Church-based social marketing to motivate older adults to take balance classes for fall prevention: cluster randomized controlled trial.

OBJECTIVE: Determine whether a church-based social marketing program increases older adults' participation in balance classes for fall prevention. METHODS: In 2009-10, 51 churches (7101 total members aged ≥ 60) in Colorado, U.S.A. were randomized to receive no intervention or a social marketing program. The program highlighted benefits of class participation (staying independent, building relationships), reduced potential barriers (providing convenient, subsidized classes), and communicated marketing messages through church leaders, trained "messengers," printed materials and church-based communication channels. Between-group differences in balance class enrollment and marketing message recall among congregants were compared using Wilcoxon Two-Sample Test and regression models. RESULTS: Compared to 25 control churches, 26 churches receiving the social marketing program had a higher median proportion (9.8% vs. 0.3%; p<0.001) and mean number (7.0 vs. 0.5; IRR=11.2 [95%CI: 7.5, 16.8]) of older adult congregants who joined balance classes. Intervention church members were also more likely to recall information about preventing falls with balance classes (AOR=6.2; 95% CI: 2.6, 14.8) and availability of classes locally (AOR=7.7; 95% CI: 2.6, 22.9). CONCLUSIONS: Church-based social marketing effectively disseminated messages about preventing falls through balance classes and, by emphasizing benefits and reducing barriers and costs of participation, successfully motivated older adults to enroll in the classes.

Factors Associated With Older Adults' Enrollment in Balance Classes to Prevent Falls: Case-Control Study.

Balance training decreases fall risk among older adults, but few participate in such training. We examined the association of exposure to social marketing to promote balance classes, personal characteristics and other factors, with older adults' balance class participation. Adults aged ⩾60 years were eligible for this case-control study if they attended any church enrolled in a trial testing the effect of social marketing on balance class participation. Cases attended balance classes during the study period; controls were randomly sampled congregants who did not join a class. Cases were more likely to attend churches that received the social marketing program, and were older, more often female, and more frequently experienced "near falls" than controls. Participation was also associated with increasing age of the church's leader and rural church attendance. Programs to promote balance classes may need to be tailored to target some risk groups, including men and urban and suburban congregants.