Project 461015

What is a "healthy 24-hour day"? According to the new Canadian 24-hour Movement Guidelines, a healthy day includes a mix of physical activity, several hours of light activities such as standing or slow walking, 7 to 8 hours of good quality sleep, and no more than 8 hours of sedentary time. Being physically active is important to people with arthritis because of the positive effect on pain and fatigue, but it is even more beneficial to older adults with arthritis. In older adults, arthritis often coexists with frailty which poses an even greater risk of falls, hospital admissions, and death. Physical activity is a promising strategy to lower the risk of those events. However, introducing physical activity in this population is challenging because their ability to engage in activities can be affected by their health status, symptoms and poor sleep. To tackle these challenges, we need strategies to apply the 24-hour Movement Guidelines in a way that match individuals' needs and context. Digital tools offer a promising method to support older adults in adoption of a healthy 24-hour day and that can reduce the burden on the health care system. In particular, we need digital tools that are accessible and easy to use by older adults, their caregivers and health professionals to apply the 24-hour Movement Guidelines in real life. In this application, we aim to seek funding to expand our collaborations to include expertise in information and communication technologies, user innovation, and interactive designs. We will start the research planning activities by reaching out to a diverse group older adults with arthritis and early frailty, and health professionals. The learnings from these groups will drive the discussions in a virtual workshop, where a research plan, a set of discussion papers, and a blog will be develop