Prolonged sitting is associated with several detrimental health outcomes such as heart disease, obesity, and poorer mental and physical wellbeing. Older adults are the fastest growing and most sedentary group in society, and as such, are at increased risk of these poor health outcomes. The importance of reducing sitting time in older adults has been highlighted by the UK Chief Medical Officers’ Physical Activity Guidelines and the NHS Long-Term for Ageing Well.
This project worked closely with the Community Ageing Research 75+ Study (CARE75+) to develop strategies to reduce prolonged sitting time in older adults, with a particular emphasis on the often-overlooked age group of adults aged ≥75 years. This was accomplished through the following:
- A review of the published evidence about existing solutions, and how older adults felt about these solutions.
- Exploring how adults aged ≥75 years view their sitting (what they do, what helps or hinders them to sit less)
- Co-producing acceptable strategies to reduce sitting time with adults aged ≥75 years.
- Testing these developed strategies with a small sample of this population to refine strategies based on participant feedback.
