COMPASS 65+ - Community-based Physical Activity Snacks for Healthy Aging in Overweight and Obese Aged Adults

NCT07289529 | Not Yet Recruiting DMC

• 1 other identifier: 2025.08868.SAU+
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 60
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

This study will explore a new way for older adults to become more physically active. As people get older, it's common to gain weight and lose muscle strength. This combination can make it harder to do daily activities, increase the risk of falls, and impact overall quality of life. While we know that regular exercise is very beneficial, many older adults find it difficult to stick to traditional exercise programs due to lack of time, motivation, or energy. This research project, called COMPASS 65+, will test an innovative approach called "snack exercise." Instead of one long workout, "snack exercise" involves doing several short bouts of activity, a few minutes at a time, throughout the day. The main idea is that these short, frequent bouts of activity might be easier to fit into a daily routine and less tiring than longer exercise sessions. The purpose of this study is to see if a "snack exercise" program is a feasible and enjoyable way for adults aged 65 and over, who are overweight or obese, to improve their health. The study will be conducted in two main parts. First, the research team will talk with older adults to understand what helps or hinders them from being active to co-design the program. Second, volunteers will be randomly assigned to either a "snack exercise" group or a control group. Participants in the "snack exercise" group will attend sessions that combine theory and practice to learn how to perform these exercises and will receive individualized prescriptions to perform the "snacks" (short bouts) at home. The control group will receive a brief educational counselling session on physical activity. Participants' health status, body composition, and physical fitness will be assessed at baseline, after the 12 weeks intervention, and again 6 weeks post-intervention to evaluate the maintenance of any improvements. These outcomes will help determine whether short bouts of 'exercise snacking' constitute a feasible and effective strategy to promote functional capacity, metabolic health, and long-term adherence to physical activity.

Conditions

Obesity & Overweight; Aged 65 Years or Older

Keywords

Aged; Overweight; Snack exercise; Community Health Planning

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (5)

• Recruitment Rate (Reach)

  The percentage of eligible individuals who consent to participate in the study out of all individuals invited. This will be a measure of the reach and appeal of the intervention and study design.

  From the start of recruitment until the target sample size is reached (approximately 2 months).

• Adherence to the "Snack Exercise" Program (Effectiveness)

  The percentage of scheduled "snack exercise" sessions attended by participants in the intervention group. Adherence will be calculated as (number of sessions attended / total number of scheduled sessions) x 100. This measures the effectiveness of the program in engaging participants.

  Throughout the 12-week intervention period.

• Program Implementation Fidelity (Implementation)

  The degree to which the "snack exercise" program is delivered as intended by the study protocol. This will be assessed by a checklist monitoring staff adherence to the protocol, including session content, duration, and intensity monitoring procedures. It will be measured as a percentage of protocol items successfully delivered.

  Throughout the 12-week intervention period.

• Participant Retention Rate

  The percentage of enrolled participants who complete all study assessments at all time points (T0, T1, and T2). This measures the overall acceptability of the study procedures and the ability to retain participants over the full duration.

  From baseline (T0) to the final follow-up assessment (T2) at 18 weeks.

• Intention to Continue Exercise (Maintenance)

  Assessed via a self-report questionnaire administered at the final follow-up visit, evaluating participants' intention and confidence to continue with "snack exercise" or other forms of physical activity independently after the study concludes.

  At the final follow-up assessment (T2) at 18 weeks.

Secondary Outcomes (12)

• Multidimensional Lifestyle and Health Status

  Assessed at baseline (T0), post-intervention (T1, 12 weeks), and follow-up (T2, 18 weeks).

• Daily Physical Activity Patterns

  Assessed at baseline (T0), post-intervention (T1, 12 weeks), and follow-up (T2, 18 weeks).

• Body Composition - Dual-Energy X-ray Absorptiometry (DEXA)

  Assessed at baseline (T0), post-intervention (T1, 12 weeks), and follow-up (T2, 18 weeks).

• Anthropometrics - Height

  Assessed at baseline (T0), post-intervention (T1, 12 weeks), and follow-up (T2, 18 weeks).

• Anthropometrics - Weight

  Assessed at baseline (T0), post-intervention (T1, 12 weeks), and follow-up (T2, 18 weeks).

Study Arms (2)

Brief educational counselling session

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

Participants will receive a brief educational counselling session (60 minutes) at the baseline assessment. This session will be a standardized brief educational counseling session delivered by trained research personnel during the baseline assessment. This session will provide foundational information on the benefits of physical activity for healthy aging and offer practical strategies for incorporating short "physical activity snacks" into daily routines. This ensures a consistent educational baseline for both study arms.

Behavioral: Brief educational counseling session

Brief educational counselling session + Group-based "Snack Exercise" training and prescription

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

Participants will receive a standardized Brief Educational Counselling Session at baseline. This group will then proceed with the Structured Community-based Physical Activity Snack Intervention (COMPASS 65+). The program will consist of group-based, theory-based and practical sessions (held 2-3 times per week, each lasting approximately 45 minutes).

