1.
The development of ‘Move for Life’ (MFL): A peer mentoring
intervention designed to help inactive older adults become
more active
Andrew O’ Regan1, Enrique García Bengoechea2 Liam Glynn1, Alan Donnelly2, Monica Casey1, Amanda Clifford3, Andrew
Murphy4, Stephen Gallagher5, Paddy Gillespie4, Mary Harkin6, Phelim Macken7, John Sweeney7, Mo Foley-Walsh8,
Geraldine Quinn9, Kwok Ng2, Nollaig O’Sullivan2, Garoid Balfry2, Chloe Forte2 and Catherine Woods2

2.
Background
• Overwhelming evidence supports physical activity
(PA). (1,2,3)
• Age is a negative determinant of PA. (4)
• In Ireland, most adults do not meet PA
guidelines.(5)
• Complex interventions with behavioural change
techniques can increase PA levels. (6)
• Move for Life (MFL) aims to broaden the reach of
the professional -the Local Sports Partnership
(LSP) instructor - to the participants via peer
mentor support.

3.
Aims
1. To investigate previous PA programmes for
the key factors in participant recruitment and
retention and intervention scalability
2. To develop a behavioural change intervention
– Move For Life

4.
Methodology
1. Ethical approval from University of Limerick
Education & Health Science REC
2. Interview script developed and piloted
3. Key informants purposively sampled
4. N = 22 interviews conducted and recorded
5. Data analysis– Inductive Thematic Analysis (7)

5.
Results
Messaging
Multiple methods
Timing
Socialisation
Group identity
Volunteering
Resourcing
Training of
instructors
Training of peer-
mentors
Recruitment
Scalability RetentionLocal
Links
Infra-
structure
Referral
pathways
Age-appropriate

6.
Results
• Behavioural skills
• Social support
• Group cohesion
“It’s the group participation makes the most of it. You are having good
fun, you are having good craic and you don’t actually realise that you
are doing your exercises and then you are going out for your mile and
you are improving your times but again it’s the healthy aspect from it
that you feel good in yourself .”
“He [instructor]understands that and he’s looking at everybody around
and if he knows that you are after having an injury he’ll say you know
how is the leg or how is.. just go easy on it tonight or …. He will
communicate, he will make you enjoy it but at the same time he is ever
so watchful.”
Q. “Ok and anything keep you from coming?”
A1 “No.”
A2 “(laughter) Wild dogs wouldn’t keep him
away.”

7.
Conclusions
• Trained instructors
assisted by peer
mentors, using a train
the trainer (cascade)
model.
• 14 instructors and 10
peer mentors have
been trained.
• Ongoing process
evaluation.

8.
Thank You
References:
1. Mammen G, Faulkner G. Physical activity and the prevention of depression: a systematic review
of prospective studies. Am J Prev Med. 2013;45(5):649-57.
2. de Labra C, Guimaraes-Pinheiro C, Maseda A, Lorenzo T, Millán-Calenti JC. Effects of physical
exercise interventions in frail older adults: a systematic review of randomized controlled trials.
BMC Geriatr. 2015;15:154.
3. Warburton DER, Bredin SSD. Health benefits of physical activity: a systematic review of current
systematic reviews. Curr Opin Cardiol. 2017;32(5):541-56.
4. Westerterp KR. Daily physical activity and ageing. Curr Opin Clin Nutr Metab Care. 2000;3(6):485-
88.
5. Department of Health (2016) Positive ageing 2016 Indicators report. http://health.gov.ie/wp-
content/uploads/2016/11/Positive-Ageing-Report-Nov-2016.pdf. Accessed 16 Apr 2018.
6. Olanrewaju O, Kelly S, Cowan A, Brayne C, Lafortune L. Physical Activity in Community Dwelling
Older People: A Systematic Review of Reviews of Interventions and Context. PLoS One.
2016;11(12):e0168614.
7. Braun v, and Clarke V. "Using thematic analysis in psychology." Qualitative research in psychology
3.2 (2006): 77-101.
Acknowledgement:
Funded as part of HaPAI: Health and Positive Aging Initiative. Healthy Ireland, the Health Services
Executive and Atlantic Philanthropies.