Increasing physical activity in older adults v1
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Increasing physical activity in older adults: Randomised controlled pilot trial of a brief, habit-based intervention
IRAS ID
113408
Contact name
Benjamin Gardner
Contact email
Research summary
This study will pilot a intervention designed to both promote physical activity (PA) and reduce sedentary behaviour (SB; i.e. sitting for prolonged periods) in older adults. The intervention will be based on the ’habit formation’ model, which states that repetition of an action in a consistent setting leads to the decision to engage in that action becoming automated in that setting (i.e. a ’habit’). Habits tend to be maintained over time, and require little conscious effort to be performed, so creating PA habits in older adults should allow participants to keep up their PA over the long-term. The habit intervention is under development at present (August 2013) but will be conceptually similar to a previous intervention (the ‘Ten Top Tips’), which featured a habit-based leaflet listing small behaviour changes.
A pilot randomised controlled trial will be undertaken to evaluate our habit-based intervention in a primary care setting. 120 sedentary, inactive and retired adults aged 60-75 years with no disabling physical impairments will be allocated to receive either the ’activity habit’ SB-reduction intervention (N=60), or a control treatment which promotes PA in older adulthood but not ’habit’ formation (N=60). The intervention centres on a leaflet outlining the detrimental health effects of SB and benefits of PA, and recommending small PA changes that will create habits. This may be supplemented with additional social support, via a telephone hotline, if this is requested by participants in our prior development work. We will assess rates of recruitment, adherence and attrition, and changes in ’habit’, activity, health and well-being.
Participants will be followed up at 8 and 12 weeks. Analysis will focus on recruitment rates, adherence and attrition, and changes in self-reported habit, and self-reported and objective measures of behaviour, physical health and wellbeing. Completer analysis and intention-to-treat analysis will be undertaken using ANCOVAs.
REC name
London - Bromley Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
13/LO/1549
Date of REC Opinion
3 Dec 2013
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion