Citation

Clark L, Thoreson S, Goss CW, Zimmer LM, Marosits M, DiGuiseppi CG. J. Appl. Gerontol. 2013; 32(1): 96-119.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2013, SAGE Publishing)

DOI

10.1177/0733464811399896

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

This study explored older, community-dwelling adults' attitudes and values about proposed church-delivered balance classes for fall prevention. Community observation, group interviews with stakeholders, key informant interviews, and focus groups with church members ≥60 years of age were analyzed in two ways: first for inductive themes expressing community sentiment about fall prevention for older adults, then for content useful in creating locally tailored social marketing messages. Four themes expressed perceptions of fall-prevention programming: de-emphasizing fall risk and emphasizing strength and independence, moving older adults out of their "comfort zones" to join classes, identifying relationships to support fall-prevention activities, and considering gender-based differences in approaches to fall prevention. A content analysis of the same dataset yielded information about preferred places in the community, promotion through churches, a tolerable price, and the balance class product itself. The qualitative results will inform the social marketing program to increase intervention delivery success.

Language: en