AgingPLUS: Promoting Physical Activity in Adults

Colorado State University (CSU)

Status: Completed

Conditions: Physical Activity

Treatments: Behavioral: Active Control Group; Behavioral: AgingPLUS

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other; NIH

Identifiers

NCT03299348

3437

5R01AG051723-05 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)

Details and patient eligibility

About

This study examines the efficacy of a psycho-educational intervention program, AgingPLUS, with regard to increasing middle-aged and older adults' engagement in physical activity.

Full description

AgingPLUS is a multi-component intervention program that addresses negative views of aging (NVOA), low internal control beliefs, and deficient goal planning as a risk cluster that keeps adults from engaging in health-promoting behavior. The program focuses on engagement in physical activity (PA) as the health behavior of choice. Engagement in PA is widely recognized as the best non-pharmacological, non-invasive, and cost-effective method of health promotion. Yet, only 20% of the adult population meets the recommended PA guidelines. This suggests that messages about the benefits of PA alone are not effective. Rather, it is essential to address the social-cognitive and motiva-tional mechanisms that prevent adults from adopting and maintaining a regular PA regimen. NVOA, low internal control beliefs, and deficient goal planning represent such a cluster of social-cognitive and motivational mechanisms.

Given this background, the specific aims and hypotheses of the proposed research are:

Aim 1: To conduct a randomized controlled trial examining the efficacy of the AgingPLUS program.

Aim 2: To test a conceptual model of the mechanisms underlying the intervention effects.

Aim 3: To conduct a 6-month follow-up to examine the longer-term effects of AgingPLUS.

Upon completion of this project, we expect to have successfully established evidence for the efficacy of the AgingPLUS program (Stage II of the NIH Stage Mode). The long-term goal is to develop AgingPLUS into a full-fledged evidence-based program that can be implemented in community settings (e.g., senior centers), and can serve as a fairly brief and cost-effective public health tool to promote healthy and successful aging.

Enrollment: 402 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 45 to 75 years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Adults who engage in less than 60 minutes of PA per week and who intend starting a physical exercise program.
• English speaking.
• Willingness to be randomized to one of two programs.
• Willingness to take part in the physical fitness tests and wear an accelerometer.
• Willingness to commit to follow-up testing (i.e., not moving out of the area during the study period).
• Physician clearance to take part in a submaximal exercise test and to begin an exercise program.

Exclusion criteria

• Signs of cognitive decline (defined as more than 4 errors on the Short Portable Mental Status Questionnaire).
• Severe vision and/or hearing loss (obtained by self-report).
• Serious problems with mobility.
• A history of neurological, mental, or substance abuse disorders.

Trial design

Primary purpose: Basic Science

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Triple Blind

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402 participants in 2 patient groups, including a placebo group

Active Treatment Group

Experimental group

Description:

This group will get the AgingPLUS intervention program which addresses negative views on aging, low internal control beliefs, and deficient goal planning skills.

Treatment:

Behavioral: AgingPLUS

Active Control Group

Placebo Comparator group

Description:

This group will get a generic health education program, called the "10 Keys to Healthy Aging". The control program will control for the effect of social contact and will not address the intervention targets of the active treatment group. The health education program will only provide information related to some of the most important health conditions, such as cardiovascular disease, cancer, type 2 diabetes, and clinical depression, and how these conditions can be managed.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Active Control Group