Assessment of Park Paths and Trails for Physical Activity Promotion among Older Adults in Saudi Arabia: Feasibility and Future Directions.

Unlabelled: Chronic diseases affect more than 80% of older adults. One modifiable risk factor for secondary prevention is physical activity. Public parks are an essential resource for physical activity, but environmental features may limit participation.

Assessment of park paths and trails to promote physical accessibility among wheelchair users in Saudi Arabia.

Background: Individuals with mobility disabilities are less likely to meet physical activity standards and are at greater risk of developing non-communicable chronic diseases at earlier ages. Public parks are an essential resource for participation in physical activity. However, environmental factors may limit the participation of wheelchair users.

Understanding the travel challenges and gaps for older adults during the COVID-19 outbreak: Insights from the New York City area.

The COVID-19 pandemic has greatly impacted lifestyles and travel patterns, revealing existing societal and transportation gaps and introducing new challenges. In the context of an aging population, this study investigated how the travel behaviors of older adults (aged 60+) in New York City were affected by COVID-19, using an online survey and analyzing younger adult (aged 18-59) data for comparative analysis. The purpose of the study is to understand the pandemic's effects on older adults' travel purpose and frequency, challenges faced during essential trips, and to identify potential policies to enhance their mobility during future crises.

Implementation in action: developing implementation strategies for an evidence-based prevention program.

In this commentary, I introduce existing literature on implementation mapping and the development of implementation strategies. I argue that educational materials describing essential features of a prevention program are needed regardless of the program site and therefore may be a good starting point in the implementation process. I use the development of educational materials and resources for the Stroll Safe outdoor falls prevention program as an example to illustrate the process used.

The Stroll Safe outdoor falls prevention program: Participant experiences in eight community sites.

Outdoor falls can negatively impact the quality of life of community-dwelling older adults. Although there are differences in risk factors for indoor and outdoor falls, none of the existing evidence-based fall prevention programs specifically targets outdoors falls. To fill this gap, the Stroll Safe program was developed.

Factors Associated With Participation in Physical Leisure Activities in Taiwanese Community-Dwelling Older Adults.

This study was to identify factors at the intrapersonal, interpersonal, and community levels that relate to physical leisure participation in Taiwanese community-dwelling older adults and to examine their relative importance. We used a cross-sectional study with purposive sampling (N = 160). Physical leisure participation was quantified as the variety, frequency, and duration of participation.

Efficacy of the Stroll Safe Outdoor Fall Prevention Program: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Background And Objectives: Outdoor falls can negatively affect the independence and well-being of community-dwelling older adults. Although there is some overlap, there are also differences in risk factors for indoor and outdoor falls. There are no existing community-based fall prevention programs that specifically target outdoor fall prevention.

Out-of-Home Activities and Health in Older Adults: A Scoping Review.

Participating in out-of-home (OOH) activities has been shown to benefit health in older adults. This scoping review aimed to describe the nature of the literature on OOH activities and health in community dwelling older adults, and the operationalization of OOH activity and health-related variables. We followed the Joanna Briggs Institute guidelines.

Stimulating Research to Enhance Aging in Place.

Older adults may benefit from interventions to successfully age in place. Research has an opportunity to test interventions and implementation strategies to fulfill the needs of older adults through collective evidence building. The purpose of this article is to describe the proceedings of the American Occupational Therapy Foundation (AOTF) 2019 Planning Grant Collective and describe the areas of research that were identified as critical.

Outdoor Falls Prevention Strategy Use and Neighborhood Walkability Among Naturally Occurring Retirement Community Residents.

Background: Outdoor falls present a significant challenge to the health and well-being of older adults. Safe strategy use is an important component of falls prevention, yet little is known regarding use of outdoor falls prevention strategies.

Aims: To examine outdoor falls prevention strategy use among naturally occurring retirement community residents at risk for falls, and to examine associations with neighborhood walkability.

Feasibility of the Stroll Safe Outdoor Fall Prevention Program.

Objective: Although half of falls occur outdoors, existing prevention programs focus primarily on risk factors for indoor falls. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of the Stroll Safe outdoor fall prevention program and to obtain feedback to refine the program and research methods to plan a larger scale study.

