Comparing the Effect of Face-To-Face Education and E-learning on the Physical Activity of the Elderly

Regular physical activity is very effective in preventing or delaying chronic diseases and premature death in the elderly.

This study aimed to compare the effect of face-to-face education and e-learning methods on the physical activity of the elderly.

This is a quasi-experimental study conducted in Karaj, Iran in 2018. The participants were 88 elderly people referred to a senior rehab center and then were assigned into three groups of face-to-face education (n=30), e-learning (n=28), and control (n=30).The study data were collected by a demographic form and the 41-item community healthy activities program for seniors questionnaire (CHAMPS) before the intervention, 1 month after the intervention, and 3-month follow-up. Face-to-face education and e-learning were presented to the two educational groups’ during eight 20-minute sessions. The obtained data were analyzed using ANOVA, Bonferroni post hoc test, the Chi-square test, and repeated measures ANOVA. The significance level was set at0.05.

Between the two educational groups, a significant difference was observed in the mean score of physical activity at three measurement phases (P = 0.001).The effect size was 0.61 for face-to-face education and 0.64 for e-learning. Based on the results of the Bonferroni post hoc test, there was no significant difference between e-learning and face-to-face education groups.

Both face-to-face and e-learning methods were effective in promoting the physical activity behavior of the elderly. E-learning method can be used as one of the complementary methods of traditional education for improving the physical activity of the elderly.