N/A
N=32
Frail2Fit Study: Online Nutrition and Exercise Support for Older Adults With Frailty
Frailty · Malnutrition · Sedentary Behavior
Bottom Line
View on ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT05384730 ↗Enrolled (actual)
32
Serious AEs
0.0%
Results posted
May 2025
Primary outcome: Primary: Volunteers Trained — 5 Participants
Study Design & Population
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- N/A
- Interventions
- Group nutrition and exercise support (Other)
- Age
- Older Adult · 65+ yrs
- Sex
- All
- Sponsor
- University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust
- Primary completion
- Oct 2023
Outcome Measures
| Outcome | Result | p-value |
|---|---|---|
| PRIMARY Volunteers Trained |
5 | — |
| PRIMARY Volunteer Retention |
3 | — |
| PRIMARY Adherence - Online |
75 | — |
| PRIMARY Adherence - Telephone Support |
80 | — |
| SECONDARY Device-based Physical Activity Levels |
29.95; 38.88; 33.37; 18.72; 23.08; 21.02 | 0.10 |
| SECONDARY Functional Ability |
18; 19; 20 | 0.14 |
| SECONDARY Appetite |
14.2; 15.4; 15.6 | 0.01 sig |
| SECONDARY Well-being |
49.5; 50.2; 51.4 | 0.50 |
| SECONDARY Depression and Anxiety |
6; 3; 4; 4; 4; 4 | 0.03 sig |
| SECONDARY Patient's Subjective Assessment of Quality of Life |
0.683; 0.733; 0.720 | 0.04 sig |
| SECONDARY Self-efficacy for Managing Chronic Disease |
37.4; 41.8; 40.9 | 0.13 |
| SECONDARY Self-reported Physical Activity |
32.8; 50.8; 46.2 | 0.01 sig |
Summary
Frail2Fit will explore the feasibility of training volunteers to deliver online nutrition, exercise, and behaviour change (supported self-management) to improve the health of older people after discharge from hospital. The study also aims to explore if the supported self-management is acceptable to older people, their family members and/or carers, and the volunteers.
Between 30-60% of older people in hospital lose muscle strength and function (deconditioning) and around 14% of older adults in hospital are frail. Reduced muscle function and frailty increase risk of poor health outcomes, including reduced quality of life, increased risk of hospital readmission and increased risk of mortality. Therefore, intervening to prevent functional decline is a high-priority patient-centred outcome. Current evidence suggest that physical activity (PA) and nutrition interventions are key to maintaining independence and improving frailty status. In response to the COVID-19 restrictions, healthcare and rehabilitation have increasingly turned to virtual modes of delivery, such as telehealth methods. The increasing use of technology in the daily lives of many allows PA and nutrition interventions to be delivered online. For instance, the investigators have developed and evaluated a programme using online clinics to successfully support over 600 cancer patients living at home to stay active and eat well with provision of emotional support (SafeFit study). With many older people now using the internet for social connection, the team have an opportunity to investigate whether a similar model can improve the health of older people.
This study aims to explore the feasibility and acceptability of implementing volunteer-led online exercise and nutrition support to frail older people discharged from hospital. The investigators aim to develop and evaluate a training programme for volunteers, determine the acceptability of the intervention through qualitative methods and identify facilitators and barriers to its implementation. The investigators will also explore the impact of the intervention on health outcomes for older people to inform future trial.
Eligibility Criteria
Inclusion Criteria
Patients:
- Older adults age 65 years and above
- Able to provide written consent
- Discharged from UHS
- Identified as frail (Clinical Frailty Scale ≥5)
- Able to walk at least a few steps upon hospital discharge
- Able to communicate fluently enough in English
Volunteers:
- Established volunteers at UHS patient support hub
- Age 16 years and above
- Completed the generic volunteer clearance and training at UHS
- Able to provide written informed consent
- Able to communicate fluently enough in English
Exclusion Criteria
Patients:
- Older adults who are not able to safely complete the exercises included in the intervention
- Patients who are discharged to rehabilitation units, or care homes
- Patients receiving end of life care
Volunteers:
- Volunteers who are unable to safely complete the exercises included in the intervention will be excluded from the study
Data sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT05384730). Outcome figures and adverse-event rates are extracted automatically from the registry's posted results and are provided for clinician reference, not as a substitute for the primary publication.