Method: A quasi-experimental design (N = 24) was used.

Falls Experiences and Prevention Preferences of Adults in Mid-life.

Falls prevention research and practice has focused primarily on older adults, yet healthy and productive aging does not begin at age 65. To help fill this gap in knowledge, the purpose of this study was to explore the falls experiences and prevention program preferences of adults in mid-life who had experienced falls or near falls. A qualitative study using content analysis was used.

Leisure as an End, Not Just a Means, in Occupational Therapy Intervention.

Leisure is commonly treated as a means instead of an end goal of intervention. This approach, influenced by history and society's past values, does not reflect the fact that leisure is meaningful and unique to its participants and has a significant effect on their health. On the basis of the core values of the occupational therapy profession and its role in the health care system, in this article we advocate that occupational therapists should expand their focus to include leisure as a goal of intervention.

Predicting Use of Outdoor Fall Prevention Strategies: Considerations for Prevention Practices.

Purpose: Outdoor falls are just as common as indoor falls, but have received less attention in research and practice. Behavioral strategies play an important role in outdoor fall prevention. The purpose of this study was to examine predictors of strategy use.

Pre-admission functional decline in hospitalized persons with dementia: The influence of family caregiver factors.

Older adults with dementia are more likely than those who do not have dementia to be hospitalized. Admission functional (ADL) performance is a salient factor predicting functional performance in older adults at discharge. The days preceding hospitalization are often associated with functional loss related to the acute illness.

Characteristics and consequences of falls among older adult trauma patients: Considerations for injury prevention programs.

Background/aim: Health promotion and prevention is an important component of occupational therapy practice. Falls are one of the most common causes of ER visits among older adults and injurious falls requiring trauma care can have a significant impact on the health and quality of life of elders. The aim of this study was to compare characteristics and consequences of falls among older adult trauma patients across different age groups with an eye towards informing injury prevention programs.

Knowledge, behavioral practices, and experiences of outdoor fallers: Implications for prevention programs.

Objective: Although the epidemiology and prevention of falls has been well studied, the focus has been on indoor rather than outdoor falls. Older adults' knowledge of outdoor risk factors and their outdoor fall prevention practices have not been examined. To fill this gap, and to inform the development of a prevention program, we sought to explore the experiences and fall prevention knowledge and practices of older adults who had sustained an outdoor fall.

Characteristics and fall experiences of older adults with and without fear of falling outdoors.

Objective: Using a theoretical model that combines an ecological perspective and Bandura's theory of self-efficacy as a guide, we sought to compare experiences and characteristics of community dwelling older adults with and without concern about falling outdoors.

Method: A survey of randomly selected community dwelling older adults across NYC (N = 120) was conducted using the outdoor falls questionnaire. Descriptive quantitative analyses of participant characteristics were conducted for all participants and for those with and without concern about falling outside.

Factors associated with IADL independence: implications for OT practice.

Background: Globally, the population is aging. Instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) are an important component of independent function and impact the ability of older adults to age in place. Therefore, factors associated with IADL independence warrant further study.

Indoor and outdoor falls among older adult trauma patients: A comparison of patient characteristics, associated factors and outcomes.

Aim: The aim of the present study was to examine significant differences in patient characteristics, associated factors and outcomes for indoor versus outdoor falls among trauma patients.

Methods: A retrospective cross-sectional study using data from the trauma registry and electronic medical records at a level 1 trauma center in the USA was carried out. People aged 55 years or older, for whom fall location could be identified (n = 712), were included in the study.

Factors Associated With Interest in Working With Older Adults: Implications for Educational Practices.

Background: The aging population has created a pressing need for specialists in geriatrics. The purpose of this pilot study was to examine the predictors of interest in working with older adults among students enrolled in or planning to enroll in a health science program, using an existing data set. The study was guided by Super's theory of vocational development.

Living Legends: Effectiveness of a Program to Enhance Sense of Purpose and Meaning in Life Among Community-Dwelling Older Adults.

Objective: We investigated the therapeutic benefits (i.e., sense of purpose and meaning in life) of the Living Legends program, which includes life review writing and an intergenerational exchange, compared with life review writing alone, for community-dwelling older adults.