Overview

Bingocize® is a 10-week program designed to increase physical activity and reduce sedentary behavior. Specifically, Bingocize® can increase older adults’ functional fitness, knowledge of falls prevention, and social engagement in a variety of settings, including community senior centers and congregate meal sites. The program combines a bingo-like game with physical activity and/or health education (falls prevention and nutrition). Trained leaders may select between separate units that focus on exercise-only, exercise and falls prevention, or exercise and nutrition. Each unit includes a leader’s script for each session, participants’ materials, and “take home” cards for participants to complete exercises and tasks at home to reinforce the weekly health education information. Participants play Bingocize® twice per week, with each 45-60 minute session consisting of exercises (range of motion, balance, muscle strengthening, and endurance exercises) and/or health education questions. The program is pre-approved by the National Council on Aging as an evidence-based falls prevention program and qualifies for Title IIID funding.

Target Behavior: Healthy Eating, Physical Activity and Reducing Screen Time

Intervention Type: Direct Education

Intervention Reach and Adoption

Bingocize® targets adults and older adults in community, faith-based, health care, and USDA program (not National School Lunch Program) settings. The program was designed for community-dwelling older adults of all ethnicities and socioeconomic strata. To date, the program has been used in community senior centers, certified nursing homes, and assisted living/independent living facilities. The number of participants has varied, based on the type of facility. At the community senior centers and assisted living/independent living facilities, the average number of participants has ranged from 8-20 people per group, while certified nursing homes often attract over 20.

Setting: Community (Live), Faith-based community, Health care, USDA program sites (not National School Lunch Program)

Target Audience: Adults, Older Adults

Race/Ethnicity: All

Intervention Components

Bingocize® includes a program leader manual and curriculum, participants’ curriculum, and exercise equipment. These intervention components are essential to ensure participants participate in the exercise program and engage in the health education curriculum. Participants (Bingocizers™) complete a series of strategically inserted exercises designed to increase or decrease the intensity and volume of exercise, based on participants’ abilities. Health education questions are also inserted into the game. Participants rest while numbers are called for the bingo game, complete more strategically inserted exercises or health education questions, rest during number calling, and so on. This pattern is continued until a Bingocizer™ wins the game. Small prizes (not included with program) are awarded to winners. Additional games are played until all planned exercises are completed.

Intervention Materials

The available Bingocize® materials include:

Reusable Bingocize® in a Box: Official Bingocize® shirt for a leader, leader training manual, and equipment for 20 participants, including resistance bands and therapy balls.
Educational and marketing materials for participants and an instruction manual for program leaders are available for download on the online training site.

The online training site is available here: www.bingocize.com

Intervention Costs

Costs include a 2-year licensing fee of $250.00 per organization, per county; $150.00 per person online training (recertify after two years for $75.00); and $250.00 (+ shipping) for Bingocize® in a Box (contains equipment for the program).

Evidence Summary

Bingocize® conducted community-based evaluations and included rural and lower-income older adults (>60 years old), most suffering from multiple chronic health conditions. The overall objectives for these investigations were to determine the effect of Bingocize® on functional performance, gait, health activation, cognition, and health knowledge (falls prevention/osteoarthritis). These investigations highlighted significant improvements in older adults’ upper and lower body strength, knowledge of falls prevention/osteoarthritis, gait, health activation, and specific aspects of cognition.

Multiple research studies, as well as actual implementation in older adult facilities, confirmed program leaders and participants accepted the Bingocize® program. For example, participant adherence during studies was 93%, and retention was above 90%.

Published research includes:

Evidence-based Approach: Research-tested

Evaluation Indicators

Based on the SNAP-Ed Evaluation Framework, the following outcome indicators can be used to evaluate intervention progress and success.

	Readiness and Capacity – Short Term (ST)	Changes – Medium Term (MT)	Effectiveness and Maintenance – Long Term (LT)	Population Results (R)
Individual	ST3
Environmental Settings
Sectors of Influence

ST3a: Physical activity and leisure sport
ST3b: Physical activity when you breathed harder than normal
ST3c: Physical activity to make your muscles stronger (muscular strength)

Evaluation Materials

Certified leaders are required to track session attendance and administer an assessment to the participants before the first session and after the last session of the program. Attendance and completed pre/post assessment forms must be scanned and emailed to bingocizedata@wku.edu. All forms and outcome measure instructions are available on the online training website. Certified leaders also complete an evaluation of the online training.

Program completers must attend 80% or 16 of the 20 sessions.

Additional Information

Website: The Bingocize® website (http://www.bingocize.com/) includes an overview of research conducted, curriculum reinforcements, participant testimonials, and frequently asked questions.

Contact Person:
K. Jason Crandall, PhD
Associate Professor and Director
Western Kentucky University Center for Applied Science in Health and Aging
Bingocize@wku.edu