exercise classes), as well as the a

exercise classes), as well as the availability for mediators such
as doctors, therapists, or relatives. A con was the fact that a
minority of older people are equipped with Internet access.
According to that, we assume mediators to be the key to success
in order to motivate older inactive persons to exercise. In the
future, the website could also serve as a template for an eventual
print version. It was decided by the team to offer a detailed
description of training methods, information about appropriate
target groups, and accessibility of the location, the costs, and
the details of contact. An Australian website was chosen as a
template, and the same Web service provider was contracted.
A questionnaire was sent out to all known providers of exercise
classes. When their responses were received, their information
was first checked for completeness, and then entered into the
Web-based platform by a physiotherapist. The website was
presented to and tested with senior citizens, and modified
accordingly. The materials for promotion, such as flyers, posters,
and newspaper articles were prepared and distributed. The
platform [30] started on the Internet in November 2011 with 90
classes, in April 2013 it presents 320 exercise classes. For
process evaluation, for example, links to other local websites
or page hits are documented.
Evaluation
The study is evaluated primarily by process evaluation as well
as by telephone survey.
Process Evaluation
To guide other communities in future activities in the field of
fall prevention, a process evaluation of strategies implemented
in this study is planned. The appropriate evaluation methods
have to be developed according to the strategies. Since the
development of implementation strategies is part of the on going
project, and will be done together with the local stakeholders,
the final evaluation methods used cannot yet be presented.
Possible methods might be, for example, the uptake of fall
prevention activities by the institutions involved or compliance
of the target group. To present the results of the evaluation, a
website offers interested parties a “construction kit”, from which
various measures and strategies for action can be “taken”. The
platform shall inform, for example, about aims, procedures,
costs, involved stakeholders, experiences, and barriers and
catalyzers for implementation.
Telephone Survey
A control region is identified with the city of Ludwigsburg. The
city of Ludwigsburg with 88,600 inhabitants, 18.96% of them
65 years and older (n=16,800), is situated 70 km northwest of
the intervention region. The political and socioeconomic
structure is comparable to the intervention region.