The Effect of Experimentally Decreasing Sedentary Behaviour on Subjective Well-being

Western University, Canada

Status: Completed

Conditions: Quality of Life; Sedentary Lifestyle

Treatments: Behavioral: HAPA behavioural counseling

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT03694951

112399

Details and patient eligibility

About

This study will explore the causality between outcomes of subjective well-being and sedentary behavior, through experimentally decreasing the sedentary behavior levels of university students. Half of the eligible participants will receive a behavioral counseling intervention to increase non-sedentary behavior over one week, while the other half will receive no instructions. After one week, all participants will receive no instructions and continue to wear the inclinometer for another week.

Full description

The relationship between subjective well-being (SWB) and sedentary behavior (SB) has been briefly explored. However, the causality of the relationship (i.e., do higher levels of SB cause changes in SWB, or vice-versa) has not been fully examined. Experimentally decreasing SB and observing the potential subsequent effect on SWB may help to determine the causation between SB and SWB.

A sedentary sample of full-time university students attending Western University will be recruited. Upon obtaining consent, demographics will be taken. Sedentary behavior will be confirmed objectively through inclinometer wear for 1-week. Upon confirmation of sufficient sedentary time, participants will complete questionnaires assessing past-week: SWB, SB, physical activity, depression, and anxiety questionnaires. Participants will also be randomized to either a behavioral counseling intervention group, or a no-contact control group. Participants will then continue wearing the inclinometer for 1 week. After the intervention week, participants will complete the questionnaires again, after which all participants will be told to continue daily behavior, and wear the inclinometer for another week. Upon completion of this follow-up week, participants will complete questionnaires again.

Enrollment: 31 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18+ years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• 18 years of age or older
• Full-time student attending Western University
• Able to read and write in English
• Objectively report ≥7 hours of average daily sedentary time, via ActivPAL4 inclinometer

Exclusion criteria

• Self-reporting a mental illness
• Currently having a physical disability that would prevent walking

Trial design

Primary purpose: Other

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Single Blind

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31 participants in 2 patient groups

Intervention Group

Experimental group

Description:

The intervention group will receive a pedometer and HAPA behavioural counseling with the aim of reducing their daily sedentary behaviour to \<7 hours per day, over a one week period. Counseling strategies will be grounded in the HAPA model - specifically, creating an action plan and coping strategies for reducing their daily sedentary behaviour. Strategies may include: setting an alarm while studying to break up sedentary behaviour, to stand rather than sit on transit, and/or to achieve an active step profile (i.e., ≥10,000 steps a day) through pedometer self-monitoring.

Treatment:

Behavioral: HAPA behavioural counseling

Control Group

No Intervention group

Description:

The control group will not receive any behavioural intervention.