https://doi.org/10.1177/1539449220928141
OTJR: Occupation, Participation and
Health
1–9
© The Author(s) 2020
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DOI: 10.1177/1539449220928141
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Original Article
Introduction
The global population is aging at a rapid rate (Chang et al.,
2019). Later life is often accompanied by declines in physical
and mental health, functional ability, and quality of life (QoL)
(Clark et al., 2012; Toledano-González et al., 2018). This
underlines the importance of developing health-promoting
interventions to enable active, healthy aging (Golinowska
et al., 2016; Johansson & Björklund, 2016). Research shows
that people’s occupations (i.e., the activities in which they are
engaged) are linked to their health and well-being (Stav et al.,
2012). Thus, health promotion programs should be derived
from engaging in a large range of physical, mental, social,
cognitive, and productive activities (Moll et al., 2015).
Lifestyle Redesign® (LR) is an occupation-based inter-
vention which has been developed in the United States and
studied over the past two decades (Clark et al., 2012). LR
aims to enhance health, functioning, and QoL of older adults
through the development of healthy and meaningful routines.
The first LR randomized controlled trial (RCT) was a tightly
controlled efficacy study in primarily one high-rise apart-
ment. This study showed improvement in health perception,
function, and QoL of the LR group, compared to an active
control group (social activity) and a nontreatment control
group (Clark et al., 1997). The second study was an effec-
tiveness study involving multiple sites with a larger
population at higher risk for health disparities (Clark et al.,
2012). LR was shown to have beneficial effects on mental
well-being (vitality, social function, and mental health), life
satisfaction, depressive symptomatology, and bodily pain
compared to a nontreatment control group.
Due to its promising clinical effects, LR has been success-
fully adapted to suit different socioeconomic and cultural
backgrounds such as Latino (Schepens Niemiec et al., 2019)
and Swedish (Johansson & Björklund, 2016). In addition, it
has been modified to the needs of individuals with various
health conditions, for example, people suffering from chronic
pain (Simon & Collins, 2017) and stroke survivors (Lund
et al., 2012). Furthermore, a recent systematic review found
that LR is considered cost-effective and beneficial to both
mental and physical health for older adults living in the com-
munity (Lévesque et al., 2019).
928141OTJ XX X 10.1177/1539449220928141OTJR: Occupation, Participation and HealthMaeir et al.
research-article 2020
1
School of Occupational Therapy, Faculty of Medicine, Hebrew University
of Jerusalem, Israel
2
Matam Daycare, Jerusalem, Israel
3
Hebrew University Secondary School, Jerusalem, Israel
4
Ono Academic College, Israel
Corresponding Author:
Yafit Gilboa, School of Occupational Therapy, Faculty of Medicine,
Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Mount Scopus, Jerusalem 91240, Israel.
Email: Yafit.gilboa@mail.huji.ac.il
The Feasibility and Efficacy of an Israeli
Lifestyle Redesign®–Based Program for
Well Older Adults: A Pilot Study
Talia Maeir
1
, Aviva Beit-Yosef
1
, Tamar Wechsler
1,2
,
Yael Safra
1,3
, Yael Zilbershlag
4
, Noomi Katz
4
,
and Yafit Gilboa
1
Abstract
The Israeli Lifestyle Program (ILP) was adapted from the original Lifestyle Redesign® intervention, aiming to enhance health,
functioning, and quality of life (QoL) of older adults. The purpose of this study was to examine the feasibility and effectiveness
of the ILP. The design of the study entailed a non-randomized trial with a 3-month follow-up including 18 women aged 65
to 81 recruited from a community center. The research group (n = 9) participated in 15 weekly group meetings and three
individual sessions. The control group (n = 9) received an information booklet based on the ILP content. Between-group
comparisons revealed significant differences in change scores in favor of the research group for occupational performance
(U = 19.0, p = .03), environmental (U = 21.5, p = .04), and social (U = 20.5, p = .03) QoL factors. Findings also revealed
reduction in depressive symptoms (U = 24.0, p = .07). These findings suggest community group programs for improving
occupational performance and QoL.
Keywords
older adults, health promotion, occupational therapy, intervention, cultural/culture sensitivity