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Increasing Physical Activity in Older Adults With Osteoarthritis Pain: Examining a Brief Behavioral Intervention

Increasing Physical Resilience in Older Adults With Osteoarthritis Pain: Feasibility and Acceptability of a Brief Behavioral Physical Activity Intervention

Status
Completed
Phases
NA
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT04490395
Enrollment
40
Registered
2020-07-29
Start date
2021-01-05
Completion date
2021-10-06
Last updated
2023-01-05

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Osteoarthritis, Hip, Osteoarthritis, Knee

Keywords

Engage PA, treatment as usual

Brief summary

The purpose of this study is to evaluate how older adults might benefit from sessions that teach behavioral coping skills for increasing physical activity and reducing interference from arthritis pain. This study will randomize individuals to receive Engage-PA, or continue to receive treatment as usual. Engage-PA involves two sessions (about 45 minutes each) with a study therapist that teaches individuals behavioral skills for increasing daily steps. These behavioral skills include identifying their personal values and instructions on how to pace their daily physical activity to avoid creating severe pain when walking. All participants in the study will wear small devices that track physical activity such as daily steps throughout the study, which also allow participants to see their daily step counts and overall level of activity. All participants will answer a set of questions about how much arthritis gets the way of many important life activities, their success at living in line with their personal values, and how much thoughts, feelings and body sensations get in the way of living a satisfying life. These questions will be asked at the beginning of the study and 6 weeks into the study.

Interventions

BEHAVIORALEngage PA

Engage PA will consist of a 2-session intervention delivered to participants at the medical center or virtual visit by their study therapist, and includes a wearable personal fitness monitor for tracking their daily activity levels throughout.

OTHERTreatment as Usual plus (TAU+)

The comparison condition will receive treatment as usual throughout the study, and are given a wearable personal fitness monitor for tracking their daily activity levels throughout the study.

Sponsors

National Institute on Aging (NIA)
CollaboratorNIH
Duke University
Lead SponsorOTHER

Study design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
65 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

* Age 65 or older * English speaking * Diagnosis of osteoarthritis in knee or hip * Able to ambulate even if assisted with ambulatory device such as walker or cane * Endorse worst pain and pain interference as ≥ 3 out of 10 within the last week

Exclusion criteria

* Planned surgery during study duration that would limit mobility (e.g., due to recommended rehabilitation or recovery period) for more than 3 weeks * Current enrollment in cardiac rehabilitation * Myocardial infarction in the past 3 months * Major surgery requiring limited movement or mobility for recovery within the past 3 months * Presence of a serious psychiatric condition (e.g., schizophrenia, suicidal intent) indicated by medical chart, treating medical provider or other staff, or study staff interactions that would contraindicate safe study participation * Medical provider indicating that exercise (even walking) should only be medically supervised; as determined by medical record review or patient reported * Fall or falls within the last 3 months that led to immediate medical treatment/hospitalization * Reported or suspected moderate or severe cognitive impairment subsequently informed by a Folstein Mini-Mental Status Examination of \<19

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Number of Participants Enrolled in the Study9 monthsHow many participants, up to the expected 40 participants, enroll in the study within the study period
Number of Participants Who Completed the Entire Program6 weeksParticipants who complete all assessments and required study sessions
Percentage of Participants Who Were Mostly or Very Satisfied With the InterventionPost treatment (6 weeks)Client Satisfaction Questionnaire asks 12 questions related to patient satisfaction on a Likert scale of 1 = very satisfied to 7 = very dissatisfied. There is one item assessing overall satisfaction with the intervention, and the percentage of participants responding to this item with mostly or very satisfied is reported below.

