Activity Prescription in Clinical Practice

University of Pittsburgh

Status: Completed

Conditions: Physical Activity; Sedentary Lifestyle

Treatments: Behavioral: ActiveGOALs

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT03695016

PRO17120265

Details and patient eligibility

About

Most adults do not achieve the US aerobic physical activity (PA) guidelines (≥150 minutes/week of at least moderate intensity PA). Inadequate PA is considered a major risk factor for cardio-metabolic diseases and other poor health outcomes. Recommendations now endorse PA in reducing risk for certain diseases. Unfortunately, low PA levels are seldom identified and treated within clinical practice. This study will build on previous prevention efforts by focusing on the identifying and treating low PA levels in adults clinical care patients and referring them to an intervention that is feasible for delivery through clinical care.

Full description

This study involves designing/ implementing a patient-centered, individually-focused physical activity (PA) intervention designed for integration into clinical care. We will recruit adult patients (aged 21-70; n=80) from the general internal medicine practice of a local health system who are not meeting the US aerobic activity goal of 150 minutes/ week of at least moderate intensity PA and who can safely increase PA without supervision. As low PA levels have been associated with numerous poor health outcomes, the primary intervention goal will be achievement of the US PA goal. A secondary goal will be to reduce sedentary behavior (SED), which is related to poor health outcomes (independent of PA achievement). Intervention materials will be developed using a patient/provider centered approach and delivered weekly over 3 months via an existing online platform with participants self-tracking behavior outcomes will be examined using a three month wait-listed control design in which all participants will eventually receive the intervention.

Enrollment: 79 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 21 to 70 years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• not meeting the recommended levels of aerobic PA and have been identified by their primary care provider (PCP) as able to increase their PA without supervision.

Exclusion criteria

• Participated in a goal setting intervention for physical activity or a translation of the Diabetes Prevention Program within the last 2 years.
• Non-ambulatory or planning a procedure that will cause them to be non-ambulatory in the next 6 months
• Pregnant or planning a pregnancy in the next 6 months
• Need a way to access to the internet-based platform, at least a 6th grade reading level.

Trial design

Primary purpose: Prevention

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Double Blind

---

79 participants in 2 patient groups

Immediate Intervention

Experimental group

Description:

Participants will receive the ActiveGOALS 13 week, online self-directed intervention for increasing aerobic physical activity and decreasing time spent sitting. The intervention is based on social-cognitive theory models of behavior changes and utilizes barrier recognition, problem solving, and monitoring of behavior to initiate behavior change. They will also receive weekly feedback from a coach and be provided with online, paper, and wearable tracking devices. They will also be provided with links to tools that support physical activity.

Treatment:

Behavioral: ActiveGOALs

Wait-listed Control

Other group

Description:

This group will receive a monthly newsletter with general health advice during the wait period (3 months). After the three month follow-up visit/ collection of outcomes they will be offered the ActiveGOALS intervention in its entirety.

Treatment:

Behavioral: ActiveGOALs