Exercise Habit and M-PAC

University of Victoria

Status and phase: Completed; Phase 3; Phase 2

Conditions: Public Health

Treatments: Behavioral: M-PAC Group

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT02785107

14-306

Details and patient eligibility

About

The promotion of physical activity (PA) is paramount to public health, yet interventions in the social cognitive tradition have yielded negligible improvements. Two reasons for these results may be the over reliance on intention as the proximal determinant of behaviour and a lack of consideration of implicit/automatic determinants of PA. The purpose of this study was to apply Multi-Process Action Control (M-PAC), a framework centered on PA intention-translation and the gradual building of habit to examine PA change using a two-arm parallel design, randomized controlled trial.

Full description

Background: Two of the most prominent limitations of traditional social cognitive models used to understand moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) are the gap between intention and behaviour and the lack of consideration of implicit processes in behavioural enactment. Thus, new models are now being examined that attempt to consider these potential limitations. Multi-Process Action Control (M-PAC) is one such attempt to build a more comprehensive schematic, whereby intention is established via the means of constructs from traditional social cognitive theories (i.e., outcome expectations, perceived capability), but the success of translating this intention to behaviour depends on behavioural-regulation (self-regulatory tactics) (BR), affective judgments (expected pleasure) (AJ) and opportunity (time, access). Over time, M-PAC proposes that habit (stimulus -behaviour bonds) and identity (role-behaviour bonds) develop from performing the behaviour and largely contribute to the maintenance of PA.

Aim: The purpose of this study was to conduct at two-arm parallel design, RCT to determine if the M-PAC experimental group would demonstrate greater change in PA and post-intention constructs across time.

Methods: Participants (n=94) were inactive new gym members and were randomized into a control or M-PAC experimental group. The experimental group attended a workshop and received a booster phone call follow-up at week four. Measures for both groups included accelerometry and M-PAC at baseline and at week eight.

Enrollment: 94 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18 to 65 years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• New gym member
• age 18-65
• Par-Q pass

Exclusion criteria

• age <18 or 65+
• Par-Q fail

Trial design

Primary purpose: Prevention

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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94 participants in 2 patient groups

Intervention

Experimental group

Description:

Those who were randomized into the intervention group attended a workshop where the PI delivered a presentation that focused on establishing a preparatory exercise habit by using the M-PAC approach and proposed habit model. Participants were then provided with instructions on completing their exercise plan sheet.

Treatment:

Behavioral: M-PAC Group

Control

No Intervention group

Description:

Participants exercised on their own without receiving any instructions.