Secondary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Daily Step Count in 7 Day PeriodBaseline, post-treatment (6 weeks)Daily step counts as reported to study staff, after participants recorded them from wearable fitness trackers at end of day. Each assessment period consisted of 7 continuous days of wear. Summed totals of steps in the 7 day period were calculated, and then means calculated between groups of these summed step counts for the 7 day assessment period.
Rapid Assessment of Physical ActivityBaseline, post-treatment (6 weeks)The RAPA is a self-reported measure that assesses participants engagement in a variety of activities, such as light movement, moderate activity, vigorous activity, and other activities such as strength-training or yoga. Scores range from 0 - 7, where higher scores indicate greater involvement in physical activity overall.
Psychological FlexibilityBaseline, post-treatment (6 weeks)The Acceptance and Action Questionnaire-II asks about psychological flexibility, defined as how often thoughts, feelings and body sensations get in the way of living a fulfilling life. Responses are on a 1 to 7 Likert scale with 1 indicating that these issues never get in the way, and 7 indicating that these issues always get in the way. Range is 7 - 49, with lower scores indicating better outcomes.
Arthritis Pain (AIMS 2 Symptom Subscale)Baseline, post-treatment (6 weeks)The Arthritis Impact Measurement Scale (AIMS 2) measures arthritis pain related disability across areas of living both with a total score and on several subscales (i.e., pain severity, physical functioning/pain-related disability, psychological distress), where 1 indicates very good functioning, and 5 indicates very poor functioning. Symptom subscale includes items assessing pain severity, stiffness, and physical discomfort. Range is 5 to 25 where higher scores indicate worse functioning.
Valued Living - Leisure DomainBaseline, post-treatment (6 weeks)The Bulls-Eye Values measure assesses how successfully participants are at living in line with 4 domains of personal values (relationships, leisure, health, and work) on a visual dart-board scale with 1 indicating perfect success, and 14 indicates being unsuccessful. Range for each domain is 1 - 14 with lower as better outcome.
Valued Living - Relationship DomainBaseline, post-treatment (6 weeks)The Bulls-Eye Values measure assesses how successfully participants are at living in line with 4 domains of personal values (relationships, leisure, health, and work) on a visual dart-board scale with 1 indicating perfect success, and 14 indicates being unsuccessful.
Valued-Living - Work/Community DomainBaseline, post-treatment (6 weeks)The Bulls-Eye Values measure assesses how successfully participants are at living in line with 4 domains of personal values (relationships, leisure, health, and work) on a visual dart-board scale with 1 indicating perfect success, and 14 indicates being unsuccessful.
Valued Living - Health DomainBaseline, post-treatment (6 weeks)The Bulls-Eye Values measure assesses how successfully participants are at living in line with 4 domains of personal values (relationships, leisure, health, and work) on a visual dart-board scale with 1 indicating perfect success, and 14 indicates being unsuccessful. Range for each domain is 1 - 14 with lower as better outcome.
Arthritis-related Physical Functioning (AIMS 2 Physical Functioning Subscale)Baseline, post-treatment (6 weeks)The Arthritis Impact Measurement Scale (AIMS 2) measures arthritis pain related disability across areas of living on several subscales (i.e., pain severity, physical functioning/pain-related disability, psychological distress), where 1 indicates very good functioning, and 5 indicates very poor functioning. Physical functioning subscale includes items assessing mobility level, walking and bending, self-care and household tasks. Range is 5-25 where higher scores indicate worse functioning.
Psychological Distress (AIMS 2 Affect Subscale)Baseline, post-treatment (6 weeks)The Arthritis Impact Measurement Scale (AIMS 2) measures arthritis pain related disability across areas of living on several subscales (i.e., pain severity, physical functioning/pain-related disability, psychological distress), where 1 indicates very good functioning, and 5 indicates very poor functioning. Psychological distress subscale includes items assessing mood and anxiety/tension. Range is 5-25 where higher scores indicate worse functioning.

