title: Walking in the high-rise city: a Health Enhancement and Pedometer-determined Ambulatory (HEPA) program in Hong Kong.
abstract: Due to the lack of good infrastructure in the public estates, many older adults in urban areas are sedentary. The Health Enhancement and Pedometer-Determined Ambulatory (HEPA) program was developed to assist older adults with diabetes and/or hypertension to acquire walking exercise habits and to build social support, while engaged in regular physical activity. This study aimed to describe the HEPA program and to report changes in participants' walking capacity and body strength after 10-week walking sessions. A pre- and postintervention design was used. Pedometers were used to measure the number of steps taken per day before and after the 10-week intervention. Upper and lower body strength, lower body flexibility, and quality of life were assessed. A total of 205 older adults completed the program and all health assessments. After the 10-week intervention, the average number of steps per day increased by 36%, from 6,591 to 8,934. Lower body strength, upper body strength, and aerobic fitness increased significantly after 10 weeks, along with improvement in the 12-item Short Form Health Survey (SF™-12) physical and mental health component summary scores. A social support network was built in the neighborhood, and the local environment was utilized to make walking possible and enjoyable.
authors.affiliation: School of Nursing, University of Hong Kong, People's Republic of China ; Research Centre on Heart, Brain, Hormone and Healthy Aging, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, University of Hong Kong, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Angela Y M
authors.initials: AY
authors.lastname: Leung
authors.affiliation: Centre on Research and Advocacy, Hong Kong Society for Rehabilitation, University of Hong Kong, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Mike K T
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Cheung
authors.affiliation: Institute of Human Performance, University of Hong Kong, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Michael A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Tse
authors.affiliation: Sheng Kung Hui Holy Carpenter Church Social Services, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Wai Chuen
authors.initials: WC
authors.lastname: Shum
authors.affiliation: School of Nursing, University of Hong Kong, People's Republic of China ; School of Nursing, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA.
authors.forename: B J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Lancaster
authors.affiliation: Department of Family Medicine and Primary Care, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Cindy L K
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Lam
mesh_terms: D056044:Actigraphy; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D005260:Female; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006723:Hong Kong; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010809:Physical Fitness; D015397:Program Evaluation; D011788:Quality of Life; D012944:Social Support; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014505:Urban Population; D016138:Walking / Q000502:physiology*
keywords: Chinese; older adults; pedometers; physical activity; quality of life; social support