Together we Move: A Multi-component Intervention to Increase Physical Activity for Ethnic Minority Older Adults

NCT03684070 | Completed

• 1 other identifier: 19.001.01
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 60
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

The benefits of physical activity (PA) for healthy aging are well known; however \< 16% of U.S. older adults meet the federal recommendations for moderate to vigorous PA (MVPA). Asian Americans (AA) are a fast-growing segment of the older adult U.S. population and are likely to have limited English proficiency, lower-incomes, and low PA levels. Older AA adults are under represented in clinical trials and as a result, evidence-based PA programs remain inaccessible. Similarly, while the number of PA interventions for older adults incorporating technology to promote and sustain behavior change is increasing, the applicability and efficacy of these approaches for AA is poorly understood. Thus, there is a critical need to develop and test innovative PA interventions for this at-risk group. The primary objective of this study is to evaluate if a culturally and linguistically adapted community-based walking program enhanced with a cognitive behavioral intervention delivered via WeChat - a widely used Chinese social networking application - (enhanced walking) improves physical activity compared with walking only. Secondary objectives are to identify participant experiences in engaging in this platform to improve PA, and gain insights into the scalability of the intervention for future pivotal trials. The proposed research is a randomized, controlled trial that will recruit 60 community-dwelling Chinese older adults. The primary outcomes are PA (measured by FitBit step counts over time, and proportion meeting federal recommendations for moderate physical activity (MPA)). Secondary outcomes include patient-reported outcomes, and patient-reported experience measures. We aim to evaluate the acceptability of this enhanced program, and determine the feasibility of WeChat as a platform for increasing PA. The primary outcome will be analyzed using mixed effects ANOVA, and latent growth curve modeling. Secondary outcomes will be analyzed using linear regression. Semi-structured interviews will be conducted with participants upon program completion to identify contextual factors influencing application use, and thematic analysis will be used to examine relationships between these key factors. Results from this study will provide information about the applicability of mobile technology in supporting PA improvement among older Chinese, and valuable insight on contextual factors influencing application effectiveness, which will inform the potential for adoption and scale.

Conditions

Physical Activity; Sedentary Lifestyle

Keywords

Older adults; Asian Americans; Chinese; behavior change

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Physical Activity

  Step counts as measured through FitBit tracker

  Through study completion, and average of 12 weeks

Secondary Outcomes (2)

• Self-efficacy for physical activity

  Through study completion, and average of 12 weeks

• Qualitative Feedback

  4 weeks post-study completion

Study Arms (2)

Enhanced Walking

EXPERIMENTAL

FitBit + Lifestyle counseling/education session(8 weeks) + WeChat motivational messages and peer interaction

Behavioral: Self-Monitoring, peer support and motivational prompts

Walking Only

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

FitBit + Lifestyle counseling/education session(8 weeks)

Behavioral: Self-monitoring

Interventions

Self-Monitoring, peer support and motivational prompts BEHAVIORAL

The intervention compares the effect of technologically delivered motivational messages, and peer support upon daily step counts.

Enhanced Walking

Self-monitoring BEHAVIORAL

Self-monitoring of data from wearable step count tracker

Walking Only

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 60 Years+
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• self-identify as Chinese/Chinese American
• can communicate in Mandarin or English
• reside in Boston
• smartphone owners (iPhone or Android) with data plan
• no falls within last 6 months

You may not qualify if:

• \+ cognitive impairment

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Boston College: lead
• Brandeis University: collaborator
• Northeastern University: collaborator

Study Sites (1)

Boston College

Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, 02467, United States

Location

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Motor Activity; Sedentary Behavior

Interventions

Blood Glucose Self-Monitoring

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Behavior

Intervention Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Blood Chemical Analysis; Clinical Chemistry Tests; Clinical Laboratory Techniques; Diagnostic Techniques and Procedures; Diagnosis; Diagnostic Techniques, Endocrine; Monitoring, Physiologic; Self-Testing; Self Care; Therapeutics; Investigative Techniques

Study Officials

• Carina Katigbak, PhD

  Boston College

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: NON RANDOMIZED
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: TREATMENT
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Assistant Professor

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: September 24, 2018
• First Posted: September 25, 2018
• Study Start: May 18, 2019
• Primary Completion: September 10, 2019
• Study Completion: October 30, 2019
• Last Updated: March 14, 2022

Record last verified: 2022-03

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

US (1)