About

Tracy Chippendale is an associate professor in the Department of Occupational Therapy at NYU Steinhardt. She is an occupational therapist with a clinical background and research interests focused on geriatrics. Her research emphasizes interventions that enable older adults to 'Age in Place,' including non-pharmacological strategies for managing depressive symptoms, efforts to increase the healthcare workforce in geriatrics, and outdoor falls prevention. Her work has been published in reputable journals such as the American Journal of Occupational Therapy, the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, and The Gerontologist. Dr. Chippendale earned her PhD in occupational therapy from NYU in 2011 and previously held a position as an assistant professor at Tufts University in the Department of Occupational Therapy.

Research topics

• Medicine
• Gerontology
• Geography
• Computer Science
• Environmental health
• Sociology
• Psychology
• Nursing
• Physical therapy
• Business
• Marketing
• Surgery
• Traditional medicine
• Engineering
• Psychiatry

Selected publications

• Content Validation and Perceived Value of Text Messages to Promote Physical Activity Among U.S. Older Adults and Care Partners

  Preprints.org · 2026-01-19

  preprintOpen access

  Background: Motivational text messages can encourage increased physical activity. This study aimed to assess the content validity and perceived motivational value of text messages to encourage physical activity among older adults and care partners. Methods: We designed nine motivational text messages to capture nine distinct physical activity scenarios. Using a cross-sectional design, we enrolled 14 content experts, 310 older adults, and 305 care partners. Content experts assessed the relevance, while the older adults and care partners assessed the perceived motivational value of each text message on a 5-point Likert scale. We computed the item content validity index and assessed differences in perceived motivational value among older adults and care partners using quantile regression, while adjusting for sociodemographic and health characteristics. Results: The item content validity index ranged from 0.86 to 1.00. The median (interquartile range) perceived motivational values for each text message were 4.0 (3.0–5.0), and there were no statistically significant differences in the reported motivational values between older adults and care partners. Conclusion: We present nine content-validated text messages with high motivational value for older adults and care partners, which can be integrated into technology-based intervention studies and may improve physical activity behavior among both groups.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• The Relationship Between Functional Limitation and Fall Injury Among Older Adults: A 12-Year National Survey Analysis

  Preprints.org · 2026-01-26 · 1 citations

  preprintOpen access

  Background: One in four US adults aged ≥65 years experiences a fall annually, leading to substantial injury and morbidity. Functional limitations may serve as early markers of vulnerability to fall injury. We aimed to estimate temporal trends and the association between functional limitation and fall injuries among community-dwelling older adults. Methods: For this retrospective cohort analysis, we pooled 2006–2017 National Health Interview Survey data and identified older adult survey respondents. Functional limitation, defined as any reported difficulty performing daily activities, and fall injury, defined as occurring within three months prior to the interview, were measured as binary variables. We controlled for sociodemographic, self-rated health, healthcare access, and physical activity factors. We reported the yearly trend in fall injury and functional limitations and performed survey-weighted univariable and multivariable logistic regression analyses, accounting for the potential confounders. Results: Our sample comprised 79,891 older adults, of whom 66% reported functional limitations and 2.3% reported a fall injury within 3 months of their interview. The prevalence of functional limitation increased from 61.8% in 2007 to 68.4% in 2017 (p<0.001). Also, the fall injury rates ranged from 1.8% to 2.6% during the same period. Older adults with functional limitations were more likely to report fall injuries (3.2% vs. 1.1%, p<0.001). After adjustment, functional limitation was associated with a two-fold higher odds of fall injury (OR = 2.03, 95% CI 1.71–2.40). Conclusion: Functional limitations are highly prevalent and increasing among older U.S. adults, doubling the likelihood of fall injury occurrence.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Care Partner Physical Activity Attitudes and Practices on Perceived Physical Activity Benefits for Older Adults

  World · 2026-03-13

  articleOpen access

  Background: Care partners play a critical role in supporting physical activity among older adults. This study assesses how care partners’ attitudes to and engagement in physical activity relate to their perceived benefits of physical activity for older adults. Methods: For this cross-sectional study, 305 care partners completed validated surveys on the perceived benefits of physical activities among older adults (outcome), attitudes towards, and practices of physical activities (predictors). For all three surveys, higher scores indicate greater perceived benefit, more positive attitudes, and greater engagement in physical activities. We assessed the relationship between the predictor and outcome variables using multivariable quantile regression models adjusted for sociodemographic, caregiving, and health-related covariates. We reported the adjusted median difference (aMD) and 95% confidence intervals (CI). Results: The population was predominantly young adults (18–34 years, 58%), female (53%), who had been providing caregiving services for three or more years (43%). The median perceived physical activity benefit for older adults, personal attitude toward physical activity, and physical activity practice scale scores were 60.0 (52.0–66.0), 29.0 (25.0–33.0), and 33.0 (28.0–39.0), respectively. After adjusting for covariates, a unit increase in both attitude towards physical activity (aMD: 1.14; 95% CI: 0.96–1.33) and physical activity practice (aMD: 0.60; 95% CI: 0.45–0.75) was associated with increased median score of perceived benefit of physical activity among older adults. Conclusions: Care partners with positive attitudes and greater engagement in their personal physical activity perceive physical activities as beneficial for older adults.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Meeting Population Health Needs: Are Occupational Therapy Health Promotion Programs Scalable?