Countries

United States

Participant flow

Participants by arm

ArmCount
Engage PA
Engage PA: Engage PA will consist of a 2-session intervention delivered to participants at the medical center or virtual visit by their study therapist, and includes a wearable personal fitness monitor for tracking their daily activity levels throughout.
19
Treatment as Usual Plus Fitness Tracker
Treatment as Usual plus (TAU+): The comparison condition will receive treatment as usual throughout the study, and are given a wearable personal fitness monitor for tracking their daily activity levels throughout the study.
20
Total39

Withdrawals & dropouts

PeriodReasonFG000FG001
Overall StudyLost to Follow-up01

Baseline characteristics

CharacteristicEngage PATreatment as Usual Plus Fitness TrackerTotal
Age, Categorical
<=18 years
0 Participants0 Participants0 Participants
Age, Categorical
>=65 years
19 Participants20 Participants39 Participants
Age, Categorical
Between 18 and 65 years
0 Participants0 Participants0 Participants
Age, Continuous72.32 years
STANDARD_DEVIATION 6.01
71.20 years
STANDARD_DEVIATION 4.42
71.55 years
STANDARD_DEVIATION 5.2
Ethnicity (NIH/OMB)
Hispanic or Latino
2 Participants0 Participants2 Participants
Ethnicity (NIH/OMB)
Not Hispanic or Latino
16 Participants17 Participants33 Participants
Ethnicity (NIH/OMB)
Unknown or Not Reported
1 Participants3 Participants4 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
American Indian or Alaska Native
0 Participants0 Participants0 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
Asian
0 Participants0 Participants0 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
Black or African American
6 Participants6 Participants12 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
More than one race
1 Participants1 Participants2 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander
0 Participants0 Participants0 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
Unknown or Not Reported
0 Participants1 Participants1 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
White
12 Participants12 Participants24 Participants
Region of Enrollment
United States
19 Participants20 Participants39 Participants
Sex: Female, Male
Female
15 Participants18 Participants33 Participants
Sex: Female, Male
Male
4 Participants2 Participants6 Participants

Adverse events

Event typeEG000
affected / at risk
EG001
affected / at risk
deaths
Total, all-cause mortality
0 / 190 / 20
other
Total, other adverse events
0 / 190 / 20
serious
Total, serious adverse events
0 / 190 / 20

Outcome results

Primary

Number of Participants Enrolled in the Study

How many participants, up to the expected 40 participants, enroll in the study within the study period

Time frame: 9 months

Population: Expected participants.

ArmMeasureValue (COUNT_OF_PARTICIPANTS)
Engage PANumber of Participants Enrolled in the Study19 Participants
Treatment as Usual Plus Fitness TrackerNumber of Participants Enrolled in the Study20 Participants
Primary

Number of Participants Who Completed the Entire Program

Participants who complete all assessments and required study sessions

Time frame: 6 weeks

ArmMeasureValue (COUNT_OF_PARTICIPANTS)
Engage PANumber of Participants Who Completed the Entire Program19 Participants
Treatment as Usual Plus Fitness TrackerNumber of Participants Who Completed the Entire Program20 Participants
Primary

Percentage of Participants Who Were Mostly or Very Satisfied With the Intervention

Client Satisfaction Questionnaire asks 12 questions related to patient satisfaction on a Likert scale of 1 = very satisfied to 7 = very dissatisfied. There is one item assessing overall satisfaction with the intervention, and the percentage of participants responding to this item with mostly or very satisfied is reported below.

Time frame: Post treatment (6 weeks)

Population: Only those receiving the active treatment (Engage PA group) were given this measure.

ArmMeasureValue (NUMBER)
Engage PAPercentage of Participants Who Were Mostly or Very Satisfied With the Intervention89 percentage of participants
Secondary

Arthritis Pain (AIMS 2 Symptom Subscale)

The Arthritis Impact Measurement Scale (AIMS 2) measures arthritis pain related disability across areas of living both with a total score and on several subscales (i.e., pain severity, physical functioning/pain-related disability, psychological distress), where 1 indicates very good functioning, and 5 indicates very poor functioning. Symptom subscale includes items assessing pain severity, stiffness, and physical discomfort. Range is 5 to 25 where higher scores indicate worse functioning.

Time frame: Baseline, post-treatment (6 weeks)

Population: Data not collected (n=1; TAU group) due to lost to follow up, data not analyzed (n=1; Engage PA group) due to assessment conducted out of window.

