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Conference Agenda

Overview and details of the sessions of this conference. Please select a date or location to show only sessions at that day or location. Please select a single session for detailed view (with abstracts and downloads if available).

Daily Overview

Session

WR2_1_2: Abstract presentations: Health-Promoting Sports Clubs and Communities
Location: White room 2
Session Chair: Susanna Geidne

Presentation 4

2:15pm - 2:18pm

Development of a golf and health programme for frail older people and stroke survivors

David Hewson¹, Onyinye Ezeokoli¹, Deepika Lawrence², Ivelina Tsocheva¹

1: Institute for Health Research, University of Bedfordshire; 2: Ascent Primary Care Network, United Kingdom

Background:

There is an increasing amount of evidence that playing golf is beneficial for health, particularly for older people. The benefits are thought to result from a combination of the physical activity involved in golf, the social interaction when playing, the benefits of being outdoors, as well as the cognitive challenges involved in playing golf shots. This aim of this project was to co-produce a golf and health programme for older people.

Methods

The project was developed with stakeholders, including golf professionals, healthcare professionals, social prescribers, and older community members from many different cultures. The pilot project focuses on people living with frailty and stroke survivors. The frailty, component is included as part of an offer of 12 weeks of free physical activity for older people who are mildly frail, with recruitment through primary care and the community. The stroke survivor component is a partnership with physiotherapists, with participants progressing from clinic to the golf course. For both conditions, participants start with putting then progress to the full swing, based on individual capacities. The programme is currently being evaluated using a mixed methods approach. Scaling up is planned with additional golf courses and physiotherapy clinics. The programme could also be extended to include other sports and activities, as well as people with other age-related conditions.

Conclusions:

Partnership between health care providers and sports clubs, such as golf, could provide a way of improving public health and creating health hubs in traditional leisure settings.