day (SD ± 1.544). The results of the study reveal that, after implementing the program, the intervention group had a significantly higher mean score of knowledge, mean score of attitude, practice (mean minute of total physical activity) with p-value <0.05 than before the experiment and the control group. It was also found that the effectiveness of the intervention program had a significantly higher mean minute of moderate intensity physical activity (p-value<0.001) such as activity at work (moderate intensity activity) with p-value <0.001, travel to and from places (p-value=0.001), and recreational activity (moderate intensity activity) with p-value<0.001 than before experiment and the control group. Conclusion: The finding was effective to improve knowledge of physical activities, attitude of physical activities and practice of physical activities. The program appropriate to promote physical activity especially moderate intensity activity in daily lifestyle such as walking, cycling, and housework at least 150 minutes per week as the recommendation on physical activity for health among older persons in rural community.