{"id":{"repo_id":"middlesex","oai_identifier":"oai:repository.mdx.ac.uk:18y75y"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/middlesex/oai:repository.mdx.ac.uk:18y75y","repository":{"repo_id":"middlesex","name":"Middlesex University","base_url":"https://repository.mdx.ac.uk/oai2"},"display":{"title":"The effects of an online, social group exercise programme on the mental, social, and physical health of older adults: a mixed methods review","abstract":"Background: COVID-19 has negatively impacted many aspects of the mental, social, and physical health of older adults in the United Kingdom. Exercise is a well-known treatment to improve aspects of mental and physical health and socialising is likely one strategy to help combat loneliness in older adults. Due to COVID-19 related social distancing restrictions innovative approaches are needed to support and empower older adults to exercise and socialise. A pilot trial of the online, social group exercise course entitled ‘Walk and Talk for Your Life hosted via Zoom’ (WTL-Z) demonstrated initial efficacy at reducing depression and loneliness. Objective: Explore the mental, social, and physical effects of the 10-week WTL-Z course on older adults and determine what factors aid or limit the efficacy of the intervention. WTL-Z Intervention: The WTL-Z 10-week course comprises 20 online sessions delivered via Zoom. Each session is composed of 15-minutes of informal socialising, 30-minutes of strength, balance, and cardiovascular exercises, followed by a 45-minute group discussion on a health topic. Participants: This trial evaluated data from an initial sample of 276 older adults aged 50+ (average age 66.1 years) from London, United Kingdom (UK). Method: This trial included three studies. Study 1 was a randomised control trail of the WTL-Z intervention, which included 2 groups (intervention, n=35; control, n=43). To explore in more detail the effects of WTL-Z, Study 2 adopts a qualitative method, through interviews with a subgroup of 20 participants who completed the WTL-Z intervention. Study 3 (n=18) was a non-controlled quantitative study of WTL-Z which provided members of the control group from Study 1 the opportunity to undergo the WTL-Z intervention. Results: Composite score analysis evaluating aspects of mental, social, and physical health revealed a statistically significant difference between the intervention and control groups (p=0.004) with a medium to large effect size (η2 = 0.12). Qualitative analysis identified seven potential factors to explain the health improvement of intervention group participants: 1) the therapeutic effects of exercise, 2) the benefits of routine and structure, 3) the positive outcomes associated with learning new skills, 4) feeling of increased social support, 5) a greater sense of belonging, 6) increased self-worth, and 7) developing a higher sense of agency in relation to their health. Lastly, Study 3 participants also improved aspects of their mental, social, and physical health confirming the quantitative results of Study 1. Conclusion: The WTL-Z intervention is a feasible and acceptable intervention for older adults and preliminary evidence suggests the programme is effective to improve aspects of mental, social, and physical health in UK older adults.","abstract_html":"Background: COVID-19 has negatively impacted many aspects of the mental, social, and physical health of older adults in the United Kingdom. Exercise is a well-known treatment to improve aspects of mental and physical health and socialising is likely one strategy to help combat loneliness in older adults. Due to COVID-19 related social distancing restrictions innovative approaches are needed to support and empower older adults to exercise and socialise. A pilot trial of the online, social group exercise course entitled ‘Walk and Talk for Your Life hosted via Zoom’ (WTL-Z) demonstrated initial efficacy at reducing depression and loneliness. Objective: Explore the mental, social, and physical effects of the 10-week WTL-Z course on older adults and determine what factors aid or limit the efficacy of the intervention. WTL-Z Intervention: The WTL-Z 10-week course comprises 20 online sessions delivered via Zoom. Each session is composed of 15-minutes of informal socialising, 30-minutes of strength, balance, and cardiovascular exercises, followed by a 45-minute group discussion on a health topic. Participants: This trial evaluated data from an initial sample of 276 older adults aged 50+ (average age 66.1 years) from London, United Kingdom (UK). Method: This trial included three studies. Study 1 was a randomised control trail of the WTL-Z intervention, which included 2 groups (intervention, n=35; control, n=43). To explore in more detail the effects of WTL-Z, Study 2 adopts a qualitative method, through interviews with a subgroup of 20 participants who completed the WTL-Z intervention. Study 3 (n=18) was a non-controlled quantitative study of WTL-Z which provided members of the control group from Study 1 the opportunity to undergo the WTL-Z intervention. Results: Composite score analysis evaluating aspects of mental, social, and physical health revealed a statistically significant difference between the intervention and control groups (p=0.004) with a medium to large effect