Physical Activity and Leisure-time Study (PALS)

University of Tennessee

Status and phase: Completed; Phase 1

Conditions: Physical Activity; Weight

Treatments: Behavioral: TV commercial stepping; Behavioral: 30-min walk

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT01342471

UTennessee

Details and patient eligibility

About

Physical inactivity is a major public health problem and a primary contributing factor to the obesity epidemic. While most Americans do not meet the physical activity (PA) guidelines (30 min/day, 5 day/wk), they do report watching several hours of TV each day, and frequently site "lack of time" as a barrier for engaging in PA. The Physical Activity and Leisure-time Study examines an approach convert sedentary TV watching into active TV watching time by having adults step in place during commercials (TV commercial stepping).

Full description

This randomized controlled trial will examine the effects of a PA prescription of TV commercial stepping for at least 90 min/day of TV programming, with that of walking at least 30 min/day (30 min walk) on daily step counts, TV viewing, and diet during a 24 week PA intervention. Sedentary, overweight or obese, adults will be randomly assigned to either the TV commercial stepping, or 30 min walk group during a 24-week behavioral PA intervention. Both groups will attend 8 sessions, but receive different PA goals. PA, TV watching time, diet, and anthropometric data will be collected at 0, 12, and 24 weeks. It is hypothesized that the TV commercial stepping condition will, show an equal increase in PA at 12 and 24 weeks as compared to the 30-min walk condition. Neither group is hypothesized to demonstrate changes in TV viewing time, dietary intake, or weight.

Enrollment: 58 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 25 to 65 years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• 25 to 65 years of age
• BMI between 25 and 45 kg/m2
• watch ≥14 hours per week of TV
• ability to follow instructions and record data
• ability to walk 1/4 mile without stopping

Exclusion criteria

• history of myocardial infraction, angina, stroke, heart failure, or uncontrolled cardiac arrhythmias
• a resting blood pressure greater than 180 mm Hg systolic and/or 100 mm Hg diastolic
• other physical or medical limitations for engaging in physical activity
• no television in the home
• baseline physical activity level exceeding 7,499 steps per day as determined by the Omron pedometer
• currently participating in a program to increase PA
• intended to move outside the East Tennessee area within the time frame of the intervention
• were pregnant, lactating, less than 6 months post-partum, or planned to become pregnant during the time frame of the intervention
• unwilling to attend group intervention meetings, assessments or to complete an activity diary for the duration of the study.

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Single Blind

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58 participants in 2 patient groups

30-min walk

Active Comparator group

Description:

Instructed to use "brisk" walking (at least 30 min/day in bouts of at least 10 min) at least 5 days/week. Participants were permitted to exercise in one long bout (30 min) or divide the exercise into multiple bouts as long as the bout length was 10 min or greater.

Treatment:

Behavioral: 30-min walk

TV commercial stepping

Experimental group

Description:

Instructed to stand and "briskly" step in place, or "briskly" walk continuously around the room/house for the duration of each commercial break during at least 90 min of TV programming on at least 5 days/week. Rather than exercising continuously for at least 10-minute bouts, participants performed multiple (\~9 or 10), short (\~3-5 min) bouts, conveniently incorporated into their daily TV viewing time.

Treatment:

Behavioral: TV commercial stepping