Aging
Conditions
Keywords
Physical activity, Social media, Wearable, Intrinsic motivation, Game, Women's health
Brief summary
This study will test the effects of a social media game on the physical activity of older adult women. The game will consist of playful weekly challenges that require sharing photographs on a private social media group and also wearing an activity monitor to track steps. Participants will be randomized to this game group or to receive the activity monitor only.
Detailed description
Older adult women are at risk for negative health impacts of physical inactivity, but current strategies to increase their activity have had disappointing long-term results. The intervention tested in this study seeks to test an innovative intervention that targets older womens' perceptions of enjoyment and their personal identity and values. The investigators will test the efficacy of a 12-month social media-based physical activity intervention for sedentary older adult women. Participants will be randomized to receive a standard Fitbit-only intervention or to an enhanced Fitbit + weekly social challenges intervention. The investigators hypothesize that participants in the enhanced intervention will demonstrate greater increases in autonomous regulation and objectively-measured steps as compared to those in the standard intervention. The investigators will also measure outcomes after a 6 month maintenance period (18 months after beginning the intervention). Additional outcomes will include engagement with the social network and self-reported playful experiences.
Interventions
BEHAVIORALSocial media game
Participants will engage in weekly challenges that require them to take photographs of interesting things they discover during their walks. They will post and discuss these photographs with other participants on a private social media page. They will track their steps using a wearable activity monitor and receive brief standard self-regulatory counseling.
BEHAVIORALStandard self-regulation
Participants will track their steps using a wearable activity monitor and receive brief standard self-regulatory counseling.
Sponsors
The University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston
National Institute on Aging (NIA)
M.D. Anderson Cancer Center
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
SINGLE (Outcomes Assessor)
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
FEMALE
Age
65 Years to 85 Years
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
1. Female 2. Age between 65 and 85 3. Able to read and understand English 4. Willingness to be randomized to any condition 5. Daily availability of an iOS or Android mobile device that is capable of taking and sending photos 6. Willingness to use a private Facebook group 7. Sufficient internet access to post photos to Facebook at least once per week 8. Having an existing Facebook account or willingness to create one
Exclusion criteria
1. Unable to find transportation to the study location 2. Unable to walk for exercise (self-report) 3. Walk \<475 meters in 6 minute walk test during baseline assessment 4. Stroke, hip fracture, hip or knee replacement, or spinal surgery in the past 6 months 5. Participant answered "yes" to any question on the PAR-Q+ and does not provide a doctor's note giving permission to begin a physical activity program 6. Self-reported weekly PA ≥ 150 minutes 7. BMI under 18 or over 40 8. Participant reports psychological issues that would interfere with study completion. Examples will be provided to illustrate potential psychological issues, such as dementia or schizophrenia. 9. Participant plans to move away from the Galveston-Houston area or to be out of town for more than 2 weeks at a time during the study period 10. Clinical judgment concerning safety 11. Currently participating in an organized commercial or research physical activity program 12. Uses a wearable activity monitor other than a simple pedometer and is unwilling to stop during the trial 13. Another member of the household is a participant or staff member on this trial
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Walking physical activity as measured by daily steps at 12 months | Baseline to 12 months | Mean of daily steps taken from accelerometers worn for a 7 day period |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Walking physical activity as measured by daily steps at 6 months | Baseline to 6 months | Mean of daily steps taken from accelerometers worn for a 7 day period |
| Walking physical activity as measured by daily steps at 18 months | Baseline to 18 months | Mean of daily steps taken from accelerometers worn for a 7 day period |
| Intrinsic regulation | Baseline to 6 months | Self-reported intrinsic regulation on a scale from 0 (least motivated) to 4 (most motivated) using the Behavioral Regulation in Exercise Questionnaire - 3 |
| Integrated regulation | Baseline to 6 months | Self-reported integrated regulation on a scale from 0 (least motivated) to 4 (most motivated) using the Behavioral Regulation in Exercise Questionnaire - 3 |
| Autonomous regulation | Baseline to 6 months | Composite of subscales for intrinsic, integrated, and identified regulation as measured on a scale from 0 (least motivated) to 4 (most motivated) using the Behavioral Regulation in Exercise Questionnaire - 3 |
| Basic psychological needs | Baseline to 6 months | Perceptions of autonomy, competence, and relatedness on a scale from 1 (don't agree) to 5 (completely agree) using the Psychological Needs in Exercise Scale |
| Physical activity as measured by minutes of moderate-vigorous intensity physical activity at 6 months | Baseline to 6 months | Mean daily minutes of moderate-vigorous intensity physical activity taken from accelerometers for a 7 day period |
| Physical activity as measured by minutes of moderate-vigorous intensity physical activity at 12 months | Baseline to 12 months | Mean daily minutes of moderate-vigorous intensity physical activity taken from accelerometers for a 7 day period |
| Physical activity as measured by minutes of moderate-vigorous intensity physical activity at 18 months | Baseline to 18 months | Mean daily minutes of moderate-vigorous intensity physical activity taken from accelerometers for a 7 day period |
Countries
United States
Contacts
PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATORElizabeth Lyons, PhD, MPH
University of Texas
Outcome results
None listed