An Online Physical Activity Coaching Intervention for People With PD in Qatar (EQP)

Qatar University

Status: Not yet enrolling

Conditions: Parkinson Disease

Treatments: Other: 8-week personalized self-management program tailored to their individual needs using Engage-Qatar PD. participants will be invited to one face-to-face coaching session and 7 online sessions

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other; Industry

Identifiers

NCT06962930

QU-IRB063/2024-EA (Other Grant/Funding Number)

QU-CG/CHS-24/25-498

Details and patient eligibility

About

Regular exercise can improve function and quality of life as well as have other positive behavioral and health-related benefits in people Parkinson's disease (PD). Despite the benefits, insufficient exercise is common among PD individuals, often due to common barriers, emphasizing the importance of empowering individuals with adequate knowledge and self-management skills.

This project aims to develop "Engage-Qatar PD," an online physical activity self-management program for people with PD in Qatar. Engage-Qatar PD will be grounded in a previously developed coaching intervention used in people with Huntington's disease (Engage HD) and people with PD. The main focus of this project will be the development work to adapt this intervention for online delivery for people with PD and within the Qatari context.

This development stage will entail participatory design, in which users will be actively involved as co-designers to ensure fully the required cultural adaptations. Following this development phase, a pilot randomized controlled trial will be conducted to assess the feasibility, acceptability, and potential benefits of the developed intervention.

The innovative approach proposed for this project would have wide-reaching impact, advancing the development of new therapeutic options. It will deliver a realistic, culturally adapted therapeutic option for people with PD in Qatar that has the potential to be implemented in a variety of healthcare settings and other countries in the region. Importantly, future work could replicate this program in a larger cohort of individuals with other neurodegenerative diseases and extend this work to other countries in the region.

Enrollment: 40 estimated patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18+ years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

1. Age above 18 years.
2. Successful completion of Physical Activity Readiness Questionnaire (PAR-Q), or medical clearance from a neurologist.
3. Ambulatory for indoor and outdoor mobility with or without an assistive device but without physical assistance.
4. A neurologist-confirmed diagnosis of PD.
5. Ability to follow study-related commands.

Exclusion criteria

1. Musculoskeletal injury or a medical condition that would prevent safe participation in an exercise program including failure to pass the PAR-Q test.
2. The presence of any other neurological conditions.
3. Acute illness or injury that prevents participation in the intervention.

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Single Blind

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40 participants in 2 patient groups

intervention group

Experimental group

Description:

Participants will receive an 8-week personalized self-management program. They will be invited to one to 4 face-to-face coaching sessions and 7 remote online sessions. The first session will lay the groundwork for the program, in which an orientation of the features of the online forum will be provided. In addition, goal setting, use of smart watch to record progress, and how to track progress will be discussed. During the remote sessions, the participant and coach will work through informational modules of how to overcome barriers to exercise engagement and how to manage PD symptoms. The coach will provide encouragement in relation to regular physical activity and exercise, and the participant will report on progress related to goals they developed. All participants will receive a wearable watch to help them monitor their physical activity; although wearing the watch is optional, we will recommend that all participants wear it for the 12-week intervention.

Treatment:

Other: 8-week personalized self-management program tailored to their individual needs using Engage-Qatar PD. participants will be invited to one face-to-face coaching session and 7 online sessions

Control group

Active Comparator group

Description:

Participants in the control group will receive information on the published recommendations for physical activity for people with PD43. This is the standard information related to physical activity that an individual with PD would be expected to receive from their healthcare provider. To control for the ubiquitous nature of technology, all control participants will also receive Fitbit watches with basic instructions for monitoring their levels of physical activity. As in the intervention group, use of the Fitbit is optional, though we will recommend that both groups wear it for the 8-week intervention. The key ingredients of Engage-Qatar PD are the personalized coaching and self-management approach; thus, the control group will not have access to the Engage-Qatar PD online forum, nor will they have access to coaching or any component of the self-management approach.

Treatment:

Other: 8-week personalized self-management program tailored to their individual needs using Engage-Qatar PD. participants will be invited to one face-to-face coaching session and 7 online sessions