Authors:
Daniela Elisabeth Ströckl
1
;
Manuela Perchtaler
1
;
Kathrin Weger
2
;
Paola Dario
3
;
Filippo Vaccari
4
and
Stefano Lazzer
4
Affiliations:
1
Institute for Applied Research on Ageing, Carinthia University of Applied Sciences, Villach, Austria
;
2
Sozialverein ALSOLE, Dellach, Austria
;
3
Servizio Sociale dei Comuni dell'Ambito Territoriale Carnia, Udine, Italy
;
4
Department of Medicine, University of Udine, Udine, Italy
Keyword(s):
Tele-fitness, Rural Areas, Seniors, Cross-Border, COVID-19.
Abstract:
From December 2020 to June 2021, the Movinsi! project conducted its field test to evaluate a tele-fitness and mobilization program for seniors from Austria (Hermagor) and Italy (Tolmezzo, Paluzza). Initially conceptualized as an offline program, the field trial had to be rapidly converted to an online format due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Its goals were adapted accordingly and finally consisted of motivating individuals to exercise more through targeted interventions such as exercise videos and instructions, provision of health information, and a chat to connect with other project participants across language barriers. In total, 45 people from Austria and Italy took part in the seven-month trial. Results of the quantitative usage analysis show that 31.1% of participants (n=14) used the Movinsi! platform until the end of the field test, 62.5% made use of the chat function (albeit mostly once), and the majority (73.1%) used their computers to watch the exercise videos, despite the initi
al conceptualization for mobile devices. The qualitative analysis of participant feedback revealed that many participants disliked the audiovisual presentation of the exercises, some would have preferred to (also) meet face-to-face, and the health-related information provided through the Movinsi! platform was overlooked by most.
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