Impact of a physiotherapy-led low threshold exercise and protein supplementation intervention to optimise physical function and target frailty in people experiencing homelessness and addiction: The LEAP-II trial.
Fiona Kennedy, Clíona Ní Cheallaigh, Roman Romero-Ortuno et al.
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In 30 seconds
The LEAP-II trial was a pre-post intervention study at a day service centre, evaluating a physiotherapy-led, low-threshold exercise programme with protein supplementation among people experiencing homelessness and addiction. The intervention was flexibly delivered three times weekly over 12 weeks. Forty-three participants enrolled; retention was 70%, adherence was reported in 93%, and acceptability in 100%, with no adverse events. Significant improvements were reported in lower-limb strength, gait speed, pain, nutritional status and frailty (p<0.05). The authors describe the findings as evidence of feasibility and proof of concept.
Key findings
- Among 43 participants, overall retention was 70%; adherence was reported in 93% and acceptability in 100%.
- No adverse events occurred during the intervention.
- Significant improvements were reported in lower-limb strength, gait speed, pain, nutritional status and frailty (p<0.05).
- At baseline, 70% had poor nutritional health, and between 33% and 72% lived with some degree of frailty.
Why it matters
People experiencing homelessness and addiction had substantial baseline burdens of impaired physical function, poor nutritional health and frailty in this study. The findings suggest that a flexible, physiotherapy-led exercise and protein supplementation programme can be delivered in a day-service setting and may improve several relevant outcomes. This offers preliminary evidence for addressing physical health needs in a population often overlooked in intervention research.
What to keep in mind
The pre-post design without a stated comparison group limits conclusions about whether the intervention caused the observed improvements.