COVID大流行以多种方式暴露了老年人的脆弱性,社会服务组织在安全地为老年人提供支持方面面临着前所未有的挑战。自2007年以来,夏威夷健康老龄化合作伙伴关系(HHAP)提供了Enhance®Fitness,一项基于证据的计划,以降低跌倒风险并促进老年人的健康。由于大流行,所有Enhance®Fitness网站都必须关闭并停止提供该计划。HHAP于2020年5月开始远程提供替代活动。为了探索大流行的影响,在线锻炼计划的可行性,以及老年人保持身体活动所需的支持,HHAP对现有的Enhance®Fitness参与者进行了调查,并收到291份回复(59%的回复率)。这项研究使用了频率分布,手段比较,和卡方对调查数据进行分析。调查结果显示,大流行期间集体锻炼计划的关闭导致健康状况下降,体育活动的减少,以及老年参与者从团体体育活动向个人体育活动的转变。大多数受访者在大流行期间尝试了远程锻炼机会,并将考虑在将来加入远程计划。然而,由于缺乏电子设备,约四分之一的受访者没有参加远程锻炼活动,互联网接入,或对远程活动格式感兴趣。为了确保在大流行后的时代,老年人公平地获得体育锻炼计划,解决提供多种编程选项所需的访问挑战和资源至关重要。
The COVID pandemic exposed the vulnerability of older adults in myriad ways and social service organizations faced unprecedented challenges in safely providing support for older adults. Since 2007, Hawai\'i Healthy Aging Partnership (HHAP) has offered Enhance®Fitness, an evidence-based program to reduce the risk of falls and promote health among older adults. Due to the pandemic, all the Enhance®Fitness sites had to close and stop offering the program. The HHAP started to provide alternative activities remotely in May 2020. To explore the pandemic\'s impact, the feasibility of online exercise programs, and the support needed among older adults to stay physically active, HHAP surveyed existing Enhance®Fitness participants and received 291 responses (59% response rate). The study used frequency distributions, comparison of means, and chi-square to analyze the survey data. Findings showed that the shutdown of the group exercise program during the pandemic led to a health status decline, a reduction in physical activities, and a shift from group to individual physical activities among older adult participants. Most respondents tried the remote exercise opportunities during the pandemic and would consider joining the remote programs in the future. However, about one-fourth of the respondents did not participate in remote exercise activities due to the lack of electronic devices, internet access, or interest in remote activity formats. To ensure equitable access to physical exercise programs for older adults in the post-pandemic era, it is critical to address the access challenges and resources needed for providing multiple programming options.