size (η2 = 0.12). Qualitative analysis identified seven potential factors to explain the health improvement of intervention group participants: 1) the therapeutic effects of exercise, 2) the benefits of routine and structure, 3) the positive outcomes associated with learning new skills, 4) feeling of increased social support, 5) a greater sense of belonging, 6) increased self-worth, and 7) developing a higher sense of agency in relation to their health. Lastly, Study 3 participants also improved aspects of their mental, social, and physical health confirming the quantitative results of Study 1. Conclusion: The WTL-Z intervention is a feasible and acceptable intervention for older adults and preliminary evidence suggests the programme is effective to improve aspects of mental, social, and physical health in UK older adults.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Bender, N."],"institution":"Middlesex University","degree_name":null,"degree_level":"Masters thesis","degree_discipline":null,"degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2022,"date_issued":"2022","date_published":"2022","updated_at":"2026-07-24T03:03:33Z","subjects":[],"languages":[],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["oai:repository.mdx.ac.uk:18y75y"],"render_values":[{"text":"oai:repository.mdx.ac.uk:18y75y","href":null,"code":true}]}]},"links":{"outbound_url":null,"outbound_label":null,"outbound_source":null},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Bender, N."]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date","label":"Dc Date","values":["2022"]},{"key":"dc:date.issued","label":"Date","values":["2022"]},{"key":"dc:publisher","label":"Institution","values":["Middlesex University Research Repository"]},{"key":"dc:publisher.department","label":"Dc Publisher Department","values":["Science and Technology"]},{"key":"dc:publisher.institution","label":"Dc Publisher Institution","values":["Middlesex University"]},{"key":"dc:relation","label":"Dc Relation","values":["https://repository.mdx.ac.uk/item/18y75y"]},{"key":"dc:relation.isreferencedby","label":"Dc Relation Isreferencedby","values":["https://repository.mdx.ac.uk/item/18y75y"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["Thesis or dissertation"]},{"key":"dc:type.qualificationlevel","label":"Dc Type Qualificationlevel","values":["Masters thesis"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["oai:repository.mdx.ac.uk:18y75y"]},{"key":"dc:identifier.uri","label":"Identifier URI","values":["https://repository.mdx.ac.uk/download/4365a59a9d959ae502b4bb86f8cccea8884d82d4c32f561a6fa789ef56799b19/1826786/NBender%20thesis.pdf","https://repository.mdx.ac.uk/download/8f87c15c01111d05b164a60c9cf35de7a90150de2c056f526b1fe8629a00a796/21050738/Instructor%27s%20Manual%20version%205.pdf","https://repository.mdx.ac.uk/download/1da4e702775403e28bf1c362b5157674b263f0a7ad474a6bc6917404b4adfbc6/222643/Walk%2BTalk%20Business%20Plan%20V5.pdf"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description","label":"Description","values":["Background: COVID-19 has negatively impacted many aspects of the mental, social, and physical health of older adults in the United Kingdom. Exercise is a well-known treatment to improve aspects of mental and physical health and socialising is likely one strategy to help combat loneliness in older adults. Due to COVID-19 related social distancing restrictions innovative approaches are needed to support and empower older adults to exercise and socialise. A pilot trial of the online, social group exercise course entitled ‘Walk and Talk for Your Life hosted via Zoom’ (WTL-Z) demonstrated initial efficacy at reducing depression and loneliness. Objective: Explore the mental, social, and physical effects of the 10-week WTL-Z course on older adults and determine what factors aid or limit the efficacy of the intervention. WTL-Z Intervention: The WTL-Z 10-week course comprises 20 online sessions delivered via Zoom. Each session is composed of 15-minutes of informal socialising, 30-minutes of strength, balance, and cardiovascular exercises, followed by a 45-minute group discussion on a health topic. Participants: This trial evaluated data from an initial sample of 276 older adults aged 50+ (average age 66.1 years) from London, United Kingdom (UK). Method: This trial included three studies. Study 1 was a randomised control trail of the WTL-Z intervention, which included 2 groups (intervention, n=35; control, n=43). To explore in more detail the effects of WTL-Z, Study 2 adopts a qualitative method, through interviews with a subgroup of 20 participants who completed the WTL-Z intervention. Study 3 (n=18) was a non-controlled quantitative study of WTL-Z which provided members of the control group from Study 1 the opportunity to undergo the WTL-Z intervention. Results: Composite score analysis evaluating aspects of mental, social, and physical health revealed a statistically significant difference between the intervention and control groups (p=0.004) with a medium to large effect size (η2 = 0.12). Qualitative analysis identified seven potential factors to explain the health improvement of intervention group participants: 1) the therapeutic effects of exercise, 2) the benefits of routine and structure, 3) the positive outcomes associated with learning new skills, 4) feeling of increased social support, 5) a greater sense of belonging, 6) increased self-worth, and 7) developing a higher sense of agency in relation to their health. Lastly, Study 3 participants also improved aspects of their mental, social, and physical health confirming the quantitative results of Study 1. Conclusion: The WTL-Z intervention is a feasible and acceptable intervention for older adults and preliminary evidence suggests the programme is effective to improve aspects of mental, social, and physical health in UK older adults."]