An abdominal vibration combined with walking exercise (AVCWE) program for older patients with constipation: Development and feasibility study

BACKGROUND: Older patients with constipation are at higher risk for inadequate bowel preparation, but there are currently no targeted strategies. This study aims to develop an abdominal vibration combined with walking exercise (AVCWE) program and assess its feasibility among older patients with constipation.

METHODS: Phase I: Using the Delphi technique, eight experts across three professional fields were consulted to develop the AVCWE program. The experts evaluated and provided recommendations on demonstration videos and detailed descriptions of the preliminary protocol. Phase II: A single-arm feasibility study of the AVCWE program was conducted on 30 older patients with constipation undergoing colonoscopy at a tertiary hospital in China. A 10-point exercise program evaluation form and several open-ended questions were used to gather feedback from participants regarding the program. In both phases, content analysis was used to critically analyze and summarize qualitative suggestions for protocol modifications.

RESULTS: Based on feedback from the expert panel, the AVCWE program developed in Phase I included two procedures during laxative ingestion: at least 5,500 steps of walking exercise and two cycles of moderate-intensity abdominal vibration (each cycle consisted of 10 min of vibration and 10 min of rest). The feasibility study in Phase II showed high positive patient feedback scores for the program, ranging from 9.07 ± 0.74 to 9.73 ± 0.52.

CONCLUSION: The AVCWE program was developed by eight multidisciplinary experts and was well accepted by 30 older patients with constipation. Study participants believed that this program was simple, safe, appropriate, and helpful for their bowel preparation. The findings of this study may provide valuable information for optimizing bowel preparation in older patients with constipation.