Denise Astrid Peels

• PhD Student
• Open University of the Netherlands

Samenvatting Over het algemeen is de gezondheidstoestand van mensen met een hogere sociaaleconomische status (SES) beter dan die van mensen met een lagere SES. De inzet van passende strategieën om de lage-SES-populatie te bereiken met online gezondheidsinterventies (e-health) is dus van groot belang om de ongelijkheid op gezondheidsgebied te vermin...

The rapid ageing of our society poses significant challenges, including an increase in chronic diseases and loneliness among older adults, leading to higher demands for care and support. Addressing these needs requires an integral approach, especially among older adults with low socioeconomic status (SES). This article details the development of th...

Objective To investigate whether six combined computer- and mobile-based physical activity interventions differ regarding use, attrition, usability and appreciation among adults aged 50 years and older. Methods The interventions were studied in a randomized controlled trial. Participants were allocated to the computer-based Active Plus or I Move p...

Although many physical activity (PA) interventions for older adults have proven effective in controlled research settings, optimal implementation in real life remains challenging. This study identifies determinants perceived by stakeholders when implementing community-based PA interventions for older adults. We interviewed 31 stakeholders guided by...

Background Although there are many proven effective physical activity (PA) interventions for older adults, implementation in a real world setting is often limited. This study describes the systematic development of a multifaceted implementation intervention targeting the implementation of an evidence-based computer-tailored PA intervention and eval...

Although many physical activity (PA) interventions for older adults have proven ef-fective in controlled research settings, optimal implementation in real life remains challenging. This study identifies determinants perceived by stakeholders when im-plementing community-based PA interventions for older adults. We interviewed 31 stakeholders guided...

Electronic health (eHealth) and mobile health (mHealth) could stimulate physical activity (PA) in a time-efficient and cost-effective way. This randomized controlled trial aims to investigate effects on moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA) of different combined computer- and mobile-based PA interventions targeted at adults aged 50 years and over. Partici...

Many middle-aged and older adults (MAOAs) do not engage in sufficient physical activity (PA), despite its well-documented benefits for healthy aging. Existing PA interventions often fail to reach or engage the target population effectively. This study investigates MAOAs’ preferences for recruitment strategies to optimize the reach and uptake of PA...

Background Generally, the health condition of those with higher socioeconomic status (SES) is better compared to those with lower SES. The application of appropriate strategies to reach low SES populations with electronic health (eHealth) interventions is thus of major importance to reduce health inequalities. eHealth-studies providing detailed inf...

Many middle-aged and older adults (MAOA) do not engage in sufficient physical activity (PA) despite its well-documented benefits for healthy aging. Existing PA interventions often fail to reach or engage the target population effectively. This study investigates MAOA's preferences for recruitment strategies to optimize the reach and uptake of PA in...

Background Although there are many proven effective physical activity (PA) interventions for older adults, implementation in a real world setting is often limited. This study describes the systematic development of a multifaceted implementation intervention targeting the implementation of an evidence-based computer-tailored PA intervention and eval...

Background The rapid ageing of our society poses significant challenges, including an increase in chronic diseases and loneliness among older adults, leading to higher demands for care and support. An integral approach can potentially address the complex support needs of older adults, particularly those in a low socioeconomic position (SEP). For th...

Purpose To improve the long-term physical and psychological health of prostate and colorectal cancer survivors, physical activity (PA) interventions aimed at maintaining PA are necessary. OncoActive is a print- and web-based intervention that was was able to increase PA of prostate and colorectal cancer patients and survirors shortly after the inte...

Purpose Among middle aged and older adults (>50 years) (MAOA) insufficient PA is highly prevalent. Although many PA interventions for MAOA are effective in research settings, the actual impact on public health is often limited, due to low participation when implemented in real-life settings. The issue of low participation in PA interventions is wel...

Background Although there are many proven effective physical activity (PA) interventions for older adults, implementation in a real world setting is often lacking, limiting their actual impact on public health. This study describes the systematic development of a multifaceted implementation plan and evaluates its use during implementation of the ev...

Aim Although there are many proven effective physical activity (PA) interventions for middle-aged and older adults (MAOA), implementation in a real world setting is often lacking. Intermediary organizations (further referred to as ‘stakeholders’) often determine the final exposure of the intervention to the target population and therefore have a cr...

Extensive research has demonstrated the effectiveness of physical activity interventions for middle aged and older adults (MAOA). Despite this effectiveness, the actual reach of the target population participating in these interventions in a real-world setting remains relatively low. This demonstrates the urgent need for further implementation rese...