Behavioral: Group-based "Snack Exercise" Training and Prescription; Behavioral: Brief educational counseling session

Interventions

Group-based "Snack Exercise" Training and Prescription BEHAVIORAL

This programme consists of supervised, group-based sessions (2-3 per week, \~45 minutes each) combining concise theoretical instruction with guided practical execution of the snack-exercise protocol. Sessions are delivered by a qualified exercise professional and focus on teaching correct technique, safety, and progression of the prescribed short exercise bouts ("exercise snacks"). At the end of each session, participants receive an individualized home-based exercise prescription, tailored to their functional capacity and progression markers. Exercise intensity during supervised and home practice is monitored using the OMNI-BORG perceived exertion scale, progressing from light to moderate intensity, in accordance with World Health Organization recommendations.

Brief educational counselling session + Group-based "Snack Exercise" training and prescription

Brief educational counseling session BEHAVIORAL

A standardized brief educational counseling session delivered by trained research personnel during the baseline assessment. This session will provide foundational information on the benefits of physical activity for healthy aging and offer practical strategies for incorporating short "physical activity snacks" into daily routines. This ensures a consistent educational baseline for both study arms.

Brief educational counselling session; Brief educational counselling session + Group-based "Snack Exercise" training and prescription

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 65 Years+
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• adults aged ≥65 years with a BMI ≥25 kg/m².

You may not qualify if:

• significant cognitive deficits,
• contraindications to exercise (assessed via PAR-Q+),
• major cardiovascular events within the last 3 months,
• unstable chronic disease,
• severe mobility impairment.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• University of Coimbra: lead

Study Sites (1)

Fernão de Magalhães Health Center

Coimbra, 3000, Portugal

Location

Related Publications (10)

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  PMID: 31316985 BACKGROUND

• Vancea A, Iliescu M, Aivaz KA, Popescu MN, Beiu C, Spiru L. Improving Functional Capacities and Well-Being in Older Adults: Strategies in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. Cureus. 2024 Aug 6;16(8):e66254. doi: 10.7759/cureus.66254. eCollection 2024 Aug.

  PMID: 39238764 BACKGROUND

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  PMID: 35627913 BACKGROUND

• Nuzzo JL, Pinto MD, Kirk BJC, Nosaka K. Resistance Exercise Minimal Dose Strategies for Increasing Muscle Strength in the General Population: an Overview. Sports Med. 2024 May;54(5):1139-1162. doi: 10.1007/s40279-024-02009-0. Epub 2024 Mar 20.

  PMID: 38509414 BACKGROUND

• Lee PG, Jackson EA, Richardson CR. Exercise Prescriptions in Older Adults. Am Fam Physician. 2017 Apr 1;95(7):425-432.

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• Collado-Mateo D, Lavin-Perez AM, Penacoba C, Del Coso J, Leyton-Roman M, Luque-Casado A, Gasque P, Fernandez-Del-Olmo MA, Amado-Alonso D. Key Factors Associated with Adherence to Physical Exercise in Patients with Chronic Diseases and Older Adults: An Umbrella Review. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021 Feb 19;18(4):2023. doi: 10.3390/ijerph18042023.

  PMID: 33669679 BACKGROUND

• Campisi J, Kapahi P, Lithgow GJ, Melov S, Newman JC, Verdin E. From discoveries in ageing research to therapeutics for healthy ageing. Nature. 2019 Jul;571(7764):183-192. doi: 10.1038/s41586-019-1365-2. Epub 2019 Jul 10.

  PMID: 31292558 BACKGROUND

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Obesity; Overweight

Interventions

Prescriptions

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Overnutrition; Nutrition Disorders; Nutritional and Metabolic Diseases; Body Weight; Signs and Symptoms; Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms

Intervention Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Pharmaceutical Services; Health Services; Health Care Facilities Workforce and Services

Study Officials

• Carlos S Cardoso, PhD, MD

  University of Coimbra

  STUDY DIRECTOR

• Anabela M Pinto, PhD, MD

  University of Coimbra

  STUDY CHAIR

• Susana P Miguel, MSc, MD

  University of Coimbra

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

• Guilherme Eustáquio Furtado, PhD

  Polytechnic Institute of Coimbra

  STUDY CHAIR

Central Study Contacts

Susana PP Miguel, MSc, MD

CONTACT

+351 918927441; susanappmiguel@gmail.com

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: TREATMENT
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: MSc, MD, PhD candidate

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: November 19, 2025
• First Posted: December 17, 2025
• Study Start (Estimated): September 1, 2026
• Primary Completion (Estimated): December 1, 2026
• Study Completion (Estimated): March 1, 2027
• Last Updated: April 29, 2026

Record last verified: 2025-12

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

PT (1)