journal articles
STAND IF YOU CAN- A PARALLEL, SUPERIORITY CLUSTER RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL TO IMPROVE GAIT SPEED FOR LONG TERM CARE RESIDENTS
Kendra Cooling, Danielle R. Bouchard, Molly Gallibois, Jeffrey Hebert, Martin Sénéchal, Pamela Jarrett, Chris McGibbon, Emily Richard, Grant Handrigan
J Aging Res & Lifestyle 2025;14
OBJECTIVE: To examine the effects of a standing intervention on gait speed for older adults living in long term care (LTC) residences.
DESIGN: A parallel superiority cluster randomized controlled trial.
SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: LTC residences. A total of 95 LTC residents (n = 47 control; n = 48 intervention) participated in the study.
METHODS: LTC residences and therefore the residents from the homes were randomized to either the intervention group (standing up to 100 minutes/week) for 22 weeks or the control group (socializing with staff with no encouragement to stand for up to 100 minutes/week) for 22 weeks. The primary outcome is gait speed measured by the 10-meter walking speed test.
RESULTS: A total of 95 participants (n= 47 in the control group and n=48 in the intervention group) age 86 ± 8 years completed the trial, averaging 41.9 ± 30.3 min of standing per week in the intervention group and 48.4 ± 22.8 min of time matched activity in the control group. There was no significant difference between groups in changes in gait speed (β=-0.034, 95 % C.I. (-0.097 0.028)).
CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: This 22-week standing intervention did not improve gait speed in older adults living in LTC residences.
CITATION:
Kendra Cooling ; Danielle R. Bouchard ; Molly Gallibois ; Jeffrey Hebert ; Martin Sénéchal ; Pamela Jarrett ; Chris McGibbon ; Emily Richard ; Grant Handrigan (2025): Stand if you can- A parallel, superiority cluster randomized controlled trial to improve gait speed for long term care residents. The Journal of Aging and Lifestyle (JARLife). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jarlif.2025.100015