ArmMeasureGroupValue (MEAN)Dispersion
Engage PAArthritis Pain (AIMS 2 Symptom Subscale)Baseline13.72 score on a scaleStandard Deviation 3.8
Engage PAArthritis Pain (AIMS 2 Symptom Subscale)Post-Treatment11.78 score on a scaleStandard Deviation 3.69
Treatment as Usual Plus Fitness TrackerArthritis Pain (AIMS 2 Symptom Subscale)Baseline14.90 score on a scaleStandard Deviation 4.16
Treatment as Usual Plus Fitness TrackerArthritis Pain (AIMS 2 Symptom Subscale)Post-Treatment14.58 score on a scaleStandard Deviation 4.5
p-value: 0.04495% CI: [-0.26, 3.62]t-test, 2 sided
Secondary

Arthritis-related Physical Functioning (AIMS 2 Physical Functioning Subscale)

The Arthritis Impact Measurement Scale (AIMS 2) measures arthritis pain related disability across areas of living on several subscales (i.e., pain severity, physical functioning/pain-related disability, psychological distress), where 1 indicates very good functioning, and 5 indicates very poor functioning. Physical functioning subscale includes items assessing mobility level, walking and bending, self-care and household tasks. Range is 5-25 where higher scores indicate worse functioning.

Time frame: Baseline, post-treatment (6 weeks)

Population: Data not collected (n=1; TAU group) due to lost to follow up, data not analyzed (n=1; Engage PA group) due to assessment conducted out of window.

ArmMeasureGroupValue (MEAN)Dispersion
Engage PAArthritis-related Physical Functioning (AIMS 2 Physical Functioning Subscale)Baseline6.38 score on a scaleStandard Deviation 1.89
Engage PAArthritis-related Physical Functioning (AIMS 2 Physical Functioning Subscale)Post-Treatment6.64 score on a scaleStandard Deviation 1.38
Treatment as Usual Plus Fitness TrackerArthritis-related Physical Functioning (AIMS 2 Physical Functioning Subscale)Baseline7.44 score on a scaleStandard Deviation 2
Treatment as Usual Plus Fitness TrackerArthritis-related Physical Functioning (AIMS 2 Physical Functioning Subscale)Post-Treatment7.51 score on a scaleStandard Deviation 2.09
p-value: 0.05695% CI: [-0.15, 1.33]t-test, 2 sided
Secondary

Daily Step Count in 7 Day Period

Daily step counts as reported to study staff, after participants recorded them from wearable fitness trackers at end of day. Each assessment period consisted of 7 continuous days of wear. Summed totals of steps in the 7 day period were calculated, and then means calculated between groups of these summed step counts for the 7 day assessment period.

Time frame: Baseline, post-treatment (6 weeks)

Population: Only some participants were able to record daily steps data due to complications with devices and COVID-19 protocols.

ArmMeasureGroupValue (MEAN)Dispersion
Engage PADaily Step Count in 7 Day PeriodBaseline35712.55 Mean of total steps in 7 day periodStandard Deviation 27441.78
Engage PADaily Step Count in 7 Day PeriodPost-treatment38268.56 Mean of total steps in 7 day periodStandard Deviation 28154.68
Treatment as Usual Plus Fitness TrackerDaily Step Count in 7 Day PeriodBaseline28165.89 Mean of total steps in 7 day periodStandard Deviation 20916.05
Treatment as Usual Plus Fitness TrackerDaily Step Count in 7 Day PeriodPost-treatment28154.67 Mean of total steps in 7 day periodStandard Deviation 29183
Comparison: Only 9 cases had any data available per group, and some had missing values and were not included in each analysis.p-value: 0.258ANOVA
p-value: 0.627ANOVA
Comparison: Time x Condition interactionp-value: 0.947ANOVA
Secondary

Psychological Distress (AIMS 2 Affect Subscale)

The Arthritis Impact Measurement Scale (AIMS 2) measures arthritis pain related disability across areas of living on several subscales (i.e., pain severity, physical functioning/pain-related disability, psychological distress), where 1 indicates very good functioning, and 5 indicates very poor functioning. Psychological distress subscale includes items assessing mood and anxiety/tension. Range is 5-25 where higher scores indicate worse functioning.

