Skip to main content
OpenTrials
Completed

NCT Number: NCT04973813

Active Choice Intervention About Physical Activity for Physically Inactive Adults

This web-based experimental study aims to ascertain whether promoting an active (i.e. conscious and autonomous) choice process about physical activity results in better behavioural outcomes (e.g. physical activity) and psychological outcomes (e.g. physical activity intention) compared to promoting a passive choice process in physically inactive adults.

Completed

Looking for future studies?

Notify Me

Key information

Conditions

Physical Activity Behavior Motor Activity

Age range

18 year and older

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

VUMedicalCenter

Amsterdam, North Holland, 1018BT, Netherlands

About this study

In this web-based experimental study, the investigators will use a pre-test post-test four-arm parallel design to compare the effect of promoting an active choice process versus a passive choice process about physical activity on behavioural outcomes (e.g. physical activity behaviour, perceived increase in physical activity) and psychological outcomes (e.g. physical activity intention, commitment) among physically inactive adults.

Participants will be randomized to one of four groups. Participants in group GA+ will be encouraged to make a very active choice by weighing advantages and disadvantages of physical activity, considering personal values, identifying barriers and engaging in action and coping planning. The intervention for group GA is similar, but lacks the action and coping planning exercises. In the other two groups, a passive choice process will be promoted by only providing information: Group G will read the national physical activity guideline and group GI will read the guideline and information about possible advantages and disadvantages and barriers to physical activity. Behavioural and psychological outcomes will be assessed at the first measurement and follow-up measurement. Regression analyses will be performed to examine intergroup differences. In addition, sensitivity analyses and a process evaluation will be performed.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

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

Inclusion criteria

  • Low levels of physical activity (i.e. physically active for at least 30 minutes on <5 days a week and engaging in <150 minutes of physical activity in total throughout an average week)

Exclusion criteria

  • Pregnancy
  • Wheelchair user
  • Not being able to walk a minimum of 100 meters

Treatment and study plan

Guideline + Active Choice + action&coping planning (GA+)

Behavioral

Web-based intervention consisting of information and assignments, including: completing a decision balance sheet; indicating the importance of personal values and the time, effort and energy spent on these personal values; action planning; identifying barriers to physical activity; coping planning

Guideline + Active Choice (GA)

Behavioral

Web-based intervention consisting of information and several assignments, including: completing a decision balance sheet; indicating the importance of personal values and the time, effort and energy spent on these personal values; identifying barriers to physical activity.

Guideline + information (GI)

Behavioral

Web-based information about the national physical activity guideline, pros and cons of physical activity, and possible barriers to physical activity.

Guideline (G)

Behavioral

Web-based information about the national physical activity guideline.

Other names: Comparison arm

Primary outcomes

  1. Intention

    Time frame: Directly after the intervention (Day 0)

    Intention to become more physically active (yes/no), assessed by a questionnaire

  2. Physical activity

    Time frame: Change from baseline at approximately 18 days

    Physical activity levels (MET minutes per week), assessed by the short form of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ)

Secondary outcomes

  1. Sitting time

    Time frame: Change from baseline at approximately 18 days

    Sitting time (minutes per day), assessed by the short form of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ)

  2. Perceived change in physical activity compared to baseline

    Time frame: Change from baseline at approximately 18 days

    Questionnaire item: Participants' self-perceived change in physical between baseline and follow-up. Dichotomous outcome (change/no change).

  3. Intention strength

    Time frame: Change from day 0, at approximately 18 days

    Questionnaire item: scale 0 (no strong intention) - 10 (very strong intention). a higher score indicates higher intention strength.

  4. Active choice

    Time frame: Directly after the intervention (Day 0)

    Degree to which an active choice is made; a composite score of 9 items on a scale of 1 (totally not agree) - 5 (totally agree); a higher score indicates a more active choice.

  5. Autonomous choice

    Time frame: Directly after the intervention (Day 0)

    Degree to which an autonomous choice is made; 2 items on a scale of 1 - 10. For the first item, a higher score indicates a more autonomous choice, whereas for the second item, a higher score indicates a less autonomous choice.

  6. Commitment

    Time frame: Directly after the intervention (Day 0)

    Commitment to become more physically active; 1 item on a scale of 0 (no commitment) - 10 (high commitment). A higher score indicates higher commitment.

  7. Commitment

    Time frame: Change from day 0, at approximately 18 days follow-up

    Commitment to become more physically active; 1 item on a scale of 0 (no commitment) - 10 (high commitment). A higher score indicates higher commitment.

  8. Self-efficacy

    Time frame: Directly after the intervention (Day 0)

    Self-efficacy to become more physically active; 2 items on a scale of 1 (no self-efficacy) - 10 (high self-efficacy). A higher score indicates more self-efficacy.

  9. Self-efficacy

    Time frame: Change from day 0, at approximately 18 days follow-up

    Self-efficacy to become more physically active; 2 items on a scale of 1 (no self-efficacy) - 10 (high self-efficacy). A higher score indicates more self-efficacy.

  10. Satisfaction about one's plan

    Time frame: Directly after the intervention (Day 0)

    Degree of satisfaction with one's plan to become or not become more physically active on a scale of 1 (no satisfaction) to 10 (high satisfaction).

  11. Alignment of choice with personal values

    Time frame: Directly after the intervention (Day 0)

    Extent to which one's plan to become/ not become more physically active corresponds with what one considers important; 1 item on a scale of 1 (no alignment) - 10 (high alignment)

  12. Perceived advantages and disadvantages of physical activity

    Time frame: During intervention (Day 0)

    Open-ended questions about the perceived advantages and disadvantages of one's current physical activity behavior, and of increasing physical activity.

  13. Value of health

    Time frame: During intervention (Day 0)

    Importance of the value 'health', on a scale of 1 (not important at all) to 10 (very important), and the time, effort and energy spent on health on a scale of 1 (no time, effort and energy) to 10 (very much time, effort and energy)

  14. Values influencing physical activity

    Time frame: During intervention (Day 0)

    The extent to which the following values impact one's physical activity levels on a scale of 1 (no influence) to 10 (high influence): responsibility, achievement, pleasure, family, friendships, balance.

  15. Plans to change physical activity

    Time frame: During intervention (Day 0)

    Open-ended questions about the preferred kind of physical activity, frequency, location, days and start date.

  16. Perceived barriers to physical activity

    Time frame: During intervention (Day 0)

    Open-ended question asking about perceived barriers to physical activity

  17. Plans to cope with perceived barriers

    Time frame: During intervention (Day 0)

    Open-ended questions about the ways one could cope with each perceived barriers

  18. Factors supporting physical activity

    Time frame: Follow-up; approximately 18 days after the intervention (day 0)

    Question about the factors that supported or would support physical activity. Multiple choice question.

  19. Barriers to physical activity

    Time frame: Follow-up; approximately 18 days after the intervention (day 0)

    Question about the barriers that hindered physical activity in the past two weeks. Multiple choice question.

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Amsterdam UMC, location VUmc

Other

Registry information

Official study title

Effects of an Active Choice Intervention on Physical Activity Intentions and Behaviour Among Physically Inactive Adults: A Four-Arm Web-Based Experiment

Important dates

Study start
2020
Primary completion
2020
Study completion
2020
First posted
Jul 22, 2021
Registry last updated
Jul 22, 2021

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.