Evaluating the Impact of the McMaster Optimal Aging Portal on Physical Mobility Outcomes

Study Overview
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Brief Summary
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The McMaster Optimal Aging Portal (the Portal) was launched in 2014 to increase public access to trustworthy health information. The Portal helps readers to access evidence-based resources; identify trustworthy messages; and understand scientific findings. Now the investigators want to know whether using the Portal changes what people know and do to stay healthy and mobile. This project will help us to: Understand how middle aged and older adults (age 40+) use the Portal to obtain information about maintaining and improving mobility Evaluate whether use of the Portal results in a change in knowledge about maintaining and improving mobility, or change in lifestyle behaviours that may help maintain or improve mobility with age.

Detailed Description
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Physically active lifestyles are important for health aging, but most Canadians do not meet published physical activity guidelines. This may be in part due to lack of access to evidence-based information on mobility and aging, and knowledge of strategies to maintain or improve mobility with age. The McMaster Optimal Aging Portal (the Portal) was launched in 2014 to increase public access to trustworthy health information. Now the investigators want to know if easy-to-understand evidence-based messages change what people know and do to stay healthy and mobile. Sequential, explanatory mixed-methods design consisting of a two-armed randomized controlled trial and a qualitative process study to explore quantitative findings in depth. Consent forms and a baseline survey will be sent to all interested participants. Following baseline data collection, participants will be stratified by previous Portal use, and randomized to the Knowledge Translation (KT) intervention or control group. During the 12-week KT intervention, intervention group participants will have access to the Portal and will receive mobility- focused weekly email alerts including blog posts and evidence summaries relevant to mobility and be invited to follow a Twitter and Facebook feed; a unique hashtag will be created to identify and collate relevant mobility information. Control group participants will be able to access the Portal in a 'self-serve' fashion, but will not receive targeted KT strategies.

Official Title
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Evaluating the Impact of the McMaster Optimal Aging Portal on Knowledge, Behavioural Intentions and Health Behaviours Related to Physical Mobility

Conditions
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Mobility Limitation

Intervention / Treatment
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* Other: Tailored Knowledge Translation


Participation Criteria
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Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria: English-speaking Exclusion Criteria: None

Ages Eligible for Study
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Minimum Age: 40 Years

Sexes Eligible for Study
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All

Accepts Healthy Volunteers
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Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Study Plan
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How is the study designed?
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Design Details

Primary Purpose: Other
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: Single


Arms and Interventions

| Participant Group/Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
| --- | --- |
| Experimental: Tailored Knowledge Translation<br>During the 12-week KT intervention, intervention group participants will have access to the Portal and will receive mobility-focused weekly email alerts including blog posts and evidence summaries relevant to mobility and be invited to follow a Twitter and Facebook feed; a unique hashtag will be created to identify and collate relevant mobility information. | Other: Tailored Knowledge Translation<br>* Tailored knowledge translation strategies specific to maintaining and increasing physical mobility with age.<br>|
| No Intervention: Control group<br>Participants in the control group will have access to the Portal in a 'self-serve' fashion. These participants will be able to browse the Portal, subscribe to email alerts, follow social media, etc. but will not receive the tailored mobility intervention. | |

What is the study measuring?
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Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Website analytics | Understanding participant engagement with the Portal and knowledge translation strategies | 12 weeks | 
| Email analytics | Understanding participant engagement with the Portal and knowledge translation strategies | 12 weeks | 
| Google analytics | Understanding participant engagement with the Portal and knowledge translation strategies | 12 weeks | 

Secondary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Knowledge Questionnaire | Participants knowledge of mobility recommendations and guidelines | 12 weeks, 3 months post-intervention | 
| Beliefs Questionnaire | Participants beliefs about the importance of maintaining and improving mobility for health | 12 weeks, 3 months post-intervention | 
| Intentions Questionnaire | Participants intentions to engage in lifestyle behaviours related to maintaining or improving mobility | 12 weeks, 3 months post-intervention | 
| Rapid Assessment of Physical Activity | To quantify self-reported physical activity | 12 weeks, 3 months post-intervention | 
| Manty Preclinical Mobility Disability Scale | Mobility limitation | 12 weeks, 3 months post-intervention | 

 Terms related to the study
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Keywords Provided by Centre Hospitalier Valida
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Mobility, Aging, Knowledge Translation, Physical Activity