Principal barriers to health promotion program participation by older adults

Interventions to reduce risk for chronic diseases have been recommended for older adults. Specific programs that address risk factors for cardiovascular disease have been shown to improve risk status in older adults. However, perceived barriers to these programs often limit the number of older adults who participate in these programs. The aim of this study was to determine the principal barriers to health promotion programs for older adults using three samples of subjects: older program participants, older non-participants, and administrators of retirement facilities and senior centers. This study also sought to identify: the reasons that older adults do not participate in risk reduction interventions, the positive program qualities, and the priorities for researchers and program developers with regard to enhancing participant recruitment. A novel health promotion program was proposed to administrators and introduced to older adults in four facilities that served older adults. Program participants (n=13), non-participants (n=13), and administrators (n=11) were all interviewed. Data were analyzed using open coding and categorization for each of the study groups. Themes emerged for each group based on the research questions and the themes that were consistent for all three groups became the basis for the study results. Results showed that the main barriers to program participation for older adults were health issues, time issues, and fear of exercise. The main reasons for not participating were lack of confidence in, and unfamiliarity of the program personnel, while the main positive quality that made programs more attractive was credible program personnel. Suggestions for recruitment improvements included enhanced advertising of the program and the provision of extensive information describing the program. Researchers and program developers should be cognizant of these issues when developing programs to reduce risk for chronic disease while mitigating perceived barriers identified in the study