The STAYWELL Program-Maximizing Elders' Capacity for Independent Living Through Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Activities

Abstract

The STAYWELL Program, an 8-session health promotion/disease prevention pro-gram for older adults, was found to have a significant impact on elder participants' health-related beliefs and behaviors. This quasi-experimental study's 146 participants were recruited from 8 western New York senior citizen centers, and 70% (n = 102) were available for a 9-month follow-up assessment. As compared with elders on a waiting list, study participants who experienced the STAYWELL intervention ex-pressed significantly healthier beliefs and reported behavioral changes indicative of a healthier lifestyle at follow-up. All of the intervention effect sizes observed may be characterized as large to very large: (1) The intervention group expressed healthier beliefs as assessed using the healthy belief index-at follow-up, three quarters of them scored higher on this measure than the average person in the waiting list comparison group (U₃ = 77.3%); (2) the intervention group engaged in healthier behaviors as assessed by using the healthy behavior index (U₃ = 92.4%); and (3) they also took fewer medications (U₃ = 74.2%); all p < .05. Extant cohorts in this field (more than 20,000 elders) may offer collaborative opportunities for needed longer follow-up of health outcome end-points.