Background: Physical activity (PA) can improve the physical and psychological health of prostate and colorectal cancer survivors, but PA behavior change maintenance is necessary for long-term health benefits. OncoActive is a print- and web-based intervention in which prostate and colorectal cancer patients and survivors receive automatically gener...

Background Only a minority of adults aged over 50 years meet physical activity (PA) guidelines of the World Health Organization (WHO). eHealth interventions are proven effective tools to help this population increase its PA levels in the short term, among which the Active Plus and I Move interventions have been developed by our own research group....

BACKGROUND Physical activity (PA) can increase mental and physical health in adults aged over 50. However, it has been shown that PA-guidelines are often not met within this population. Therefore, our research group developed two computer tailored intervention programs in the last decade to stimulate PA: Active Plus and I Move. Although these progr...

Background: Physical activity (PA) can increase mental and physical health in adults aged 50 years and older. However, it has been shown that PA guidelines are often not met within this population. Therefore, our research group developed 2 computer-tailored intervention programs in the last decade to stimulate PA: Active Plus and I Move. Although...

Background Reducing inequalities in physical activity (PA) and PA-associated health outcomes is a priority for public health. Interventions to promote PA may reduce inequalities, but may also unintentionally increase them. Thus, there is a need to analyze equity-specific intervention effects. However, the potential for analyzing equity-specific eff...

This paper explores the odds for voluntary use of commercial wearable activity trackers. Innovative is the application of technology acceptance on adoption of these trackers (e.g. perceived usefulness, privacy risk), and the exploration of the role of psychosocial constructs regarding physical activity (e.g. motivation, social influence). Although...

Objective: To provide insight into the motivational working mechanisms (i.e. mediators) of an effective physical activity (PA) intervention for adults aged over fifty. Design: The mediation model (N = 822) was investigated in an RCT for the total intervention population, participants who were not norm-active at baseline (targeting PA initiation) an...

Reducing social inequalities in physical activity (PA) has become a priority for public health. However, evidence concerning the impact of interventions on inequalities in PA is scarce. This study aims to develop and test the application of a strategy for re-analyzing equity-specific effects of existing PA intervention studies in middle-aged and ol...

This study explores the association between physical activity (PA), loneliness, and the presence of physical chronic impairments among single older adults. A longitudinal study ( N = 575; mean age 76 ± 8 years) was conducted. The association between self-reported weekly minutes of moderate to vigorous PA, loneliness, and presence of physical impair...

BACKGROUND Online interventions can play an important role in promoting physical activity (PA) behavior among older adults. Although the effectiveness of these online interventions is promising, they often suffer from a low reach and high attrition, thereby threatening their potential public health impact. OBJECTIVE This study assesses which parti...

Background: Web-based interventions can play an important role in promoting physical activity (PA) behavior among older adults. Although the effectiveness of these interventions is promising, they are often characterized by low reach and high attrition, which considerably hampers their potential impact on public health. Objective: The aim of thi...

Background Physical activity (PA) is beneficial in improving negative physical and psychological effects of cancer and cancer treatment, but adherence to PA guidelines is low. Computer-tailored PA interventions can reach large populations with little resources. They match with patients’ preference for home-based, unsupervised PA programs and are th...

Gratitude is considered an important source of human strength in achieving and maintaining good mental health. Although complete mental health encompasses the absence of psychopathology and the presence of subjective well-being, no studies to date have examined relations between gratitude and both mental health dimensions together. Moreover, most s...

Purpose: Especially for single older adults with chronic diseases, sufficient physical activity (PA) and social connectivity are beneficial to their health and independence. As the majority of industrialized societies ages rapidly, interventions targeting this group are called for, preferably relatively low-investment interventions. This study desc...

Purpose: An e-health intervention aiming to increase physical activity (PA) among people aged over fifty was adapted specifically for single adults aged over 65 with a chronic disease, adding intervention components to better enable PA for this target group, and to decrease loneliness. This study explores the effectiveness of the ActivePlus65 inter...

This study explores the effectiveness of the Active Plus65 intervention designed to stimulate physical activity among single older adults with a chronic physical impairment. A quasi-experimental pre-test post-test study was performed. The intervention group (n= 411; mean age = 76.75; SD = 7.75) was assessed at baseline, three months, and six months...

Background: Especially for single older adults with chronic diseases, physical inactivity and a poor social network are regarded as serious threats to their health and independence. The Active Plus intervention is an automated computer-tailored eHealth intervention that has been proven effective to promote physical activity (PA) in the general pop...

