Grant: Summer Program in Aging

Broken bones (i.e. fractures) cause pain, difficulty walking, loss of independence, and even death. The number of fractures increases dramatically with age and one in three women and one in five men will have a fracture in their lifetime. Diabetes also becomes more common with age, and often co-exists with bone loss and fractures in older adults. Despite this, fragile bones remain an under-recognized complication of diabetes in the older adult population. Exercise can prevent muscle and bone loss, improve metabolic health, and is a promising strategy for fall and fracture prevention. Current diabetes guidelines recommend regular exercise to prevent classical diabetes complications such as high blood sugar and high blood pressure in at-risk populations. However, considerable knowledge gaps exist regarding the impact of exercise on bone health among older adults with diabetes and diabetes-specific tools, resources, and services focused on exercise for fracture prevention are lacking. We will interview adults over 50 years of age with diabetes to learn more about their perspectives and experiences related to exercise for bone health management. We will also interview health care providers in endocrinology, internal medicine, geriatrics, kinesiology, and nutrition to co-design a bone health and exercise education program for older adults with diabetes. We will consult on the patients' capabilities, opportunities, and motivations to customize their education program. Our work will advance knowledge and practice on fracture prevention and bone health management in diabetes and create a person-centred education program promoting safe and effective exercise to improve bone health in older adults living with diabetes.