Effectiveness of telehealth in preventive care: a study protocol for a randomised controlled trial of tele-exercise programme involving older people with possible sarcopenia or at risk of fall.

BACKGROUND: Continuous loss of muscle mass and strength are the consequences of the ageing process, which increase the risk of falls among older people. Falls can lead to severe consequences such as bone fractures and hampered physical and psychological well-being. Regular exercise is the key to reversing muscle atrophy and relieving sarcopenia. However, the frailty of older people and the recent COVID-19 pandemic may affect their confidence to leave home to attend classes in the community. A feasible and effective alternative should be explored. METHODS: The primary objective is to evaluate the effectiveness of tele-exercise (TE) in relation to physical functioning and exercise adherence among community-dwelling older people at risk of falls in comparison with a community-based group (CB). The secondary objective includes evaluating older people's experience with tele-exercise, emphasizing their psychological welfare, social well-being, and acceptance of the telehealth approach. The design, conduct, and report follow the SPIRIT guidelines (Standard Protocol Items: recommended items to address in a Clinical Trial Protocol and Related Documents). Older people will be recruited from 10 local community centres in Hong Kong and randomly allocated into two groups. All participants will attend the exercise training 3 days per week for 3 months but the mode of delivery will differ, either online as the tele-exercise group (TE) or face-to-face as the community-based group (CB). The outcome measures include muscle strength, physical function, exercise adherence and dropout rate, psychological and social well-being will be assessed at the baseline, and the 3rd, 6th and 12th month. Some participants will be invited to attend focus group interviews to evaluate their overall experience of the tele-exercise training. DISCUSSION: Tele-exercise reduces the barriers to exercise, such as time constraints, inaccessibility to facilities, and the fear of frail older people leaving their homes. Promoting an online home-based exercise programme for older people can encourage them to engage in regular physical activity and increase their exercise adherence even when remaining at home. The use of telehealth can potentially result in savings in cost and time. The final findings will provide insights on delivering exercise via telehealth to older people and propose an exercise delivery and maintenance model for future practice. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Chinese Clinical Trial Registry ( https://www.chictr.org.cn/hvshowprojectEN.html?id=219002&v=1.1 ), registration number: ChiCTR2200063370. Registered on 5 September 2022.

The use of technology for online learning among older adults in Hong Kong.

The use of technology to facilitate better living and learning is gaining popularity worldwide. More and more older adults are technology users and participating in online learning. While there is ample research examining the factors affecting older adults' behavioural intention to use technology more generally, less is known about their views of using technology in online learning environments. Applying the model for the adoption of technology by older adults (MATOA) developed by Kenneth Hsiche Wang et al., the authors of the study presented here investigated the attitudes of older adults towards technology adoption for online learning. They interviewed 20 adults aged 52-73 who had enrolled in a diploma course in a higher educational institution in Hong Kong. The results show that participants held favourable attitudes towards online learning after several practice sessions. While they had confidence in their future use of technology, they stated that the availability of technical and social support affected their intention of continuous learning using technology in online settings.

Utilisation de la technologie par les seniors à Hongkong pour apprendre en ligne ­ Utiliser la technologie pour faciliter l'amélioration de la qualité de vie et l'apprentissage, une activité qui jouit d'un engouement croissant dans le monde entier. De plus en plus de seniors se servent de la technologie pour se livrer à des activités d'apprentissage en ligne. Tandis que de nombreuses recherches portent sur les facteurs qui influent sur l'intention comportementale des seniors à utiliser la technologie d'une manière plus générale, nous savons peu de choses sur leurs points de vue à ce sujet dans les environnements d'apprentissage en ligne. S'appuyant sur le modèle pour l'adoption de la technologie par les seniors (model for the adoption of technology by older adults/MATOA) élaboré par Kenneth Hsiche Wang et coll., les auteurs de la présente étude se sont penchés sur les attitudes des seniors concernant l'adoption de la technologie pour apprendre en ligne. Ils ont interviewé 20 adultes âgés de 52 à 73 ans qui s'étaient inscrits à un cours diplômant dans un établissement d'enseignement supérieur à Hongkong. Les résultats indiquent que les participants se montraient favorables à l'apprentissage en ligne une fois qu'ils avaient participé à plusieurs séances d'entraînement. Tout en se sentant confiants quant à l'utilisation qu'ils feraient à l'avenir de la technologie, ils ont déclaré que la disponibilité d'un soutien technique et social influait sur leur intention d'apprendre en permanence en utilisant la technologie dans un environnement en ligne.

Relationships between Physical and Social Behavioural Changes and the Mental Status of Homebound Residents in Hong Kong during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

In Hong Kong, social distancing has been adopted in order to minimise the spread of COVID-19. This study aims to examine the changes in physical health, mental health, and social well-being experienced by local residents who were homebound during the pandemic. An online questionnaire in both Chinese and English versions was completed by 590 eligible participants from 24 April to 13 May 2020. The questionnaire found that individuals aged 18 to 25 years spent more time resting and relaxing but experienced more physical strain. Working status was associated with social contact, with participants working full-time jobs scoring higher in "maintaining social communication via electronic means" and "avoiding social activities outside the home". Additionally, approximately one third of the participants (29.7%) had moderate to severe depression, and participants aged 18 to 25 were found to have higher scores in PHQ-9. Changes in physical health and social contact were significantly associated with developing depressive symptoms. From the results, it is clear that the COVID-19 pandemic has the potential to exert a negative impact on the mental health status of individuals.