Effectiveness of an individually tailored home-based exercise rogramme for pre-frail older adults, driven by a tablet application and mobility monitoring: a pilot study

OBJECTIVES: To gain first insight into the effectiveness of a home-based exercise programme for pre-frail older adults with independent use of novel ICT technology. METHODS: A pilot study. Forty pre-frail older adults joined a six-month home-based exercise programme using a tablet PC for exercise administration and feedback, and a necklace-worn motion sensor for daily physical activity registration. Participants received weekly telephone supervision during the first 3 months and exercised independently without supervision from a coach during the last 3 months. Functional performance and daily physical activity were assessed at baseline, after three and 6 months. RESULTS: Twenty-one participants completed the programme. Overall, functional performance showed positive results varying from (very) small to large effects (Cohen’s d 0.04–0.81), mainly during the supervised part of the intervention. Regarding daily physical activity, a slight improvement with (very) small effects (Cohen’s d 0.07–0.38), was observed for both self-reported and objectively measured physical activity during the supervised period. However, during the unsupervised period this pattern only continued for self-reported physical activity. CONCLUSION: This pilot study showed positive results varying from (very) small to large effects in levels and maintenance of functional performance and daily physical activity, especially during the supervised first 3 months. Remote supervision seems to importantly affect effectiveness of a home-based exercise programme. Effectiveness of the programme and the exact contribution of its components should be further quantified in a randomized controlled trial. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: Home-based exercising using novel technology may be promising for functional performance and physical activity improvement in (pre-frail) older adults. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Netherlands Trial Register (NTR); trial number NL4049. The study was prospectively registered (registration date 14/11/2013). SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s11556-021-00264-y.