Social-media based health education plus exercise programme (SHEEP) to improve muscle function among young-old adults with possible sarcopenia in the community: A feasibility study protocol

BackgroundDespite the comparatively high prevalence of possible sarcopenia among young-old adults in the community, there is currently no available and effective social media-based intervention to increase the awareness and behaviour of the target population in order to prevent sarcopenia. Using co-design methodology, we developed a multicomponent intervention strategy of health education and exercise for sarcopenia prevention utilizing the TikTok platform. ObjectivesPrimary purpose of this study is to examine the feasibility and acceptability of the social media-based intervention to enhance muscle function in community-dwelling young-old adults with possible sarcopenia. MethodsThis protocol outlines the entire research procedure for a prospective single-arm pre-post feasibility study employing a mixed-method design, which will be conducted between May 2024 and September 2024. 35 older adults aged 60-69 years with possible sarcopenia will be recruited from two communities in Changsha, China. Based on the TikTok platform, participants will be required to view a total of seven health education videos in the first week, and each video lasts four to six minutes. Then, participants will receive six-week multi-component exercise through TikTok, with at least three sessions/week, 30 minutes/session, and moderate intensity. Finally, six-week follow-up will be conducted. Data collection will be conducted at baseline, post-intervention and follow-up period. The primary outcome will include evaluating recruitment capability, data collection procedure, outcome measurement, intervention procedures acceptability, researchers ability to manage and implement the study, etc. The secondary outcome is to compare standard measures for muscle function (e.g. handgrip strength, skeletal muscle mass, physical performance), body composition (e.g. body fat, body mass index, bone mineral), and other measures (e.g. perceived knowledge, personal motivation, behavioural skills). Finally, all participants will be offered a semi-structured interview to assess their in-depth experiences with the intervention and research process. DiscussionThis study will be the first social-media based multicomponent intervention program for community young-old adults with possible sarcopenia to improve their muscle function, awareness and behaviour of preventing sarcopenia. Findings will generate new evidence regarding to the use of social media in health education for impoving awareness of sarcopenia prevention, as well as the feasibility of using social media to influence participants behavioural changes through exercise. This may help researchers identify ways to optimise acceptability and efficacy of the SHEEP intervention for the targeted population. Trial registrationISRCTN registry, ISRCTN17269170, Registered 14 September 2023