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NCT Number: NCT04089358

Mobile Health and Social Media Physical Activity Intervention Among Adolescent and Young Adult Childhood Cancer Survivors, the StepByStep Study

This phase III trial compares a multi-component mobile health and social media physical activity intervention versus wearing a physical activity tracker alone among adolescent and young adult childhood cancer survivors. Regular physical activity helps maintain healthy weight, energy levels, and health. Adolescents and young adults who complete treatment for cancer are often less active. They may gain weight and have more health problems compared to people the same age who have not had treatment for cancer. Comparing the 2 programs will help researchers learn how to increase physical activity levels over time and also how changes in physical activity levels affect health and quality of life over time.

Active, Not Recruiting

This study is active but is not currently recruiting participants.

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Key information

Age range

15 year–20 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Phase 3

Primary location

University of Alberta Hospital, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

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About this study

PRIMARY OBJECTIVE:

I. To evaluate the effects of a multi-component physical activity intervention including a Fitbit, individualized goal setting, and a social media peer support group compared to the control condition (Fitbit only) on physical activity among adolescent and young adult survivors of childhood cancer (AYA survivors) who do not meet physical activity guidelines.

SECONDARY OBJECTIVES:

I. To evaluate the effects of a multi-component physical activity intervention including a Fitbit, individualized goal setting, and a social media peer support group compared to the control condition (Fitbit only) on biomarkers predictive of cardiometabolic health among adolescent and young adult survivors of childhood cancer (AYA survivors) who do not meet physical activity guidelines.

II. To evaluate the effects of a multi-component physical activity intervention including a Fitbit, individualized goal setting, and a social media peer support group compared to the control condition (Fitbit only) on health-related quality of life among adolescent and young adult survivors of childhood cancer (AYA survivors) who do not meet physical activity guidelines.

OUTLINE: Participants are randomized to 1 of 2 groups.

INTERVENTION GROUP: Participants receive educational materials about physical activity.

INTENSIVE PHASE (24 WEEKS): Participants wear a physical activity tracker (Fitbit) daily as well as receiving weekly reminders from study staff to wear it. They also receive goal setting sessions each week (by text, phone call, etc.) to set personalized step count goals using the Fitbit application (app). Lastly, participants receive an invitation to follow and post on an online social media peer support group (Instagram), where study staff provide encouraging advice and messages about physical activity 2-3 times per week, announce badges/awards every week, and moderate a forum to discuss physical activity and use of the Fitbit.

MAINTENANCE PHASE (24 WEEKS): Participants wear a Fitbit daily but do not receive reminders to wear it. They also set their own step count goals weekly and check in with study staff monthly for assistance with goal setting. Participants take the lead posting content on the Instagram account moderated by the study staff. Study staff only post once per week with general physical activity-related questions and provide no badges.

CONTROL GROUP: Participants receive educational materials about physical activity and wear a Fitbit daily for 48 weeks.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

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

Inclusion criteria

  • First diagnosis of malignant neoplasm (International Classification of Diseases for Oncology [ICD-O] behavior code of "3") in first and continuous remission at the time of enrollment
  • Curative cancer treatment must have included chemotherapy (including cellular therapy) and/or radiation (including radioactive iodine)
  • Note: Childrens Oncology Group (COG) therapeutic trial participation is not required
  • All cancer treatment must have been completed within 3-36 calendar months prior to enrollment
  • Patients must have a life expectancy of > 1 year
  • Self-report of < 420 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity per week as assessed via the study-specific Physical Activity Worksheet
  • Note: See COG Study Web Page for the Godin-Shephard Leisure Time Physical Activity Questionnaire or link to online calculator
  • Ambulatory and no known medical contraindications to increasing physical activity
  • Note: Patients with amputation, rotationplasty, or other prothesis are not automatically excluded as long as they are ambulatory and have no known medical contraindications to increasing physical activity and all other eligibility criteria are satisfied
  • No known significant physical or cognitive impairment that would prevent use of the electronic devices used for the protocol intervention (e.g. Fitbit, smartphone, tablet, or computer)
  • Able to read and write English
  • Note: For patients < 18 years, consenting parent/legal guardian does not have to be able to read and write English
  • All patients and/or their parents or legal guardians must sign a written informed consent
  • Note: Informed consent may be obtained electronically/online if allowed by local site policy and Institutional Review Board (IRB)/Research Ethics Board (REB) of record
  • All institutional, Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and National Cancer Institute (NCI) requirements for human studies must be met

Exclusion criteria

  • Post-menarchal female patients who are pregnant or planning to become pregnant in the next year are excluded
  • Note: Pregnancy status can be established by clinical history with patient. Post-menarchal female patients are eligible as long as they agree to use an effective contraceptive method (including abstinence) during study participation
  • Patients with previous hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) are excluded
  • Note: Patients with previous autologous HSCT, chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR T-cell) therapy, and other cellular cancer therapies can participate as long as all other eligibility criteria are satisfied

Treatment and study plan

Educational Intervention

Other

Receive educational materials

Other names: Education for Intervention, Intervention by Education, Intervention through Education, Intervention, Educational

Fitbit

Device

Wear a Fitbit

Goal Setting

Other

Set goals

Health Promotion and Education

Other

Receive text message about goal setting

Media Intervention

Other

Follow Instagram group

Telephone-Based Intervention

Behavioral

Receive phone call about goal setting

Primary outcomes

  1. Minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) per day

    Time frame: 12 months

    Moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) will be measured with a research-grade accelerometer which records minutes of MVPA over a 7 day period. This is used to calculate MVPA minutes at baseline and 12 months post-baseline. Total minutes above the moderate-intensity threshold will be divided by the number of valid days to obtain minutes of MVPA per day. Will report the mean difference in average daily minutes of MVPA from baseline to 12 months, by arm, with corresponding 95% confidence intervals.

