Effects of Assessment and Verbal Feedback on Physical Function and Exercise Adherence in Healthy Older Adults

March 1, 2026 updated by: Danai Paleta, University of West Attica

The Effect of Periodic Assessment and Verbal Feedback on Physical Function, Adherence and Self-perceived Competence in Healthy Adults Aged ≥65: a Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial

The goal of this pilot Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT) was to investigate whether the provision of periodic assessment and verbal feedback during an exercise program has an effect on adherence, physical function and self-perceived competence in healthy community-dwelling older adults, aged ≥65 years.

An exercise program with periodic assessment and individualized verbal feedback was compared to the same exercise program delivered without individualized assessment and feedback to determine differences in adherence, functional performance, and self-perceived ability in community-dwelling older adults.

Participants:

  • participated in a structured exercise program for 12 weeks (2times/week)
  • underwent periodic assessments and received verbal feedback (intervention group only).

Study Overview

Status

Completed

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

This study is a pilot RCT that included healthy adults aged 65 years and older, with active registration in the Senior Citizens' Centers (KAPI) of the Municipality of Nikaia-Agios Ioannis Rentis, Athens, Greece. Ethical approval for the study was obtained from the Ethics Committee of the University of West Attica (Protocol No. 107620/24-10-2025) before study initiation.

Prior to participation, all eligible candidates received written information about the study and their voluntary participation, and provided written informed consent in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki. Candidates who confirmed their willingness to participate were subsequently screened for eligibility based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria and they were allocated into two groups using a randomized procedure. Group allocation was known to the participants; however, the physiotherapist delivering the exercise program was blind to group assignment (intervention or control).

All participants followed the same structured and supervised exercise program, delivered by a municipal physiotherapist, with a duration of 12 weeks and a frequency of two sessions per week and a 48-hour interval between sessions. Each session lasted approximately 50 minutes and included warm-up, main exercise, and cool-down components. Exercise intensity was moderate, individually adapted based on perceived exertion, and progressively increased over time.

At baseline assessment, all participants completed the Behavioral Regulation in Exercise Questionnaire-2 (BREQ-2) to assess exercise motivation, the Activities-specific Balance Confidence (ABC) Scale to evaluate self-reported balance confidence during activities of daily living, and the Self-Efficacy for Exercise (SEE) Scale. Physical performance and functional mobility were assessed using the Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB) and the Timed Up and Go (TUG) test. Exercise adherence was monitored throughout the intervention period by means of attendance records completed at each session.

Participants allocated to the intervention group underwent three additional assessments at weeks 3, 6, and 9 using the TUG test and the ABC Scale, conducted under conditions consistent with baseline assessments by the same evaluator. Following each assessment, participants in the intervention group received brief, individualized, and encouraging verbal feedback regarding their performance and progress. The control group did not receive additional periodic assessments or feedback.

After completion of the 12-week intervention, all participants underwent post-intervention assessments identical to baseline, conducted under comparable conditions to ensure data consistency and reliability.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

54

Phase

  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • Greece
      • Athens, Greece, 18233
        • Senior Citizens' Clubs (KAPI) of the Municipality of Nikaia - Agios Ioannis Rentis

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Healthy adults of any gender, aged 65 years and older
  • Actively registered at the Senior Citizens' Clubs (KAPI) of the Municipality of Nikaia - Agios Ioannis Rentis, Athens, Greece
  • Required to live independently in their own homes
  • Able to stand, move, and perform activities of daily living without assistance

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Explicit recommendation from the participant's physician not to participate in an exercise program
  • Serious underlying medical conditions, neurological disorders, or any contraindications to physical exercise (e.g., severe heart disease or uncontrolled hypertension)
  • Significant limitations in mobility or functional capacity
  • Inability to complete the Short Physical Performance Battery tests
  • Hypotension or orthostatic hypotension
  • Psychiatric disorders
  • Cognitive impairment (Mini-Mental State Examination score <24/30)
  • Visual or hearing impairments limiting the ability to participate in exercise
  • Use of medications restricting the ability to engage in physical activity

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Prevention
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Single

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Assessment & verbal feedback
Participants received periodic assessments and individualized verbal feedback.
Behavioral: Periodic assessment and individualized verbal feedback
Participants underwent 3 periodic assessments and received individualized verbal feedback on their progress.
Other Names:
  • periodic assessment
  • verbal feedback
No Intervention: Control
Participants did not receive periodic assessments and individualized verbal feedback.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB)
Time Frame: From enrollment to the end of the exercise program at 12 weeks.
Each test is scored on a 4-point scale, and the total score is calculated as the sum of the individual test scores, ranging from 0 to 12. Higher scores indicate better physical fitness and functional ability.
From enrollment to the end of the exercise program at 12 weeks.
Exercise Self-Efficacy Scale (ESE)
Time Frame: From enrollment to the end of the exercise program at 12 weeks.
Each item of the scale is rated on an 11-point scale, ranging from 0 (no confidence at all) to 10 (complete confidence).
From enrollment to the end of the exercise program at 12 weeks.

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Activities-specific Balance Confidence Scale (ABC)
Time Frame: From enrollment, at weeks 3, 6, 9 and at the end of 12 weeks.
(a) a score below 50% corresponds to a low level of functional status, (b) a score between 50% and 80% indicates a moderate level, and (c) a score above 80% reflects a high level of confidence in maintaining balance.
From enrollment, at weeks 3, 6, 9 and at the end of 12 weeks.
Behavioral Regulation in Exercise Questionnaire-2 (BREQ-2)
Time Frame: From enrollment to the end of the exercise program at 12 weeks.
It consists of five subscales: amotivation, external regulation, introjected regulation, identified regulation, and intrinsic motivation. Higher scores are associated with greater motivation to participate in exercise.
From enrollment to the end of the exercise program at 12 weeks.
Exercise adherence
Time Frame: At the end of the exercise program at 12 weeks.
A weekly attendance record was maintained in order to monitor the exercise participation. Satisfactory adherence to the exercise program was defined as a total participation rate of ≥80%.
At the end of the exercise program at 12 weeks.
Timed Up and Go test (TUG)
Time Frame: From enrollment, at weeks 3, 6, 9 and at the end of 12 weeks.
Test completion time of less than 10 seconds is considered normal for healthy older adults, whereas values greater than 13,5 seconds have been associated with an increased risk of falls.
From enrollment, at weeks 3, 6, 9 and at the end of 12 weeks.

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

University of West Attica

Investigators

  • Study Chair: Vasiliki Sakellari, Professor, University of West Attica

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

October 25, 2025

Primary Completion (Actual)

February 2, 2026

Study Completion (Actual)

February 4, 2026

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

February 14, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

February 23, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

February 27, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

March 4, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

March 1, 2026

Last Verified

February 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • 107620/24-10-2025

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

YES

IPD Plan Description

All collected IPD.

IPD Sharing Time Frame

Beginning 3 months after publication and ending 3 years after publication.

IPD Sharing Access Criteria

Upon reasonable request.

IPD Sharing Supporting Information Type

  • STUDY_PROTOCOL
  • SAP
  • ICF
  • ANALYTIC_CODE
  • CSR

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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