Time frame: Baseline, post-treatment (6 weeks)

Population: Data not collected (n=1; TAU group) due to lost to follow up, data not analyzed (n=1; Engage PA group) due to assessment conducted out of window.

ArmMeasureGroupValue (MEAN)Dispersion
Engage PAPsychological Distress (AIMS 2 Affect Subscale)Baseline10.36 score on a scaleStandard Deviation 3.12
Engage PAPsychological Distress (AIMS 2 Affect Subscale)Post-treatment10.59 score on a scaleStandard Deviation 4.15
Treatment as Usual Plus Fitness TrackerPsychological Distress (AIMS 2 Affect Subscale)Baseline10.37 score on a scaleStandard Deviation 2.85
Treatment as Usual Plus Fitness TrackerPsychological Distress (AIMS 2 Affect Subscale)Post-treatment10.33 score on a scaleStandard Deviation 2.18
p-value: 0.37795% CI: [-1.75, 1.28]t-test, 2 sided
Secondary

Psychological Flexibility

The Acceptance and Action Questionnaire-II asks about psychological flexibility, defined as how often thoughts, feelings and body sensations get in the way of living a fulfilling life. Responses are on a 1 to 7 Likert scale with 1 indicating that these issues never get in the way, and 7 indicating that these issues always get in the way. Range is 7 - 49, with lower scores indicating better outcomes.

Time frame: Baseline, post-treatment (6 weeks)

Population: Data not collected (n=1; TAU group) due to lost to follow up, data not analyzed (n=1; Engage PA group) due to assessment conducted out of window.

ArmMeasureGroupValue (MEAN)Dispersion
Engage PAPsychological FlexibilityBaseline13.95 score on a scaleStandard Deviation 8.2
Engage PAPsychological FlexibilityPost-Treatment14.72 score on a scaleStandard Deviation 8.37
Treatment as Usual Plus Fitness TrackerPsychological FlexibilityBaseline16.21 score on a scaleStandard Deviation 7.45
Treatment as Usual Plus Fitness TrackerPsychological FlexibilityPost-Treatment13.05 score on a scaleStandard Deviation 6.31
p-value: 0.0795% CI: [-6.05, 0.94]t-test, 2 sided
Secondary

Rapid Assessment of Physical Activity

The RAPA is a self-reported measure that assesses participants engagement in a variety of activities, such as light movement, moderate activity, vigorous activity, and other activities such as strength-training or yoga. Scores range from 0 - 7, where higher scores indicate greater involvement in physical activity overall.

Time frame: Baseline, post-treatment (6 weeks)

Population: Data not collected (n=1; TAU group) due to lost to follow up, data not analyzed (n=1; Engage PA group) due to assessment conducted out of window.

ArmMeasureGroupValue (MEAN)Dispersion
Engage PARapid Assessment of Physical ActivityBaseline3.25 score on a scaleStandard Deviation 1.22
Engage PARapid Assessment of Physical ActivityPost-treatment3.47 score on a scaleStandard Deviation 1.73
Treatment as Usual Plus Fitness TrackerRapid Assessment of Physical ActivityBaseline3.16 score on a scaleStandard Deviation 1.5
Treatment as Usual Plus Fitness TrackerRapid Assessment of Physical ActivityPost-treatment2.31 score on a scaleStandard Deviation 1.19
p-value: 0.03895% CI: [-1.85, 0.98]t-test, 2 sided
Secondary

Valued Living - Health Domain

The Bulls-Eye Values measure assesses how successfully participants are at living in line with 4 domains of personal values (relationships, leisure, health, and work) on a visual dart-board scale with 1 indicating perfect success, and 14 indicates being unsuccessful. Range for each domain is 1 - 14 with lower as better outcome.

Time frame: Baseline, post-treatment (6 weeks)

Population: Data not collected (n=1; TAU group) due to lost to follow up, data not analyzed (n=1; Engage PA group) due to assessment conducted out of window.