Secondary outcomes

  1. Cardiopulmonary fitness

    Time frame: 12 months

    Cardiopulmonary fitness is an objective biomarker of exercise capacity and will be assessed by the 2-Minute Step Test. Participants complete the 2-Minute Step Test at baseline and 12 months post-baseline. Steps are counted during the test. Will report the mean difference in steps from baseline to 12 months, by arm, with corresponding 95% confidence intervals.

  2. Resting heart rate

    Time frame: 12 months

    Resting heart rate will be taken using the Fitbit physical activity tracker heart rate monitor prior to the participant initiating the 2-Minute Step Test at baseline and 12 months. Will report the mean difference, by arm, with corresponding 95% confidence intervals.

  3. Health-related quality of life (HRQOL) Global Functioning

    Time frame: 12 months

    HRQOL will be measured at baseline and 12 months with the Pediatric Quality of Life inventory (PedsQL) 4.0 Generic Core Scales. The Global Functioning score will be transformed to a scale from 0-100, in which higher scores indicate better HRQOL. Will report the mean difference, by arm, with corresponding 95% confidence intervals.

  4. Health-related quality of life (HRQOL) Physical Functioning

    Time frame: 12 months

    HRQOL will be measured at baseline and 12 months with the Pediatric Quality of Life inventory (PedsQL) 4.0 Generic Core Scales. The Physical Functioning score will be transformed to a scale from 0-100, in which higher scores indicate better HRQOL. Will report the mean difference, by arm, with corresponding 95% confidence intervals.

  5. Health-related quality of life (HRQOL) Social Functioning

    Time frame: 12 months

    HRQOL will be measured at baseline and 12 months with the Pediatric Quality of Life inventory (PedsQL) 4.0 Generic Core Scales. The Social Functioning score will be transformed to a scale from 0-100, in which higher scores indicate better HRQOL. Will report the mean difference, by arm, with corresponding 95% confidence intervals.

  6. Health-related quality of life (HRQOL) Fatigue

    Time frame: 12 months

    HRQOL will be measured at baseline and 12 months with the Pediatric Quality of Life inventory (PedsQL) 4.0 Generic Core Scales. The Fatigue score will be transformed to a scale from 0-100, in which higher scores indicate better HRQOL. Will report the mean difference, by arm, with corresponding 95% confidence intervals.

  7. Total cholesterol

    Time frame: 12 months

    A dried blood sample will be collected on each participant after a minimum of an 8-hour fast at baseline and 12 months. Total cholesterol will be obtained from the samples. Will report the mean difference, by arm, with corresponding 95% confidence intervals.

  8. High density lipoprotein (HDL)

    Time frame: 12 months

    A dried blood sample will be collected on each participant after a minimum of an 8-hour fast at baseline and 12 months. HDL will be obtained from the samples. Will report the mean difference, by arm, with corresponding 95% confidence intervals.

  9. Low density lipoprotein (LDL)

    Time frame: 12 months

    A dried blood sample will be collected on each participant after a minimum of an 8-hour fast at baseline and 12 months. LDL will be obtained from the samples. Will report the mean difference, by arm, with corresponding 95% confidence intervals.

  10. Triglycerides

    Time frame: 12 months

    A dried blood sample will be collected on each participant after a minimum of an 8-hour fast at baseline and 12 months. Triglycerides will be obtained from the samples. Will report the mean difference, by arm, with corresponding 95% confidence intervals.

  11. Insulin (HOMA-IR)

    Time frame: 12 months

    A dried blood sample will be collected on each participant after a minimum of an 8-hour fast at baseline and 12 months. HOMA-IR will be obtained from the samples. Will report the mean difference, by arm, with corresponding 95% confidence intervals.

  12. Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c)

    Time frame: 12 months

    A dried blood sample will be collected on each participant after a minimum of an 8-hour fast at baseline and 12 months. HbA1c will be obtained from the samples. Will report the mean difference, by arm, with corresponding 95% confidence intervals.

  13. High sensitivity C-reactive protein (CRP)

    Time frame: 12 months

    A dried blood sample will be collected on each participant after a minimum of an 8-hour fast at baseline and 12 months. CRP will be obtained from the samples. Will report the mean difference, by arm, with corresponding 95% confidence intervals.

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Children's Oncology Group

Network

Collaborators

  • National Cancer Institute (NCI)

Registry information

Official study title

StepByStep: A Randomized Trial of a Mobile Health and Social Media Physical Activity Intervention Among Adolescent and Young Adult Childhood Cancer Survivors

Important dates

Study start
2020
Primary completion
2025
Study completion
2026
First posted
Sep 13, 2019
Registry last updated
Feb 27, 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.

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