Understanding Fall Meaning and Context in Marketing Balance Classes to Older Adults. (February 2013)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Clark, Lauren; Thoreson, Sallie; Goss, Cynthia W.; Zimmer, Lorena Marquez; Marosits, Mark; DiGuiseppi, Carolyn
• Is Part Of: Journal of applied gerontology. Volume 32:Number 1(2013)
• Page Start: 96
• Page End: 119
• Publication Date: 2013-02
• Subjects: qualitative methods -- attitudes and perception toward aging/aged -- falls; Gerontology -- Periodicals; 362.6
• DOI: 10.1177/0733464811399896
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0733-4648

Abstract

This study explored older, community-dwelling adults' attitudes and values about proposed church-delivered balance classes for fall prevention. Community observation, group interviews with stakeholders, key informant interviews, and focus groups with church members ≥60 years of age were analyzed in two ways: first for inductive themes expressing community sentiment about fall prevention for older adults, then for content useful in creating locally tailored social marketing messages. Four themes expressed perceptions of fall-prevention programming: de-emphasizing fall risk and emphasizing strength and independence, moving older adults out of their "comfort zones" to join classes, identifying relationships to support fall-prevention activities, and considering gender-based differences in approaches to fall prevention. A content analysis of the same dataset yielded information about preferred places in the community, promotion through churches, a tolerable price, and the balance class product itself. The qualitative results will inform the social marketing program to increase intervention delivery success.