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Lookup NU author(s): Sarah Audsley, Dr Gillian Barry, Vicky Mercer, Sarah Moore
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0).
© 2026 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group. Background: Falls Management Exercise (FaME) programmes improve physical function and reduce falls rate and risk in older adults, but after completion exercise engagement declines, leading to loss of the health benefits gained. This study aimed to co-design an exercise maintenance intervention for older adults exiting FaME programmes, addressing the critical need to sustain physical activity benefits after programme completion. Methods: A three-stage co-design process: Stage 1 involved community-based stakeholder consultations with older adults completing FaME and rehabilitation professionals (n = 16) to identify acceptable intervention components. Stage 2 consisted of professional stakeholder consultations (n = 11) to assess feasibility. In Stage 3, the Normalisation Process Theory guided development of implementation procedures with service-providers (n = 2). Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and thematic analysis. Results: Community-based stakeholders identified core components: information on local physical activity opportunities (88%), motivational strategies (81%), follow-up group meetings (69%), and health education (63%). Professional stakeholders confirmed unanimous agreement for motivational strategies and health education. Concerns emerged regarding affordability of follow-up meetings for service-providers and equity of digital interventions. Follow-up phone calls, text message reminders, self-completed functional fitness assessments and exercise snacks in face-to-face sessions emerged as additional components. Conclusion: KESS is a rigorous, co-designed, stakeholder informed intervention targeting exercise maintenance in older adults after FaME ends. KESS aims to prevent a decline in exercise adherence and consequent increasing risk of falling, observed in FaME programme attendees >6 months after programmes end if appropriate activity is not maintained. KESS is ready for feasibility and acceptability testing.
Author(s): Audsley S, Adams N, Barry G, Court P, Haridas S, Harrison R, Hemmings A, Laventure B, Mercer V, Moore SA, O'Doherty AF, Stanmore E, Skelton DA
Publication type: Article
Publication status: Published
Journal: Health Psychology and Behavioral Medicine
Year: 2026
Volume: 14
Issue: 1
Online publication date: 22/04/2026
Acceptance date: 12/04/2006
Date deposited: 06/05/2026
ISSN (electronic): 2164-2850
Publisher: Taylor and Francis Ltd
URL: https://doi.org/10.1080/21642850.2026.2662110
DOI: 10.1080/21642850.2026.2662110
Data Access Statement: The datasets generated and analysed during the current study are not publicly available due to ethical restrictions to protect participant confidentiality, as participants did not consent to public data sharing. Aggregated data may be available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.
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