Health promotion in later life

Exercise promotion for those aged 65 and over in general practice, funded by the HTA, 2008-2013. 

The ProAct65+ study is a multi-centre cluster trial in primary care comparing a community group exercise programme and home based exercise with usual care for people aged 65 and over.

The aim of the project is to evaluate the delivery, impact and cost effectiveness of a community based exercise programme (FaME); compared to a home-based exercise programme (OEP) supported by similarly aged mentors; compared with usual care for primary care patients.

The ProAct65+ trial has the following objectives:
(1) To determine the effect on continuation of exercise of these two evidence based exercise programmes designed for older people, compared with usual care i.e. with no special interventions to promote physical activity.  
(2) To determine the health benefits of the programmes to patients starting at various levels of physical activity, particularly the effects on physical and psychological status, health status and quality adjusted life years (QALYs).
(3) To estimate the costs of the exercise interventions and to assess the cost-effectiveness of community group exercise, and home-supported exercise compared with usual care.
(4) To determine the acceptability of the programmes, adherence rates, enabling factors and barriers to future implementation.
(5) To determine participants' perceptions of the value of exercise, and the predictors of continued exercise.

The trial is taking place in London and Nottingham, and aims to recruit 1,200 participants from 33 practices. It started in June 2008 and will finish in mid-2013. ProAct65+ is funded by the Health Technology Assessment programme.

Evidence based interventions in dementia - the EVIDEM programme - is one of the first wave NIHR programmes of translational research 2007-2012.

EVIDEM is hosted by Central and North West London Foundation Trust. The academic consortium of five universities is led by the department of Primary Care and Population Health at UCL.

To see the projects within the EVIDEM programme go to their website.