All in the Family: Promoting Family Function Through Physical Activity

NCT06098716 | Recruiting DMC

• 1 other identifier: 435-2023-0493
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 165
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

The goal of this trial is to find out whether adding identity-building and self-regulation training to basic healthy-living education helps families with inactive children (ages 6-12) become more cohesive and physically active. The main question it aims to answer is: Does the identity + self-regulation + education program improve family cohesion more than (a) self-regulation + education or (b) education alone? Researchers will compare three groups-identity+self-regulation+education (ID), self-regulation+education (SR), and education-only (ED)-to see which produces the greatest improvements. Participants will:

1. 1.attend three online workshops at baseline plus two booster sessions at 6-week and 3-month with a project coordinator;
2. 2.complete online questionnaires at baseline, 6-week, 3-month, and 6-month;
3. 3.take part in an exit interview at 6 months.

Conditions

Physical Activity; Family Functioning

Keywords

Parenting Practices; Exercise; Family Functioning; Identity; Self-Regulation;; Parental Support

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Family cohesion

  Family cohension will be assessed using FAD \& FACES IV subscale = 1 = Strongly Disagree; 2 = Generally Disagree; 3 = Undecided; 4 = Generally Agree; 5 = Strongly Agree

  Baseline, 6 weeks, 3 months, and 6 months

Secondary Outcomes (4)

• Family functioning outcomes (i.e., family organisation and flexibility)

  Baseline, 6 weeks, 3 months, and 6 months

• Children's moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA)

  Baseline, 6 weeks, 3 months, and 6 months

• Parent-child intergenerational activity measured via parent self-report

  Baseline, 6 weeks, 3 months, and 6 months

• Parental support and M-PAC Constructs

  Baseline, 6 weeks, 3 months, and 6 months

Study Arms (3)

Education

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

The Education condition package will consist of Canada's PA guidelines, information about the benefits of child and adult PA, healthy living and a breakdown of ways for the parent to help their child achieve this PA.

Behavioral: Education

Self Regulation

EXPERIMENTAL

The SR condition will receive all of the same education material as the education condition in addition to skill training content (how to plan for family PA) based on our prior family trials. Families will be instructed to plan for "when," "where," "how," and "what" PA will be performed, and to create back-up plans commensurate with the creation of action and coping planning.

Behavioral: Self Regulation; Behavioral: Education

PA Support & Family Social Identity

EXPERIMENTAL

The ID condition receives the same education and self-regulation content as the other groups, but with additional activities designed to strengthen (i) parents' PA-support identity and (ii) the family's shared PA social identity. Session 1 involves only the parent(s) and focuses on parental support identity. The content is based on the behaviour change principles of self-identity theory that should lead to increases in self-identity. This session's activities include: 1) bringing awareness to the concept of identity and being a role model, 2) an activity on finding the meaning and value of parental support of child PA, 3) an activity on setting prioritization rules around parental support for child PA in comparison to other parenting responsibilities and values (brainstormed), 4) developing an affirmation for parental support self-talk, and 5) planning ways to visually demonstrate the parental support identity for self-categorization (e.g., on social media, pictures in frames).

Behavioral: Self Regulation; Behavioral: PA Support & Family Social Identity; Behavioral: Education

Interventions

Self Regulation BEHAVIORAL

How to plan for Family PA

PA Support & Family Social Identity; Self Regulation

PA Support & Family Social Identity BEHAVIORAL

Exercises that strengthen parents' PA-support identity and a shared active-family identity through values reflection, role-modelling, visualization, and visible "active family" cues.

PA Support & Family Social Identity

Education BEHAVIORAL

Information about healthy living (e.g., PA, sleep hygiene and healthy eating)

Education; PA Support & Family Social Identity; Self Regulation

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 6 Years - 12 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Child (0-17)

You may qualify if:

• Participants will be at least one parent with at least one child between the ages of 6 and 12 years.
• Families (parents and/or guardians and children) residing in Canada. Children that participate in \<60 minutes/day of moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA).

You may not qualify if:

• If child is meeting the current physical activity guidelines \>=60 minutes a day of moderate to vigorous physical activity per day.
• If the participant does not pass the Physical Activity Readiness Questionnaire (PARQ) If children's age falls outside the 6-12 year range

Sponsors & Collaborators

• University of Victoria: lead
• Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada: collaborator

Study Sites (1)

University of Victoria

Victoria, British Columbia, V8W 2Y2, Canada

RECRUITING

Related Publications (1)

• Lee ASY, Blanchard CM, Beauchamp MR, Carson V, Madigan S, Strachan S, Vanderloo LM, Streight E, Courtnall S, Rhodes RE. Promoting family functioning through physical activity: a randomized trial to evaluate the "All in the Family" program. Trials. 2025 Aug 12;26(1):287. doi: 10.1186/s13063-025-08977-6.

  PMID: 40796896 DERIVED

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Motor Activity; Self-Control

Interventions

Professional Autonomy; Educational Status

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Behavior; Social Behavior

Intervention Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Professional Practice; Organization and Administration; Health Services Administration; Socioeconomic Factors; Population Characteristics

Study Officials

• Ryan Rhodes, PhD

  University of Victoria

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Central Study Contacts

Sandy Courtnall

CONTACT

250 472 5288; bml@uvic.ca

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: SINGLE
• Who Masked: PARTICIPANT
• Purpose: PREVENTION
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Professor

Model Details: 3 arm parallel design single blinded randomized control trial

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: October 19, 2023
• First Posted: October 24, 2023
• Study Start: September 1, 2024
• Primary Completion (Estimated): March 30, 2028
• Study Completion (Estimated): March 30, 2028
• Last Updated: June 26, 2025

Record last verified: 2025-06

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

CA (1)