Gender Perspective on Older People’s Preferences for Exercises in the Context of Falls Prevention : A qualitative study

• The aim with this study was to explore the preferences of community-dwelling older women and men regarding exercise characteristics in the context of preventing falls. Multistage focus group discussions were conducted with 18 older community-dwelling people with or without a history of falls. Participants were purposively sampled, and divided into two groups. Each group met six times. Participatory and Appreciative Action and Reflection methodology was used to guide the discussions. A qualitative content analysis approach was used in the analysis. Six categories emerged from the analysis. Two categories were related to motives and barriers for uptake, and four categories were related to adherence and maintenance: exercise characteristics; confirmation; spirit lifters and maintenance tricks. Small differences and many similarities in what women and men perceived as motivating factors in an exercise situation were displayed. To conclude, older people have many diverse preferences regarding exercise in the context of preventing falls, and the individual differences within genders seem to be greater than the differences between men and women. Exercise interventions to prevent falls should be individually tailored based on the specific needs and preferences of the older participant. In order to encourage internalization and intrinsic motivation for exercises, autonomy-supportive approaches may be applied and accompanied by competence strengthening confirmations, energizing spirit lifters and practical tips for exercise maintenance

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