  The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy · 2026-01-15

  articleOpen access1st authorCorresponding
  PublisherDOI

• Protocol for a Pilot Two-Arm Crossover Randomized Controlled Trial of the ACTIVE Intervention for Older Adults with and Without Mild Dementia and Their Care Partners

  Journal of Clinical Medicine · 2026-02-08 · 2 citations

  articleOpen access

  Background: Older adults, including those with Alzheimer’s disease and Alzheimer’s disease-related dementias (AD/ADRD), face barriers in maintaining regular physical activity, which increases their fall risk and reduces their quality of life. The Activity Tracking, Care Partner Co-Participation, Text Reminders, Instructional Education, Video-Guided Physical Rehabilitation, and Exercise trial aims to improve physical activity among older adults. This pilot study aims to assess the feasibility and preliminary efficacy of the ACTIVE intervention. Methods: ACTIVE is a multi-method, two-arm randomized, analyst-blinded crossover pilot trial with an embedded qualitative component. We will recruit 50 community-dwelling dyads (older adult–care partner, n = 100), with and without mild AD/ADRD, in a 1:1 ratio. Each dyad will be randomized to the intervention or control arm, stratified by AD/ADRD diagnosis. The intervention arm will receive activity tracking, motivational texts, walking exercises, educational videos, and video-guided physical rehabilitation sessions, while the control arm will receive only activity tracking. The intervention will run in two halves: a three-week intervention/control, a one-week crossover phase, and a three-week control/intervention phase. The quantitative outcome measures will include feasibility measures (recruitment, adoption, adherence, acceptability, fidelity, and retention), and measures of preliminary efficacy (activity metrics, fall risk and fear of falling, functional limitations, and quality of life). Qualitatively, we will assess participants’ experiences, and facilitators and barriers to engagement in physical activity through semi-structured dyadic interviews and thematic analysis. Conclusions: This pilot study will generate data on the feasibility and preliminary efficacy of the ACTIVE trial. Findings will inform a full-scale implementation trial.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• The Relationship Between Functional Limitation and Fall Injury Among Older Adults: A 12-Year National Survey Analysis

  Emergency Care and Medicine · 2026-02-28

  articleOpen access

  Background: One in four U.S. adults aged ≥65 years experiences a fall annually, leading to substantial injury and morbidity. Functional limitations may serve as early markers of vulnerability to fall injury. We aimed to estimate temporal trends and the association between functional limitation and fall injuries among community-dwelling older adults. Methods: For this retrospective cohort study, we pooled 2006–2017 National Health Interview Survey data and identified older adult survey respondents. Functional limitation, defined as any reported difficulty performing daily activities, and fall injury, defined as occurring within three months prior to the interview, were measured as binary variables. We controlled for sociodemographic, self-rated health, healthcare access, and physical activity factors. We reported the yearly trend in fall injury and functional limitations and performed survey-weighted univariable and multivariable logistic regression analyses, accounting for potential confounders. Results: Our sample comprised 79,891 older adults, of whom 66% reported functional limitations and 2.3% reported a fall injury within 3 months of their interview. The prevalence of functional limitation increased from 61.8% in 2007 to 68.4% in 2017 (p < 0.001). Also, the fall injury rates ranged from 1.8% to 2.6% during the same period. Older adults with functional limitations were more likely to report fall injuries (3.2% vs. 1.1%, p < 0.001). After adjustment, functional limitation was associated with a two-fold higher odds of fall injury (OR = 2.03, 95% CI 1.71–2.40). Conclusions: Functional limitations are highly prevalent and increasing among older U.S. adults, doubling the likelihood of fall injury occurrence.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Content Validation and Perceived Value of Text Messages to Promote Physical Activity Among U.S. Older Adults and Care Partners

  International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health · 2026-02-18

  articleOpen access

  BACKGROUND: Motivational text messages can encourage increased physical activity. This study aimed to validate motivational text messages among older adults and care partners and to assess differences in perceived motivational value between the two groups. METHODS: We designed nine motivational text messages to capture nine distinct physical activity scenarios. For this cross-sectional observational study, we enrolled 14 content experts, 310 older adults, and 305 care partners. Content experts assessed the relevance, while the older adults and care partners assessed the perceived motivational value of each text message on a 5-point Likert scale. We computed the item content validity index and assessed differences in perceived motivational value among older adults and care partners using quantile regression while adjusting for sociodemographic and health characteristics. RESULTS: The item content validity index ranged from 0.86 to 1.00. The median (interquartile range) perceived motivational value for each text message was 4.0 (3.0-5.0), and there were no statistically significant differences in reported motivational values between older adults and care partners. CONCLUSION: We present nine content-validated text messages with high motivational value for older adults and care partners that can be integrated into technology-based intervention studies and may improve physical activity behavior in both groups.