ArmMeasureGroupValue (MEAN)Dispersion
Engage PAValued Living - Health DomainBaseline4.11 score on a scaleStandard Deviation 2.26
Engage PAValued Living - Health DomainPost-treatment3.76 score on a scaleStandard Deviation 1.44
Treatment as Usual Plus Fitness TrackerValued Living - Health DomainBaseline4.05 score on a scaleStandard Deviation 1.99
Treatment as Usual Plus Fitness TrackerValued Living - Health DomainPost-treatment4.88 score on a scaleStandard Deviation 1.73
p-value: 0.4395% CI: [-1.19, 1.42]t-test, 2 sided
Secondary

Valued Living - Leisure Domain

The Bulls-Eye Values measure assesses how successfully participants are at living in line with 4 domains of personal values (relationships, leisure, health, and work) on a visual dart-board scale with 1 indicating perfect success, and 14 indicates being unsuccessful. Range for each domain is 1 - 14 with lower as better outcome.

Time frame: Baseline, post-treatment (6 weeks)

Population: Data not collected (n=1; TAU group) due to lost to follow up, data not analyzed (n=1; Engage PA group) due to assessment conducted out of window.

ArmMeasureGroupValue (MEAN)Dispersion
Engage PAValued Living - Leisure DomainBaseline4.26 score on a scaleStandard Deviation 2.26
Engage PAValued Living - Leisure DomainPost-treatment4.12 score on a scaleStandard Deviation 1.87
Treatment as Usual Plus Fitness TrackerValued Living - Leisure DomainBaseline4.60 score on a scaleStandard Deviation 4.18
Treatment as Usual Plus Fitness TrackerValued Living - Leisure DomainPost-treatment4.18 score on a scaleStandard Deviation 2.01
p-value: 0.7295% CI: [-0.194, 1.42]t-test, 2 sided
Secondary

Valued Living - Relationship Domain

The Bulls-Eye Values measure assesses how successfully participants are at living in line with 4 domains of personal values (relationships, leisure, health, and work) on a visual dart-board scale with 1 indicating perfect success, and 14 indicates being unsuccessful.

Time frame: Baseline, post-treatment (6 weeks)

Population: Data not collected (n=1; TAU group) due to lost to follow up, data not analyzed (n=1; Engage PA group) due to assessment conducted out of window.

ArmMeasureGroupValue (MEAN)Dispersion
Engage PAValued Living - Relationship DomainPost-treatment4.00 score on a scaleStandard Deviation 2.1
Engage PAValued Living - Relationship DomainBaseline3.68 score on a scaleStandard Deviation 2.11
Treatment as Usual Plus Fitness TrackerValued Living - Relationship DomainBaseline4.29 score on a scaleStandard Deviation 2.29
Treatment as Usual Plus Fitness TrackerValued Living - Relationship DomainPost-treatment4.35 score on a scaleStandard Deviation 2.15
p-value: 0.34195% CI: [-0.35, 0.23]t-test, 2 sided
Secondary

Valued-Living - Work/Community Domain

The Bulls-Eye Values measure assesses how successfully participants are at living in line with 4 domains of personal values (relationships, leisure, health, and work) on a visual dart-board scale with 1 indicating perfect success, and 14 indicates being unsuccessful.

Time frame: Baseline, post-treatment (6 weeks)

Population: Data not collected (n=1; TAU group) due to lost to follow up, data not analyzed (n=1; Engage PA group) due to assessment conducted out of window.

ArmMeasureGroupValue (MEAN)Dispersion
Engage PAValued-Living - Work/Community DomainBaseline3.32 score on a scaleStandard Deviation 1.97
Engage PAValued-Living - Work/Community DomainPost-Treatment3.65 score on a scaleStandard Deviation 2.03
Treatment as Usual Plus Fitness TrackerValued-Living - Work/Community DomainBaseline3.30 score on a scaleStandard Deviation 1.87
Treatment as Usual Plus Fitness TrackerValued-Living - Work/Community DomainPost-Treatment3.41 score on a scaleStandard Deviation 2.24
p-value: 0.2595% CI: [-2.35, 1.17]t-test, 2 sided

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Feb 11, 2026