Skip to main content
OpenTrials
Completed

NCT Number: NCT04095923

A Social Media Game to Increase Physical Activity Among Older Adult Women

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.

Completed

Looking for future studies?

Notify Me

Key information

Conditions

Aging Behavior Motor Activity

Age range

65 year–85 year

Sex eligibility

Female

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

The University of Texas Medical Branch

Galveston, Texas, 77550, United States

About this study

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.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • Female
  • Age between 65 and 85
  • Able to read and understand English
  • Willingness to be randomized to any condition
  • Daily availability of an iOS or Android mobile device that is capable of taking and sending photos
  • Willingness to use a private Facebook group
  • Sufficient internet access to post photos to Facebook at least once per week
  • Having an existing Facebook account or willingness to create one

Exclusion criteria

  • Unable to find transportation to the study location
  • Unable to walk for exercise (self-report)
  • Walk <475 meters in 6 minute walk test during baseline assessment
  • Stroke, hip fracture, hip or knee replacement, or spinal surgery in the past 6 months
  • 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
  • Self-reported weekly PA ≥ 150 minutes
  • BMI under 18 or over 40
  • Participant reports psychological issues that would interfere with study completion. Examples will be provided to illustrate potential psychological issues, such as dementia or schizophrenia.
  • 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
  • Clinical judgment concerning safety
  • Currently participating in an organized commercial or research physical activity program
  • Uses a wearable activity monitor other than a simple pedometer and is unwilling to stop during the trial
  • Another member of the household is a participant or staff member on this trial

Treatment and study plan

Social media game

Behavioral

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.

Standard self-regulation

Behavioral

Participants will track their steps using a wearable activity monitor and receive brief standard self-regulatory counseling.

Primary outcomes

  1. Walking physical activity as measured by daily steps at 12 months

    Time frame: Baseline to 12 months

    Mean of daily steps taken from accelerometers worn for a 7 day period

Secondary outcomes

  1. Walking physical activity as measured by daily steps at 6 months

    Time frame: Baseline to 6 months

    Mean of daily steps taken from accelerometers worn for a 7 day period

  2. Walking physical activity as measured by daily steps at 18 months

    Time frame: Baseline to 18 months

    Mean of daily steps taken from accelerometers worn for a 7 day period

  3. Intrinsic regulation

    Time frame: 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

  4. Integrated regulation

    Time frame: 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

  5. Autonomous regulation

    Time frame: 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

  6. Basic psychological needs

    Time frame: 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

  7. Physical activity as measured by minutes of moderate-vigorous intensity physical activity at 6 months

    Time frame: Baseline to 6 months

    Mean daily minutes of moderate-vigorous intensity physical activity taken from accelerometers for a 7 day period

  8. Physical activity as measured by minutes of moderate-vigorous intensity physical activity at 12 months

    Time frame: Baseline to 12 months

    Mean daily minutes of moderate-vigorous intensity physical activity taken from accelerometers for a 7 day period

  9. Physical activity as measured by minutes of moderate-vigorous intensity physical activity at 18 months

    Time frame: Baseline to 18 months

    Mean daily minutes of moderate-vigorous intensity physical activity taken from accelerometers for a 7 day period

Other outcomes

  1. Exercise identity

    Time frame: Baseline to 6 months

    Perceptions of exercise identity on a scale from 1 (strongly disagree) to 7 (strongly agree) on the Exercise Identity Scale

  2. Engaged living

    Time frame: Baseline to 6 months

    Perceptions of value-based living on a scale of 1 (completely disagree) to 5 (completely agree) on the Engaged Living Questionnaire

  3. Playful experiences

    Time frame: Baseline to 6 months

    Self-reported playful experiences during play of the game on a scale of 1 (totally disagree) to 5 (totally agree) using the Playful Experiences Questionnaire

  4. Usability

    Time frame: Baseline to 6 months

    Self-reported usability of the social media group on a scale of 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree) using the System Usability Scale

  5. Acceptability of walking challenge game

    Time frame: Baseline to 6 months

    Self-reported acceptability of challenges on a scale of 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree)

  6. Engagement in the social media group

    Time frame: Baseline to 12 months

    Objectively measured number of posts, comments, and reactions in the Facebook group

  7. Days the activity monitor was worn

    Time frame: Baseline to 12 months

    Objectively measured days the wearable activity monitor was worn during the intervention period

  8. Enjoyment of each weekly challenge

    Time frame: Baseline to 12 months

    Self-reported enjoyment measured via weekly text message inquiring as to enjoyment on a scale from 1 (strongly disagree) to 7 (strongly agree)

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

The University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston

Other

Collaborators

  • M.D. Anderson Cancer Center
  • National Institute on Aging (NIA)

Registry information

Acronym: CHALLENGE

Important dates

Study start
2019
Primary completion
2025
Study completion
2026
First posted
Sep 19, 2019
Registry last updated
Jun 11, 2026

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

Related clinical trials

Published trials that share one or more normalized conditions with this study.