},{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["Background: COVID-19 has negatively impacted many aspects of the mental, social, and physical health of older adults in the United Kingdom. Exercise is a well-known treatment to improve aspects of mental and physical health and socialising is likely one strategy to help combat loneliness in older adults. Due to COVID-19 related social distancing restrictions innovative approaches are needed to support and empower older adults to exercise and socialise. A pilot trial of the online, social group exercise course entitled ‘Walk and Talk for Your Life hosted via Zoom’ (WTL-Z) demonstrated initial efficacy at reducing depression and loneliness. Objective: Explore the mental, social, and physical effects of the 10-week WTL-Z course on older adults and determine what factors aid or limit the efficacy of the intervention. WTL-Z Intervention: The WTL-Z 10-week course comprises 20 online sessions delivered via Zoom. Each session is composed of 15-minutes of informal socialising, 30-minutes of strength, balance, and cardiovascular exercises, followed by a 45-minute group discussion on a health topic. Participants: This trial evaluated data from an initial sample of 276 older adults aged 50+ (average age 66.1 years) from London, United Kingdom (UK). Method: This trial included three studies. Study 1 was a randomised control trail of the WTL-Z intervention, which included 2 groups (intervention, n=35; control, n=43). To explore in more detail the effects of WTL-Z, Study 2 adopts a qualitative method, through interviews with a subgroup of 20 participants who completed the WTL-Z intervention. Study 3 (n=18) was a non-controlled quantitative study of WTL-Z which provided members of the control group from Study 1 the opportunity to undergo the WTL-Z intervention. Results: Composite score analysis evaluating aspects of mental, social, and physical health revealed a statistically significant difference between the intervention and control groups (p=0.004) with a medium to large effect size (η2 = 0.12). Qualitative analysis identified seven potential factors to explain the health improvement of intervention group participants: 1) the therapeutic effects of exercise, 2) the benefits of routine and structure, 3) the positive outcomes associated with learning new skills, 4) feeling of increased social support, 5) a greater sense of belonging, 6) increased self-worth, and 7) developing a higher sense of agency in relation to their health. Lastly, Study 3 participants also improved aspects of their mental, social, and physical health confirming the quantitative results of Study 1. Conclusion: The WTL-Z intervention is a feasible and acceptable intervention for older adults and preliminary evidence suggests the programme is effective to improve aspects of mental, social, and physical health in UK older adults."]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["The effects of an online, social group exercise programme on the mental, social, and physical health of older adults: a mixed methods review"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:creator":["Bender, N."],"dc:date":["2022"],"dc:date.issued":["2022"],"dc:description":["Background: COVID-19 has negatively impacted many aspects of the mental, social, and physical health of older adults in the United Kingdom. Exercise is a well-known treatment to improve aspects of mental and physical health and socialising is likely one strategy to help combat loneliness in older adults. Due to COVID-19 related social distancing restrictions innovative approaches are needed to support and empower older adults to exercise and socialise. A pilot trial of the online, social group exercise course entitled ‘Walk and Talk for Your Life hosted via Zoom’ (WTL-Z) demonstrated initial efficacy at reducing depression and loneliness. Objective: Explore the mental, social, and physical effects of the 10-week WTL-Z course on older adults and determine what factors aid or limit the efficacy of the intervention. WTL-Z Intervention: The WTL-Z 10-week course comprises 20 online sessions delivered via Zoom. Each session is composed of 15-minutes of informal socialising, 30-minutes of strength, balance, and cardiovascular exercises, followed by a 45-minute group discussion on a health topic. Participants: This trial evaluated data from an initial sample of 276 older adults aged 50+ (average age 66.1 years) from London, United Kingdom (UK). Method: This trial included three studies. Study 1 was a randomised control trail of the WTL-Z intervention, which included 2 groups (intervention, n=35; control, n=43). To explore in more detail the effects of WTL-Z, Study 2 adopts a qualitative