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Completed

NCT Number: NCT02744924

Intervention to Increase Physical Activity in Older Adults Using Citizen-science and Modern Technology

To develop and implement a physical activity promotion intervention for older adults with or without chronic disease living in an urban environment.

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Key information

Conditions

Sedentary Behavior Elderly Motor Activity Physical Activity Sedentary Behavior

Age range

60 year and older

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

University of Zurich

Zurich, 8001, Switzerland

About this study

The World Health organization recommends that all adults should aim for 30 minutes of moderate physical activity on at least five days of the week. The importance of physical activity for promoting heath is complicated when considering inactive older adults and chronic conditions. A problematic cycle emerges where physical inactivity increases the likelihood for developing chronic conditions, and, in turn, many chronic conditions are associated with symptoms that make physical activity more difficult.

The investigators aim to develop and implement a physical activity promotion intervention for older adults with or without chronic disease living in an urban environment that considers individual, interpersonal and environmental factors and makes use of a citizen-science approach and modern PA-monitoring devices.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

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

Inclusion criteria

  • Age 60 years or older
  • Living within or <5km from Wetzikon (Zurich area)
  • Understand and speak German
  • Number of repetitions in the 1-min sit-to-stand test below the 75th percentile compared to the Swiss population (age and sex-specific reference values)

Exclusion criteria

  • Symptomatic / unstable cardiovascular disease
  • Cardiac surgery within one year

Treatment and study plan

physical activity intervention

Behavioral

The intervention is comprised of 5 steps:

  • Goal setting: Over a step-counter (smartphone app) participants learn about their daily average step count. They are coached to set individual goals
  • Fitness assessment: To recommend suitable frequency and intensity of walking program using mapped trails
  • Structured walking groups: Promoted and communicated via app. Participants can additionally organize walking groups of their own.
  • Feedback: Participants will see individual and group data over the step-counter app, and they can communicate with others via a communication app. They will be incentivized to reach goals through a gamification approach.
  • Invite friends: After 12 weeks, participants are encouraged to invite people who fulfil the inclusion criteria to join the project

Primary outcomes

  1. Physical activity as the average daily number of steps

    Time frame: Change from baseline to 6 months

    Average daily number of steps measured by accelerometry (Actigraph wGT3x) during 1 week

Secondary outcomes

  1. Physical activity intensity

    Time frame: Change from baseline to 6 months

    Time spent in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (min/day) measured by accelerometry (Actigraph wGT3x) during 1 week

  2. Exercise capacity (1-minute sit-to-stand test)

    Time frame: Change from baseline to 6 months

    Number of repetitions performed in the 1-minute sit-to-stand test

  3. Health-related quality of life

    Time frame: Change from baseline to 6 months

    Assessed by the EQ-5D

  4. Symptoms of anxiety and depression

    Time frame: Change from baseline to 6 months

    Assessed by the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale

  5. Health status

    Time frame: Change from baseline to 6 months

    Assessed by the Feeling Thermometer

  6. Perceived social support

    Time frame: Change from baseline to 6 months

    Assessed by the short version of the Social Support Questionnaire

Other outcomes

  1. Exploratory outcome: Course of daily number of steps

    Time frame: Daily number of steps during the intervention period (6 months)

    Exploration of course of number of steps measured by smartphone application

  2. Exploratory outcome: Social connections

    Time frame: Through study completion, an average of 6 months

    Exploration of the use of the communication and calendar apps

  3. Exploratory outcome: Participant satisfaction (questionnaire, quantitative)

    Time frame: Assessed at 6 months (follow-up)

    Assessed by self-administered questionnaire

  4. Exploratory outcome: Participant satisfaction (interview, qualitative)

    Time frame: Assessed at 6 months (follow-up)

    Assessed by semi-structured interview

  5. Safety outcome: Adverse events

    Time frame: Through study completion, an average of 6 months

    Adverse events are assessed, collected and reported according to guidelines

  6. Physiological response to walking

    Time frame: At 1 day (during the intervention period)

    Physiological response during walking exercise using a metabolic cart in a subgroup of participants

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

University of Zurich

Other

Registry information

Official study title

A Community-based Intervention to Increase Physical Activity Levels in Older Adults Using Citizen-science and Modern Technology

Important dates

Study start
2016
Primary completion
2017
Study completion
2017
First posted
Apr 20, 2016
Registry last updated
Aug 22, 2017

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.

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