‘EnhanceFitness' an Evidence-Based Physical Activity Program: Factors Influencing the Participation of Older Women

Introduction: Improvement in physical activity levels can alter course of many chronic conditions. Data suggests that few older women engage in physical activity. Recognizing factors that enhance ability of older women to participate in health promotion programs is key to improving their health.

Methods: Healthy Aging Initiative offered EnhanceFitness (EF), an evidence-based physical activity program for older adults in South Florida. EF consists of three one-hour sessions per week and focuses on improving physical activity levels among participants. Participants completed demographic and health-history surveys on first day of class. Determinants of program completion were identified using logistic regression. Variables with p0.30 in bivariate analysis were included in final model.

Results: Between October 1, 2008 and December 31, 2012, 3,829 older women (>=60 years) attended one or more EF sessions with 924 completing the program defined as attending 32 sessions within first 16 weeks. Women who lived in Miami-Dade County (OR=2.2, p<0.001) and spoke English or Spanish were more likely to complete the program (OR=3.3, p<0.01; OR=2.8, p<0.05 respectively). When compared with whites, non-Hispanic Black women were less likely to complete the program (OR=0.528, p<0.01). Participants who did not report depression (self-identified) were 1.6 times more likely to complete the program (OR=1.6, p<0.05). Women with no self-identified poor health indicators were more likely to complete the program (OR=1.6, p<0.05).

Conclusion: Language, race/ethnicity, county, mental health, and health index were found to be significant. Understanding the role of these factors allow tailoring strategies to increase program completion and consequently program effectiveness.