Project Grow: Establishing an Intergenerational Falls Prevention Gardening Programme (PGROW)

Project GROW: Establishing and Testing a New Intergenerational Falls Prevention Gardening Programme to Improve Physical Activity Levels, Health and Wellbeing in Older People at Risk of Falling

Wandsworth Integrated Falls and Bone Health Service (IF & BHS) provides an evidence-based falls prevention exercise programme, but yearly about 500 of 1800 patients decline participation or do not continue to exercise. Our study seeks to address this efficiency gap by developing a gardening programme as an alternative to traditional exercise. In a preparation period (4/17-5/17) we will explore the special needs of the target population through interviews and create an age appropriate gardening site at "Growhampton", a gardening project run by the University of Roehampton; from 5/17 to 9/17 a falls prevention gardening group will be implemented and evaluated.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Fall
• Intervention / Treatment: Behavioral: Gardening programme

Detailed Description

The key purpose of the study is to provide and test an intergenerational gardening project as a choice for about 30 IF & BHS patients who would otherwise decline exercise interventions. Patients previously assessed by Wandsworth Integrated Falls & Bone Health Services have identified gardening as an enjoyable alternative to exercise classes. Gardening sessions will take place weekly (aiming for 3 groups with 10 patients and 2-4 students and/or staff members of the University of Roehampton). Through engaging patients in gardening activities the study seeks to achieve 4 main aims: 1. Increase physical activity levels; 2. improve mental and physical health outcomes; 3. foster self-efficacy and social connectedness; 4. reduce the risk of falls. The at falls risk population will benefit by engaging in a meaningful activity (designed and supported by clinicians and aided by students and staff members) which delivers on the core principles of strength, power, balance and coordination.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 16
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United Kingdom
  • London, United Kingdom
    • University of Roehampton in collaboration with St George's University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Child; Adult; Older Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Having had a Falls and Bone Health Assessment by the Integrated Falls and Bone Health Service (IF & BHS) Wandsworth
• Having falls or bone health risk factors but being able to mobilise without walking aids
• Having been assessed by IF & BHS as having capacity to take part in a gardening intervention programme
• Having indicated an interest in attending a gardening group following the IF & BHS assessment if they a) do not want to participate in any other elements of the IF & BHS programme or if they b) have completed other elements of the service offered by the IF & BHS, e.g. exercise groups, Nordic walking or Zumba gold.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Having a known diagnosis of dementia
• Not being able to adequately understand verbal explanations or written information given in English
• Having a falls risk profile that indicates that the individual has high falls risk in this context - this is a clinical decision and will take account of a number of variables including mobility (Timed up & Go of more than 20 sec) and their general health (e.g., large postural drop, uncontrolled diabetes, significant behaviour that challenges).

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Prevention
• Allocation: N/A
• Interventional Model: Single Group Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Physical effects 1/3	Timed Up and Go time (in sec)	Change in sec needed from week 1 (beginning of programme) to week 8 (end of programme)
Physical effects 2/3	Number stands in 30 sec Sit-to-Stand test	Change in number of stands achieved from week 1 (beginning of programme) to week 8 (end of programme)
Physical effects 3/3	Turn test (n steps to turn 180 degrees)	Change in numbers of steps needed from week 1 (beginning of programme) to week 8 (end of programme)
Health	Health (EQ-5D-5L Questionnaire)	Change in score achieved from week 1 (beginning of programme) to week 8 (end of programme)
Wellbeing	Wellbeing (Warwick-Edinburgh Mental	Change in score achieved from week 1 (beginning of programme) to week 8 (end of programme)
Falls efficacy	Falls efficacy scale	Change in score achieved from week 1 (beginning of programme) to week 8 (end of programme)

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Falls and incidents	Number of falls or other incidences during the gardening programme to judge its feasibility and risks.	Number of falls/incidents recorded during the programme (week 1-8)
Activity levels	Activity Levels (assessed by means of interview question)	Change from week 1 (beginning of programme) to week 8 (end of programme)
Self-efficacy	General self-efficacy scale	Change in score achieved from week 1 (beginning of programme) to week 8 (end of programme)
Social connectedness	Social connectedness scale	Change in score achieved from week 1 (beginning of programme) to week 8 (end of programme)

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: University of Roehampton
• Collaborators: St George's University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): April 24, 2017
• Primary Completion (Actual): September 1, 2017
• Study Completion (Actual): September 1, 2017

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: April 26, 2017
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: July 10, 2017
• First Posted (Actual): July 12, 2017

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): October 26, 2017
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: October 25, 2017
• Last Verified: October 1, 2017

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Gardening; Falls prevention
• Other Study ID Numbers: LSC/2016/55; 220793 (Other Identifier: HRA)

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No