Older Veterans’ perspectives on participation in a clinical exercise program: A qualitative study of the VA Gerofit exercise program

Autor: Lauren M Abbate, Sarah R Jordan, P Michael Ho, Daniel D Matlock, Kelli D Allen, Sarah Wherry, Toby Wellington, Zach J Buxo, Vanessa Richardson, Courtney McGuire, Megan Pearson, Katherine S Hall, Kathryn A Nearing
Jazyk: angličtina
Rok vydání: 2024
Předmět:
Zdroj: SAGE Open Medicine, Vol 12 (2024)
Druh dokumentu: article
ISSN: 2050-3121
20503121
DOI: 10.1177/20503121241271759
Popis: Objectives: We explored the perspectives of older veterans in Gerofit, a Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) supervised clinical exercise program, to understand the factors associated with participation and how the program supported personal health goals. Methods: Twenty semistructured interviews were conducted with active and inactive Gerofit participants. We used a hybrid inductive and deductive approach to thematic analysis of transcripts, with the latter informed by the Health Action Process Approach model of behavior change. Results: Active and inactive participants differed in their perspectives about how Gerofit impacted their progress toward meeting personal health goals. Active participants noted program features (e.g., schedule, staffing) as facilitators and suggested greater self-efficacy about program participation compared to inactive participants. Both groups perceived the camaraderie with other veterans as a facilitator. Conclusions: Exercise program features, including camaraderie, are important factors that affect the ability of older veterans to participate in exercise and achieve personal health goals.
Databáze: Directory of Open Access Journals