Move@NUS: a Digital Intervention Cohort Promoting Healthy Movement Behaviours

National University of Singapore

Status: Not yet enrolling

Conditions: Physical Inactivity; Sleep Insufficiency; Well-Being, Psychological; Sedentary Behavior

Treatments: Behavioral: educational content (sleep guidelines); Behavioral: sleep hygiene strategies; Behavioral: reminders; Behavioral: educational content (Vigorous Intermittent Lifestyle Physical Activity (VILPA)); Behavioral: comparison of current behaviour to ideal behaviour; Behavioral: goal setting; Behavioral: screentime breaks; Behavioral: review of behavioural goal; Behavioral: educational content (sleep hygiene)

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT06597890

NUS-IRB-2023-800

Details and patient eligibility

About

The aim of the Move@NUS pilot study is to determine the feasibility of establishing a digital intervention cohort to monitor and improve the health and wellbeing of students by encouraging them to engage in healthy movement behaviours (i.e., physical activity, sleep, and limiting smartphone-based recreational screentime).

The digital intervention cohort consists of:

• 6-months of continuous monitoring of movement behaviours, wellbeing and related factors via an Apple Watch and repeated bursts of ecological momentary assessments (EMAs).
• 3x embedded randomised controlled trials (RCTs) evaluating the efficacy of small-scale smartphone-based interventions designed to nudge participants toward participating in healthier movement behaviours.

Full description

Good overall mental and physical health and wellbeing can be promoted by engaging in healthy movement behaviours - getting adequate sleep, being physically active, and minimising recreational time spent watching a screen or being sedentary. The objectives of this study are to determine the feasibility of:

• establishing a digital cohort study and continuously monitoring health behaviours and wellbeing (and related factors) for 6 months, and
• rapidly evaluating the effects of ecological momentary interventions (EMIs; small-scale interventions that provide support in real-time, delivered via the smartwatch and app) for promoting healthy movement behaviours via a series of embedded RCTs.

The investigators will enrol up to 150 first-year university students into an innovative hybrid study that combines a digital cohort with embedded randomised controlled trials (RCTs). The digital cohort consists of 6 months of continuous observations of movement behaviours, wellbeing, and related factors via a smartwatch (Apple Watch) and repeated bursts of smartphone-based ecological momentary assessment (EMA) surveys. Throughout the 6-month monitoring period, participants are enrolled in 3 embedded RCTs evaluating the effects of EMIs that, in turn, target sleep, physical activity, and smartphone-based recreational screentime. For each embedded-RCT we assess engagement and acceptability outcomes (e.g., whether a push notification is opened, whether it is responded to), and preliminary efficacy (i.e., whether there is a between group difference in the target behaviour from pre- to post-intervention). Participants also complete traditional questionnaires at baseline, 3-, and 6-month follow-up.

Enrollment: 150 estimated patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18 to 25 years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion and exclusion criteria

Participants are eligible to join the study if they:

• are enrolled in the first year of an undergraduate degree at the National University of Singapore,
• own or use an Apple smartphone with a data plan,
• are willing to download and use a smartphone app, and
• have an Apple smartwatch (Series 6/SE or newer) and are willing to wear it continuously for the 6-month study duration.

Participants will be excluded if they are:

• pregnant, or
• planning to be overseas for more than 6 weeks (per trip) during the upcoming semester.

Trial design

Primary purpose: Prevention

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Double Blind

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150 participants in 9 patient groups

RCT 1 - group 1

Experimental group

Description:

Sleep Hygiene Ecological Momentary Intervention (EMI)

Treatment:

Behavioral: review of behavioural goal

Behavioral: educational content (sleep hygiene)

Behavioral: goal setting

Behavioral: reminders

Behavioral: sleep hygiene strategies

RCT 1 - group 2

Experimental group

Description:

Personalised Sleep Guideline EMI

Treatment:

Behavioral: review of behavioural goal

Behavioral: goal setting

Behavioral: comparison of current behaviour to ideal behaviour

Behavioral: reminders

Behavioral: educational content (sleep guidelines)

RCT 1 - group 3

No Intervention group

Description:

Control

RCT 2 - group 1

Experimental group

Description:

Stair Climbing EMI

Treatment:

Behavioral: review of behavioural goal

Behavioral: goal setting

Behavioral: comparison of current behaviour to ideal behaviour

Behavioral: reminders

RCT 2 - group 2

Experimental group

Description:

Vigorous Intermittent Lifestyle Physical Activity (VILPA) EMI

Treatment:

Behavioral: review of behavioural goal

Behavioral: goal setting

Behavioral: educational content (Vigorous Intermittent Lifestyle Physical Activity (VILPA))

Behavioral: reminders

RCT 2 - group 3

No Intervention group

Description:

Control

RCT 3 - group 1

Experimental group

Description:

Screentime Breaktime EMI

Treatment:

Behavioral: review of behavioural goal

Behavioral: screentime breaks

Behavioral: comparison of current behaviour to ideal behaviour

RCT 3 - group 2

Experimental group

Description:

Screentime Goal EMI

Treatment:

Behavioral: review of behavioural goal

Behavioral: goal setting

Behavioral: comparison of current behaviour to ideal behaviour

Behavioral: reminders

RCT 3 - group 3

No Intervention group

Description:

Control