Health promotion and preventive care intervention for older community-dwelling people: Long-term effects of a randomised controlled trial (RCT) within the LUCAS cohort

An RCT of a health promotion and preventive care intervention was done in 2001-2002. Here, long-term analyses based on 12 years of follow-up of survival and of change in functional competence between intervention and control group are presented. Positive 1-year results (significantly higher use of preventive services and better health behaviour) were presented earlier. Parallel group randomised controlled trial (RCT) with 878 participants in the intervention and 1,702 participants in the control group. The study took place in Hamburg, Germany and made use of health care structures and professionals of a geriatrics centre. Study participants were initially community-dwelling, aged 60 years and older and without B-ADL-restrictions, cognitive impairment, or need of nursing care, with sufficient command of the German language. Health promotion and preventive care interventions relied on an extensive health questionnaire and the subsequent offer to participate in multi-topic personal reinforcement performed in small group sessions or at preventive home visits. Primary outcome: Survival time; in some analyses, adjustments were made for gender, age and self-perceived health. Secondary outcome: Functional competence (LUCAS Functional Ability Index) based on responses to self-administered questionnaires at 1-year follow-up and 12 years after 1-year follow-up (2013/2014). Mean time under observation was 10.3 years. 38.3% (987/2,580) of the participants died; intervention group (IG): 35.7% (313/878), control group (CG): 39.6% (674/1,702); HR=0.89; p=0.09. Functional competence at 1-year follow-up: IG: ROBUST 67.4% (391/580), FRAIL 11.9% (69/580) vs. CG: ROBUST 62.9% (861/1,368), FRAIL 14.8% (203/1,368); p=0.12. 12-years after 1-year follow-up: IG: ROBUST 50.0% (160/320), FRAIL 30.9% (99/320) vs. CG: ROBUST 48.9% (307/628), FRAIL 34.1% (214/628); p=0.56. Insignificant but consistent effects on survival and the dynamics of functional competence suggest effectivity of the complex intervention. We plan to take a closer look at the effect of each reinforcement separately.