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Abstract
Finding contemporary, cost-effective, and sustainable programs that enhance participation in physical activity/exercise (PA/EX) to prevent physical disability in older adults is needed. The primary aim of this study was to examine sex/gender differences in the effectiveness of a multi-modal 10-week PA/EX intervention grounded in Social Cognitive Theory (SCT), augmented with social media in: a) program engagement, relative improvements in PA/EX behaviors, and c) relative improvements in muscle capacity and LEPF. The secondary aim of this study was to explore if body mass index (BMI) and relative adiposity (%FAT) influenced the effectiveness of the intervention on improvements in LEPF. Physically inactive older adults (females, n=18; males, n=10) completed a 10-week multi-modal PA/EX program that included the following factors: supervised exercise class, educational portion, Facebook participation, unsupervised PA/EX and under-graduate students as para-professional coaches. PA behaviors were assessed via questionnaire, accelerometer and self-reported logs. Conventional measures of leg strength and power along with a battery of lower extremity physical function (LEPF) tests were employed [6-minute walk (6MW), 8-foot up and go (UPGO), chair stands (CHAIR), transfer task (TRANSFER), functional reach (REACH), and Y-balance test (YBT)]. There was no significant gender difference in adherence to the supervised exercise intervention (96.7% and 92.0% for females and males, respectively, p>0.05). No Gender x Time interaction or main effects for Gender was revealed in any PA behavior outcomes, although all measures detected an increase (all p<0.05; Time main effects). For muscle capacity, in the absence of a significant Gender x Time interaction, significant main effects for Time and Gender were revealed in leg strength and leg power with improvements occurring in response to the intervention and males having higher muscle capacity (all p<0.05). For LEPF, improvements occurred similarly in females and males (Main effect for Time in 6MW, UPGO, TRANSFER and YBT; all p<0.05). Gender main effects were also revealed for 6MW, UPGO, and CHAIR with males having higher functional ability (all p<0.05). BMI or adiposity did not influence improvements in LEPF. In conclusion, a 10-week PA/EX program improves PA behavior, muscle capacity, and LEPF similarly in older males and females.