Feasibility RCT of Culturally Appropriate Physical Activity Strategies for Older Chinese Adults in the UK

A Feasibility Randomised Controlled Trial of Culturally Appropriate Physical Activity Promotion Strategies Among Older Chinese Adults in the UK

The goal of this study was to explore the feasibility and acceptability of conducting a feasibility randomised controlled trial of culturally appropriate physical activity (PA) promotion strategies among older Chinese adults living in the UK.

The main questions the study aimed to answer were:

Whether older Chinese adults in the UK were willing to take part in the study and to be randomly assigned to a group

Whether participants were willing to remain in the study for its full duration

Whether participants were willing to engage with the PA promotion strategies, including attending workshops, using a logbook, wearing a pedometer, and joining a social media support group

Whether participants found the PA promotion strategies and outcome measures acceptable

Whether physical activity, physical function, and quality of life showed changes in the intervention and control groups

Researchers compared the culturally appropriate PA promotion strategies with a World Health Organization (WHO) PA recommendation leaflet. The study lasted 18 weeks, including a 12-week intervention and a 6-week follow-up.

Participants in the intervention group received culturally appropriate PA promotion materials, including booklets, workshops, a social media support group, a resistance band for strength and balance exercises, and a pedometer.

Participants in the control group received a WHO PA information leaflet and a pedometer.

Participants in both groups completed data collection at three time points. At each time point, participants were asked to wear a pedometer for 7 days.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Adults aged 60 years or above;
• Self-identified as Chinese ethnicity;
• Speaking either Cantonese, Mandarin and/or English;
• Able to read and write Chinese or English;
• No time requirement for their stay in the UK, but they should have settled in the UK as residents and not as tourists.
• Self-report not meeting the PA guidelines for older adults (engaging in less than 150 minutes of moderate-level PA each week and performing balance, strength, and flexibility exercises less than twice a week);
• Self-report being able to walk around at home independently;
• Can provide informed consent.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Those who self-report that they already meet the PA guidelines (engaging in more than 150 minutes of moderate-level PA each week and performing balance, strength, and flexibility exercises more than twice a week), as this study focuses on older Chinese adults with insufficient PA.
• Those who plan to be away from Manchester for more than 2 months during the intervention period.
• Participants with diseases where exercise is contraindicated will be excluded to ensure the safety of the participants. A self-reported approach will be used to identify these conditions, including cognitive impairment, as it is considered more acceptable by PCIE participants than formal assessments such as the MMSE (Mini-Mental State Examination), which were viewed as burdensome. To mitigate potential bias, the research team will monitor participants throughout the study. Participants who show signs of impairment after giving consent, such as difficulty completing data collection or following instructions, will be excluded.