title: Health-promoting interventions for persons aged 80 and older are successful in the short term--results from the randomized and three-armed Elderly Persons in the Risk Zone study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine the outcomes of the Elderly Persons in the Risk Zone study, which was designed to evaluate whether it is possible to delay deterioration if a health-promoting intervention is made when an older adult (≥80) is at risk of becoming frail and whether a multiprofessional group intervention is more effective in delaying deterioration than a single preventive home visit with regard to frailty, self-rated health, and activities of daily living (ADLs) at 3-month follow-up.
  
  
  METHODS
  Randomized, three-armed, single-blind, controlled trial performed between November 2007 and May 2011.
  
  
  METHODS
  Two urban districts of Gothenburg, Sweden.
  
  
  METHODS
  Four hundred fifty-nine community-living adults aged 80 and older not dependent on the municipal home help service.
  
  
  METHODS
  A preventive home visit or four weekly multiprofessional senior group meetings with one follow-up home visit.
  
  
  METHODS
  Change in frailty, self-rated health, and ADLs between baseline and 3-month follow-up.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Both interventions delayed deterioration of self-rated health (odds ratio (OR) = 1.99, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.12-3.54). Senior meetings were the most beneficial intervention for postponing dependence in ADLs (OR = 1.95, 95% CI = 1.14-3.33). No effect on frailty could be demonstrated.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Health-promoting interventions made when older adults are at risk of becoming frail can delay deterioration in self-rated health and ADLs in the short term. A multiprofessional group intervention such as the senior meetings described seems to have a greater effect on delaying deterioration in ADLs than a single preventive home visit. Further research is needed to examine the outcome in the long term and in different contexts.
authors.affiliation: Vårdalinstitutet, Swedish Institute for Health Sciences, Sahlgrenska Academy University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden. susanne.m.gustafsson@vgregion.se
authors.forename: Susanne
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gustafsson
authors.forename: Katarina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Wilhelmson
authors.forename: Kajsa
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Eklund
authors.forename: Gunilla
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gosman-Hedström
authors.forename: Lena
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zidén
authors.forename: Greta H
authors.initials: GH
authors.lastname: Kronlöf
authors.forename: Betina
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Højgaard
authors.forename: Frode
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Slinde
authors.forename: Elisabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Rothenberg
authors.forename: Sten
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Landahl
authors.forename: Synneve
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dahlin-Ivanoff
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D016330:Frail Elderly; D006293:Health Promotion; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D016037:Single-Blind Method; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D013548:Sweden