method, through interviews with a subgroup of 20 participants who completed the WTL-Z intervention. Study 3 (n=18) was a non-controlled quantitative study of WTL-Z which provided members of the control group from Study 1 the opportunity to undergo the WTL-Z intervention. Results: Composite score analysis evaluating aspects of mental, social, and physical health revealed a statistically significant difference between the intervention and control groups (p=0.004) with a medium to large effect size (η2 = 0.12). Qualitative analysis identified seven potential factors to explain the health improvement of intervention group participants: 1) the therapeutic effects of exercise, 2) the benefits of routine and structure, 3) the positive outcomes associated with learning new skills, 4) feeling of increased social support, 5) a greater sense of belonging, 6) increased self-worth, and 7) developing a higher sense of agency in relation to their health. Lastly, Study 3 participants also improved aspects of their mental, social, and physical health confirming the quantitative results of Study 1. Conclusion: The WTL-Z intervention is a feasible and acceptable intervention for older adults and preliminary evidence suggests the programme is effective to improve aspects of mental, social, and physical health in UK older adults."],"dc:description.abstract":["Background: COVID-19 has negatively impacted many aspects of the mental, social, and physical health of older adults in the United Kingdom. Exercise is a well-known treatment to improve aspects of mental and physical health and socialising is likely one strategy to help combat loneliness in older adults. Due to COVID-19 related social distancing restrictions innovative approaches are needed to support and empower older adults to exercise and socialise. A pilot trial of the online, social group exercise course entitled ‘Walk and Talk for Your Life hosted via Zoom’ (WTL-Z) demonstrated initial efficacy at reducing depression and loneliness. Objective: Explore the mental, social, and physical effects of the 10-week WTL-Z course on older adults and determine what factors aid or limit the efficacy of the intervention. WTL-Z Intervention: The WTL-Z 10-week course comprises 20 online sessions delivered via Zoom. Each session is composed of 15-minutes of informal socialising, 30-minutes of strength, balance, and cardiovascular exercises, followed by a 45-minute group discussion on a health topic. Participants: This trial evaluated data from an initial sample of 276 older adults aged 50+ (average age 66.1 years) from London, United Kingdom (UK). Method: This trial included three studies. Study 1 was a randomised control trail of the WTL-Z intervention, which included 2 groups (intervention, n=35; control, n=43). To explore in more detail the effects of WTL-Z, Study 2 adopts a qualitative method, through interviews with a subgroup of 20 participants who completed the WTL-Z intervention. Study 3 (n=18) was a non-controlled quantitative study of WTL-Z which provided members of the control group from Study 1 the opportunity to undergo the WTL-Z intervention. Results: Composite score analysis evaluating aspects of mental, social, and physical health revealed a statistically significant difference between the intervention and control groups (p=0.004) with a medium to large effect size (η2 = 0.12). Qualitative analysis identified seven potential factors to explain the health improvement of intervention group participants: 1) the therapeutic effects of exercise, 2) the benefits of routine and structure, 3) the positive outcomes associated with learning new skills, 4) feeling of increased social support, 5) a greater sense of belonging, 6) increased self-worth, and 7) developing a higher sense of agency in relation to their health. Lastly, Study 3 participants also improved aspects of their mental, social, and physical health confirming the quantitative results of Study 1. Conclusion: The WTL-Z intervention is a feasible and acceptable intervention for older adults and preliminary evidence suggests the programme is effective to improve aspects of mental, social, and physical health in UK older adults."],"dc:identifier":["oai:repository.mdx.ac.uk:18y75y"],"dc:identifier.uri":["https://repository.mdx.ac.uk/download/4365a59a9d959ae502b4bb86f8cccea8884d82d4c32f561a6fa789ef56799b19/1826786/NBender%20thesis.pdf","https://repository.mdx.ac.uk/download/8f87c15c01111d05b164a60c9cf35de7a90150de2c056f526b1fe8629a00a796/21050738/Instructor%27s%20Manual%20version%205.pdf","https://repository.mdx.ac.uk/download/1da4e702775403e28bf1c362b5157674b263f0a7ad474a6bc6917404b4adfbc6/222643/Walk%2BTalk%20Business%20Plan%20V5.pdf"],"dc:publisher":["Middlesex University Research Repository"],"dc:publisher.department":["Science and Technology"],"dc:publisher.institution":["Middlesex University"],"dc:relation":["https://repository.mdx.ac.uk/item/18y75y"],"dc:relation.isreferencedby":["https://repository.mdx.ac.uk/item/18y75y"],"dc:title":["The effects of an online, social group exercise programme on the mental, social, and physical health of older adults: a mixed methods review"],"dc:type":["Thesis or dissertation"],"dc:type.qualificationlevel":["Masters thesis"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T03:03:33Z"}