“It’s Good. It’s Really Good.”: Perspectives of Older Adults, Exercise/Recreation Professionals, and Primary Care Providers on Designing a Movement Behavior Intervention Using the Staircase Approach

Background/Objectives: Interventions targeting sedentary behavior in older adults have reported mixed success for behavior change. The previously proposed Staircase Approach offers a novel strategy to support long-term behavior change by targeting a reduction in sedentary time before progressing to increasing physical activity levels. The current study aimed to understand the perceptions of older adults, exercise/recreation professionals, and primary care providers (PCPs) about the critical components of a new intervention based on the Staircase Approach. Methods: Participants (older adults, 65+ years; PCPs; and exercise/recreation professionals) from three Canadian provinces (Alberta, Ontario, and New Brunswick), participated in semistructured focus groups. Transcripts from the sessions were analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis in the context of a previously conducted review by our team. Results: There were 17 focus groups (n = 50): four in older adults (n = 14), five with PCPs (n = 14), and eight with exercise/recreation professionals (n = 22). Participants expressed varying opinions on the components necessary for a relevant intervention. The need to embed options within the intervention, and to promote and deliver the intervention, was clear. Some themes were consistent across and within groups (e.g., simple, motivational messaging), whereas others differed (e.g., education, delivery mode, and contact). PCPs added insights about the needs of older adults who typically do not participate in research. Conclusion: Older adults have varied requirements, preferences, and skill levels that necessitate providing many options in any newly designed intervention. Significance/Implications: The intervention for the new Staircase Approach will require collaboration between multiple sectors to be successful.