Background Physical activity (PA) is beneficial in improving negative physical and psychological effects of cancer. The rapidly increasing number of cancer survivors, resulting from aging and improved cancer care, emphasizes the importance to develop and provide low cost, easy accessible PA programs. Such programs could be provided through the Inte...

These longitudinal studies in older adults targeted mediated relationships between habit and physical activity (PA). In The Netherlands two independent studies were conducted among 1976 (Study 1: Mage=63.63, SD=8.66, 30% functional limitations) and 2140 (Study 2: Mage=62.75, SD=8.57, 45% functional limitations) adults aged 50 years or older. Cross-...

Background Cancer and cancer treatment coincide with substantial negative physical, psychological and psychosocial problems. Physical activity (PA) can positively affect the negative effects of cancer and cancer treatment and thereby increase quality of life in CPS. Nevertheless, only a minority of CPS meet PA guidelines. We developed the OncoActiv...

Dit implementatie-advies biedt gemeenten handvaten om een eHealth-interventie te implementeren. Het advies is gebaseerd op de implementatie van Actief Plus, een bewezen effectieve interventie die beweging van ouderen verhoogt en sociaal contact stimuleert. In het advies ligt de nadruk op samenwerking met partijen die al veel te maken hebben met de...

This poster presents the main findings from the Actief Plus project in the municipality of Heerlen, which was aimed at the promotion of physical activity behaviour and to decrease loneliness amongst single, community dwelling elderly with a chronic disease. We studied the implementation process of the tailored web- or print-delivered intervention i...

Physical activity is associated with many health benefits that are important for older adults. These health benefits can only be obtained and preserved when physical activity is maintained over a long period of time. Habit formation has been proposed as a way to ensure long-term maintenance of physical activity. Intention, action planning, and phys...

Gratitude refers to a “generalized tendency to recognize and respond with grateful emotion to the roles of other people’s benevolence in the positive experiences and outcomes that one obtains”[1]. Gratitude has been associated positively with measures of life satisfaction[2,3] and subjective well-being[4], and negatively with depression[5] and anxi...

Steeds meer onderzoek laat zien dat bewegen een positieve invloed heeft op de negatieve effecten van kanker en de bijbehorende behandeling. Er is daarom behoefte aan effectieve, laagdrempelige, voor een grote groep toegankelijke beweegprogramma’s die niet alleen sporten, maar ook bewegen in het dagelijks leven stimuleren. OncoActief is een online e...

Background: Physical inactivity is a significant predictor of several chronic diseases, becoming more prevalent as people age. Since the aging population increases demands on healthcare budgets, effectively stimulating physical activity (PA) against acceptable costs is of major relevance. This study provides insight into long-term health outcomes...

Background The adverse health effects of insufficient physical activity (PA) result in high costs to society. The economic burden of insufficient PA, which increases in our aging population, stresses the urgency for cost-effective interventions to promote PA among older adults. The current study provides insight in the cost-effectiveness and cost-u...

This study provides insight in the effectiveness of a print-delivered and a Web-based physical activity (PA) intervention (with or without additional environmental information on local PA possibilities) among people aged over 50. Intervention groups (print-delivered basic [PB; n = 439], print-delivered environmental [PE; n = 435], Web-based basic [...

The public health impact of health behaviour interventions is highly dependent on large-scale implementation. Intermediaries-intervention providers-determine to a large extent whether an intervention reaches the target population, and hence its impact on public health. A cross-sectional study was performed to identify the correlates of intermediari...

This study provides insight into the long-term efficacy (i.e. 12 month results) of the Web-based or print-delivered tailored Active Plus intervention (with and without environmental approach) to promote physical activity (PA) among the over-fifties. Differences in effect among subgroups are studied as well. Intervention groups (i.e. print-delivered...

This study provides insight into the use and appreciation of a tailored physical activity intervention for people aged over 50 years in different intervention conditions (i.e. printed versus web-based and basic versus environmental). Participants (within a clustered randomized controlled trial) received printed or web-based-tailored advice three ti...

Background The Internet has the potential to provide large populations with individual health promotion advice at a relatively low cost. Despite the high rates of Internet access, actual reach by Web-based interventions is often disappointingly low, and differences in use between demographic subgroups are present. Furthermore, Web-based interventio...

The Active Plus project is a systematically developed theory- and evidence-based, computer-tailored intervention, which was found to be effective in changing physical activity behavior in people aged over 50 years. The process and effect outcomes of the first version of the Active Plus project were translated into an adapted intervention using the...