Walking towards psychosocial well-being? Unveiling psychosocial impacts of a group-based walking program with and without cognitive enrichment in older adults—a mixed-methods randomized controlled trial

Objectives Evaluating the effects of a group-based cognitively enriched walking program (WALK+) and non-enriched walking program (WALK-only) on psychosocial well-being (as a secondary outcome) in community-dwelling older adults. Methods A six-month randomized controlled trial was conducted, comparing WALK+, WALK-only and a passive control group. WALK+ and WALK-only involved two supervised group-based, and minimum one unsupervised walking session per week. Questionnaires on depressive symptoms, positive well-being, loneliness and social support measured psychosocial well-being at baseline, mid-intervention and post-intervention. Effects on these outcomes were assessed using linear mixed models with random intercepts. Self-perceived changes in psychosocial well-being were assessed post-intervention through a questionnaire and focus groups. Descriptive statistics were used for the questionnaire, and an inductive qualitative content analysis was conducted on the focus group data. Results No significant intervention effects were found on depressive symptoms, positive well-being, loneliness and social support. Nevertheless, participants reported self-perceived improvements in psychological (40% of WALK+ and 56% of WALK-only participants) and social well-being (43% of WALK+ and 50% of WALK-only participants). The group sessions facilitated social connections, some lasting beyond the intervention period. Conclusions Although no intervention effects were observed using standardized questionnaires, improvements in self-perceived psychosocial well-being suggest potential psychosocial benefits of WALK+ and WALK-only for older adults.