  PublisherDOI

• Care Partner Physical Activity Attitudes and Practices on Perceived Physical Activity Benefits for Older Adults

  Preprints.org · 2026-01-27

  preprintOpen access

  Background: Care partners play a critical role in supporting physical activity among older adults. This study assesses how care partners’ attitudes to and engagement in physical activity relate to their perceived benefits of exercise for older adults. Methods: For this cross-sectional study, 305 care partners completed validated surveys on the perceived benefits of physical activities among older adults (outcome), attitudes towards, and practices of physical activities (predictors). For all three surveys, higher scores indicate greater perceived benefit, more positive attitudes, and greater engagement in physical activities. We assessed the relationship between the predictor and outcome variables using multivariable quantile regression models adjusted for sociodemographic, caregiving, and health-related covariates. We reported the adjusted median difference (aMD) and 95% confidence intervals (CI). Results: The population was predominantly young adults (18-34 years, 58%), female (53%), who had been providing caregiving services for three or more years (43%). The median perceived physical activity benefit for older adults, personal attitude toward physical activity, and physical activity practice scale scores were 60.0 (52.0 – 66.0), 29.0 (25.0 – 33.0), and 33.0 (28.0 – 39.0), respectively. After adjusting for covariates, a unit increase in both attitude towards physical activity (aMD: 1.14; 95% CI: 0.96 – 1.33) and physical activity practice (aMD: 0.60; 95% CI: 0.45 – 0.75) was associated with increased median score of perceived benefit of physical activity among older adults. Conclusion: Care partners with positive attitudes and greater engagement in their personal physical activity perceive physical activities as beneficial for older adults.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Activity Intensity and All-Cause Mortality Following Fall Injury Among Older Adults: Results from a 12-Year National Survey

  Healthcare · 2025-10-07 · 3 citations

  articleOpen access

  BACKGROUND: Fall injury is a sentinel event for mortality among older adults, and activity intensity may play a role in mitigating this outcome. This study assessed the relationship between activity intensity and all-cause mortality following fall injury among community-dwelling U.S. older adults. METHODS: For this retrospective cohort study, we pooled 12 years of data from the National Health Interview Survey and identified older adults (aged 65 years and older) who sustained fall injuries (N = 2454). The outcome variable was time to death following a fall injury. We defined activity intensity as a binary variable, none-to-low and normal-to-high, using the American Heart Association's weekly 500 Metabolic Equivalent of Task (MET) as a cutoff. We controlled for sociodemographic, healthcare access, and health characteristics; performed survey-weighted Cox proportional hazard regression analysis; and reported the adjusted mortality risks (plus 95% confidence interval (CI)). RESULTS: The survey comprised 2454 older adults with fall injuries, representing 863,845 US older adults. The population was predominantly female (68%), non-Hispanic White (85%), and divorced/separated (54%). During the follow-up period, 45% of the study population died. Approximately 81% of the study population had low activity levels. However, between 2006 and 2017, the proportion of the study population with low physical activity decreased from 90% to 67%. After adjusting for sociodemographic, healthcare access, and health characteristics, none-to-low activity intensity was associated with 50% increased mortality risk (aHR: 1.50; 95% CI: 1.20-1.87). CONCLUSIONS: Promoting higher physical activity levels may significantly reduce the all-cause mortality risk following fall injury among older adults.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• The Stroll Safe Randomized Controlled Trial: Program Effects on Falls Self-Efficacy

  Journal of the American Medical Directors Association · 2025-02-06

  article1st authorCorresponding
  PublisherDOI

Frequent coauthors

• Marie Boltz

  Pennsylvania State University

  16 shared

• Deborah Tregunno

  Queen's University

  12 shared

• Jane Bear‐Lehman

  University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

  8 shared

• Mira Persaud

  University of Ottawa

  6 shared

• Szu‐Wei Chen

  Washington University in St. Louis

  6 shared

• Mary Fox

  York University

  6 shared

• Stewart M. Bond

  6 shared

• Jeffrey I. Butler

  University of Alberta

  4 shared