Digitally Assisted Behavioral Physical Activity Intervention in Fibromyalgia

Trakya University

Status: Active, not recruiting

Conditions: Fibromyalgia; Physical Inactivity

Treatments: Behavioral: Digitally assisted behavioral physical activity intervention; Behavioral: Education

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT05659862

09.2022.603

Details and patient eligibility

About

Digital health interventions have the potential to address physical inactivity as they are accessible to a large part of the population and can be delivered with high efficiency at a low cost. By enabling patient education, support for self-management, motivation, follow-up, feedback and communication, it can prevent, cure or treat many chronic conditions. These features can increase patient motivation and encourage compliance with home exercises and physical activity . Digital behavior change interventions use digital technologies (such as websites, mobile apps, Short Message Service or wearable devices) to promote and maintain health and have the potential to overcome many barriers compared to in-person programs by providing cost-effective, effective, and accessible information.

No study has been found in Turkey examining digital interventions or walking programs that include behavior change techniques to increase physical activity in patients with fibromyalgia syndrome. Considering environmental, cultural and economic factors in this patient group in our society, the investigators think that walking, which the investigators think is the most appropriate physical activity method in terms of cost, accessibility and equipment, should be a permanent behavior. The use of technology to increase physical activity in the era of digitalization is important in terms of addressing the increasing inactivity during the Covid19 pandemic period.

The aim of this study is to estimate the effect of digital assisted physical activity intervention combined with patient education compared to patient education alone on physical activity level, functional capacity, quality of life, sleep quality, pain, fatigue, and perspective on exercise of adults with Fibromyalgia Syndrome.

Enrollment: 30 patients

Sex: Female

Ages: 18 to 65 years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Being between the ages of 18-65
• Having a female gender
• Reporting at least 40 mm in weekly pain intensity from the VAS scored between 0-100 with 'no pain' and 'worst possible pain'
• Using a fixed dose of medication for at least the past 6 months
• Being in the "Inactive" group according to the International Physical Activity Survey (not participating in physical activity to meet the physical activity recommendations of the guides)
• Using / agreeing to use WhatsApp application

Exclusion criteria

• Having another disease that affects the physical condition
• Cognitive inability to cooperate
• Being pregnant
• Inability to understand or speak Turkish
• Concurrent autoimmune or inflammatory disease,
• Diseases affecting the central nervous system (eg multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease),
• Serious psychiatric conditions that prevent participation (eg, psychotic disorders).
• Participation in a rehabilitation program in the past year,
• Exercising regularly for 6 months

Trial design

Primary purpose: Supportive Care

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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30 participants in 2 patient groups

Digitally assisted behavioral physical activity intervention+Education

Experimental group

Description:

An activity diary and a pedometer will be given to write down the number of steps per day. After one week, the patient will be asked to send the activity diary as a photo via WhatsApp. Afterwards, a 20-minute phone call will be made to provide patient education. After the patient education, the patient will be consulted about the average number of steps he wants to take at the end of the intervention, and the daily average number of steps will be determined for the first week of the intervention, taking into account the patient's number of steps in the last week and the goal of the number of steps she wants to reach. The person will be added to the WhatsApp patient support group. Patients will receive messages from this group by the researcher twice a week. The target for the number of steps will be renewed every next week and an average of 20 minutes of phone calls including motivational interviews will be held in the light of Social Cognitive Theory.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Digitally assisted behavioral physical activity intervention

Behavioral: Education

Education

Active Comparator group

Description:

An activity diary and a pedometer will be given to write down the number of steps per day. After one week, the patient will be asked to send the activity diary as a photo via WhatsApp. Afterwards, a 20-minute phone call will be made to provide patient education. A reminder call will be made to the patient in the 4th week after the training and any questions will be answered. Individuals in the patient education group will be asked to record their steps for one week with a pedometer in the 8th week after the training.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Education