Date of Award
Summer 2025
Document Type
Project – Full Written
Degree Name
Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)
Committee Chair
Tracy Arnold
Abstract
Background: 21% of Cabarrus County, North Carolina, residents report complete physical inactivity during their leisure time, contributing to various health problems affecting 29% to 33% of Cabarrus County residents aged 40 to 84.
Purpose: The purpose of this Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) project was to implement and evaluate a 3-week community walking challenge (Trim Before the Turkey Walking Challenge) to increase physical activity and social connectedness among Cabarrus County residents aged 50 and older.
Methods: A pre- and post-program survey design was used to evaluate participant-reported physical activity levels and sense of social engagement. Participants were recruited through the Concord Senior Center and given the option to participate in weekly in-person walking sessions or independently track steps online through the Walk Cabarrus platform. Surveys were distributed via QR code before and via email after the intervention and were analyzed using descriptive statistics.
Results: Descriptive analysis showed improvements in weekly physical activity frequency and duration of walking sessions. While group-wide social engagement minimally declined, in-person walking session participants reported stronger feelings of social connectedness compared to those who participated online, only indicating stronger connectedness and satisfaction among the in-person group.
Conclusions: The Trim Before the Turkey Walking Challenge was an effective and feasible intervention for promoting physical activity among older adults in a community setting. In-person engagement appeared to contribute more meaningfully to social connectedness outcomes. Future programs should expand in-person participation options while addressing barriers to online engagement. Long-term program sustainability can be supported through continued collaboration with community health partners.
Recommended Citation
Hicks, Amy S., "Addressing Physical Inactivity in Cabarrus County" (2025). Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects. 147.
https://digitalcommons.gardner-webb.edu/nursing-dnp/147
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 4.0 License