Positive health outcomes following health-promoting and disease-preventive interventions for independent very old persons: Long-term results of the three-armed RCT Elderly Persons in the Risk Zone

• The aim of this study was to analyze the long-term effect of the two health-promoting and disease-preventive interventions, preventive home visits and senior meetings, with respect to morbidity, symptoms, self-rated health and satisfaction with health. The study was a three-armed randomized, single-blind, and controlled trial, with follow-ups at one and two years after interventions. A total of 459 persons aged 80 years or older and still living at home were included in the study. Participants were independent in ADL and without overt cognitive impairment. An intention-to-treat analysis was performed. The result shows that both interventions delayed a progression in morbidity, i.e. an increase in CIRS-G score (OR = 0.44 for the PHV and OR = 0.61 for senior meetings at one year and OR = 0.60 for the PHV and OR = 0.52 for the senior meetings at two years) and maintained satisfaction with health (OR = 0.49 for PHV and OR = 0.57 for senior meetings at one year and OR = 0.43 for the PHV and OR = 0.28 for senior meetings after two years) for up to two years. The intervention senior meetings prevented a decline in self-rated health for up to one year (OR = 0.55). However, no significant differences were seen in postponing progression of symptoms in any of the interventions. This study shows that it is possible to postpone a decline in health outcomes measured as morbidity, self-rated health and satisfaction with health in very old persons at risk of frailty. Success factors might be the multi-dimensional and the multi-professional approach in both interventions. Trial registration: NCT0087705. © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Subject headings

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Hälsovetenskap -- Sjukgymnastik (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Health Sciences -- Physiotherapy (hsv//eng)

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Hälsovetenskap -- Folkhälsovetenskap, global hälsa, socialmedicin och epidemiologi (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Health Sciences -- Public Health, Global Health, Social Medicine and Epidemiology (hsv//eng)

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Annan medicin och hälsovetenskap -- Gerontologi, medicinsk/hälsovetenskaplig inriktning (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Other Medical and Health Sciences -- Gerontology, specialising in Medical and Health Sciences (hsv//eng)

Keyword

Aged 80 and over

Disease prevention

Health promotion

Morbidity

Self-rated health

Symptoms

Publication and Content Type

ref (subject category)

art (subject category)