Caregiver Burden
Conditions
Keywords
mothers, autism, down syndrome, disabilities, fitness
Brief summary
The purpose of this study is to determine the feasibility and acceptability of a 10-week supervised Physical Activity program for mothers of children with developmental disabilities. 30 participants will be enrolled: 15 into an Intervention group and 15 into a Waitlist Control group.
Detailed description
The specific aims of this study are: * Aim 1: Determine the feasibility and acceptability of a 10-week supervised resistance training program for mothers of autistic children. * Aim 2: Determine the potential health benefits of the 10-week physical activity program on psychological and physical health outcomes.
Interventions
BEHAVIORALPhysical Activity Program
Three 60-minute supervised group exercise sessions per week for 10 weeks, led by a certified instructor.
BEHAVIORALWaitlist for Physical Activity Program
Three 60-minute supervised group exercise sessions per week for 10 weeks, led by a certified instructor.
Sponsors
University of Wisconsin, Madison
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
FEMALE
Age
25 Years to 50 Years
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
* Be a mother of a child with a diagnosed developmental disability (e.g., autism spectrum disorder, Down syndrome, intellectual disability) ages 4-11. * Be able to engage in moderate-intensity exercise three times per week. * Be able to walk independently for at least a quarter of a mile without assistance. * Have reliable childcare arrangements during program sessions (please note: childcare will not be provided). * Be available and willing to attend scheduled assessments and group sessions throughout the 10-week program.
Exclusion criteria
* Are currently pregnant. * Have a physical disability or medical condition that prevents safe participation in physical activity. * Are already engaged in physical activity programs more than twice per week. * Have diagnosed mental health conditions that may interfere with consistent attendance or the ability to provide informed consent. * Are unable to communicate effectively in English.
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Feasibility: Recruitment Rate | through enrollment (up to 12 weeks) | — |
| Feasibility: Percent of Sessions Attended | up to 12 weeks | — |
| Feasibility: Number of Participants Who Complete the study | up to 12 weeks | — |
| Acceptability: Participant Experiences | up to 12 weeks | Measured qualitatively via semi-structured post-intervention interviews, summarized and reported by participant count. |
| Acceptability: Participant Satisfaction | up to 12 weeks | Measured qualitatively via semi-structured post-intervention interviews, summarized and reported by participant count. |
| Acceptability: Challenges to Participation | up to 12 weeks | Measured qualitatively via semi-structured post-intervention interviews, summarized and reported by participant count. |
| Acceptability: Facilitators to Participation | up to 12 weeks | Measured qualitatively via semi-structured post-intervention interviews, summarized and reported by participant count. |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Efficacy: Grip Strength | baseline, week 5, week 10 | The participant will squeeze a handheld dynamometer as hard as possible to measure hand and forearm strength, recorded in kilograms. |
| Efficacy: Number of Push-Ups Participant Completes with Proper Form | baseline, week 5, week 10 | The participant will perform as many push-ups as possible with proper form to test upper-body endurance. |
| Efficacy: Five Times Sit to Stand Test (FTSST) | baseline, week 5, week 10 | The amount of time it takes for a participant to transfer from seated to standing and back to sitting five times. |
| Efficacy: Percent Body Fat and Lean Mass | baseline, week 5, week 10 | Body composition is measured via Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis (BIA). The participant will stand barefoot on a bioelectrical impedance device to estimate body fat and muscle levels. |
| Efficacy: Fat Mass and Fat-Free Mass in Kilograms | baseline, week 5, week 10 | Body composition is measured via Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis (BIA). The participant will stand barefoot on a bioelectrical impedance device to estimate body fat and muscle levels. |
| Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) | baseline, week 5, week 10 | Scored from 0-21 where higher scores indicate increased anxiety. |
| Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) | baseline, week 5, week 10 | Scored from 0-40 where higher scores indicate increased stress. |
| Patient Health Questionnaire-8 (PHQ-8) | baseline, week 5, week 10 | Scored from 0-24 where higher scores indicate increased symptoms of depression |
| Penn State Worry Questionnaire (PSWQ) | baseline, week 5, week 10 | Scored from 16-80 where higher scores indicate increased worry. |
| SF-12 Health Survey | baseline, week 5, week 10 | Perceived physical and mental health subscales each scored from 0-100 with higher scores indicating better perceived physical and mental health. |
| International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) | baseline, week 5, week 10 | The IPAQ assesses physical activity during the previous 7 days by asking participants how many days and how many minutes per day they engaged in vigorous activity, moderate activity, walking, and sitting. The responses are converted into metabolic equivalent (MET) minutes per week by multiplying the minutes of activity per week by an assigned MET value (walking = 3.3 METs, moderate activity = 4.0 METs, vigorous activity = 8.0 METs). The total physical activity score is the sum of MET-minutes/week across the activity categories. Higher scores reflect greater levels of physical activity. |
Countries
United States
Contacts
PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATORLuis Columna, PhD
UW Madison
Outcome results
None listed