Anxiety, Depression - Major Depressive Disorder, Stress
Conditions
Keywords
Physical Activity, Digital Intervention, Depression, Mobile Application
Brief summary
The present study will assess the effects of a four-week digitally delivered intervention on physical activity and depressive symptoms among adults experiencing at least moderate depressive symptoms. The main questions this research aims to answer are: * Does a digitally-delivered intervention increase physical activity levels? * Does a digitally-delivered intervention reduce symptoms of depression? Researchers will compare an intervention promoting physical activity to a passive control (does not receive the intervention) group to see if the intervention reduces depressive symptoms and increases physical activity levels. Participants will: * Visit the laboratory at two separate time points before group assignment, separated by one week of physical activity monitoring * Be randomly assigned to complete four weeks of a digital intervention prompting engagement in physical activity or have their mental health symptoms monitored over four weeks (i.e., passive control group) * Visit the laboratory at two separate time points after the intervention, separated by one week of physical activity monitoring
Detailed description
Procedures include four laboratory visits: two visits before the intervention and two visits after the intervention. Participants will be randomly assigned to either four weeks of a digital intervention that prompts participants to engage in physical activity or a waitlist (passive) control condition. Participants will be randomized using a stratified approach using depressive symptoms and physical activity measured at pre-intervention as strata. The digital intervention group will be instructed to download a Pathverse mobile application on their Apple or Android smartphone device. The Pathverse mobile application will be used as a research delivery platform that can send participants daily push notifications to engage in physical activity of their choice. During the second pre-intervention visit, each participant will select approximately five types of physical activity they find enjoyable that they would like to engage in over the four-week intervention. Participants will report on the physical activity they completed, along with the duration and intensity of each activity. Participants will have the choice of time of day as to when they would like to receive daily notifications on their device. Members of the passive control group will be informed that their mental health will be monitored over four weeks as a control condition. After the study, they will be offered the digital PA intervention, if desired.
Interventions
BEHAVIORALDigital Physical Activity
The Pathverse mobile application platform will be downloaded on each participant's smartphone. Participants will be guided on how to download and use the application, as well as how to interact with the application during the intervention period. Participants will choose approximately five types of physical activity they enjoy before the intervention and will be prompted to complete these physical activities throughout the intervention. Participants will also self-report the duration and type of physical activity performed each day of the intervention.
Sponsors
Auburn University
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
DOUBLE (Investigator, Outcomes Assessor)
Masking description
The investigator and outcomes assessor will be unaware of group assignment; research staff working for the investigator will perform randomization. Participants will know whether they are assigned to the digital physical activity or passive control arm.
Intervention model description
Between-subjects randomized controlled trial
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
19 Years to 40 Years
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
* Between the ages of 19 and 40 years * Verbally fluent in English (i.e., must be able to speak or understand English) * No uncorrected visual or hearing impairment * Moderate depressive symptoms or greater of at least 10 or higher on the Patient Health Questionnaire-8 screening instrument * Eligible to participate in physical activity * Physically inactive (i.e., engaging in less than 150 min of weekly moderate-to-vigorous physical activity) * Owns an Apple or Android mobile device, willing to download the Pathverse app , and willing to keep the device on during the study period * Not currently pregnant
Exclusion criteria
\- Participants will not qualify for the current study if they do not meet the above inclusion criteria.
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Depressive Symptoms | pre-intervention, at the two-week time point during the intervention, and immediately after the intervention | Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS-21) will be used to assess changes in symptoms of depression. The DASS-21 includes 7 items that assess for depression. Total scores for depression range from 0-42, with higher scores indicating greater depression severity. |
| Moderate-to-vigorous physical activity | pre-intervention and immediately after the intervention | Physical activity will be assessed using a wrist-worn accelerometer before and after the intervention. Physical activity outcomes will be calculated as amount of time spent in a specific intensity. |
Countries
United States
Contacts
Primary ContactChristopher J Brush, Ph.D.
Backup ContactKarly A Knudson, B.S.
Outcome results
None listed