title: An age-tailored intervention sustains physical activity changes in older adults: a randomized controlled trial.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  A randomized controlled trial compared an age-tailored intervention to increase physical activity levels in older adults to an age-neutral intervention.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  Both interventions communicated activity planning strategies and messages to improve self-efficacy. On top of this, the age-tailored intervention also included two lifespan components that targeted present orientation and emotional focus, and fostered strategies of selection, optimization, and compensation.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 386 German older adults (aged 60-95 years) were randomized to receive either the age-tailored intervention (age-specific strategy training and short-term emotional focus) or the age-neutral intervention. Physical activity was measured by questionnaires at baseline (T1) and at 6-month (T2) and 12-month follow-ups (T3). Latent true change modeling was applied by creating latent change scores (T2 - T1 and T3 - T2).
  
  
  RESULTS
  After controlling for gender, age, and physical and mental health, allocation to the age-tailored intervention predicted a latent physical activity difference at T3 - T2, but not at T2 - T1.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Compared to the age-neutral intervention, the age-tailored intervention led to superior maintenance of physical activity within these older adults.
authors.affiliation: Division of Health Psychology, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany, paul.gellert@newcastle.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Gellert
authors.forename: Jochen P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Ziegelmann
authors.forename: Simon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Krupka
authors.forename: Nina
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Knoll
authors.forename: Ralf
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Schwarzer
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015444:Exercise / Q000502:physiology / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005858:Germany; D006293:Health Promotion; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008603:Mental Health; D008875:Middle Aged; D010807:Physical Endurance / Q000502:physiology; D015397:Program Evaluation; D020377:Self Efficacy; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016896:Treatment Outcome