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NCT Number: NCT06662292

Mobile Supportive Teams for Reinforcing Increased Daily Exercise Study

The goal of this research is to examine the addition of a digitally delivered social support training approach to an existing digital program designed to promote a physically active lifestyle among self-selected teams of adults who are not meeting physical activity guidelines. The main aims are to:

1. Determine if the social support training intervention promotes significantly greater changes in moderate-to-vigorous intensity aerobic physical activity (such as a brisk walk) as measured by an accelerometer (research grade physical activity measurement device) at 3 months compared to the same intervention without social support training among self-selected teams of adults who are not meeting the physical activity guidelines. 2. Determine if the social support training intervention promotes significantly greater changes in social support, motivation, accountability, and autonomy social support (free from excessive control and encouraging one's free will) at 3 months and 12 months compared to the same intervention without social support training. 3. Determine if the social support training intervention promotes significantly greater changes in moderate-to-vigorous intensity aerobic physical activity as measured by an accelerometer at 12 months compared to the same intervention without social support training. 4. Explore whether social support mediates increased and sustained moderate-to-vigorous intensity aerobic physical activity among the entire sample of participants.

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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

University of South Carolina

Columbia, South Carolina, 29208, United States

Location status: Recruiting

Location contact

Chelsea Carpenter, PhD

CONTACT

[email protected]

803-766-6275

About this study

Self-selected teams of 3-8 insufficiently active adults (about 60 teams comprised of a total of 300 participants) will be randomized to receive either a 3-month, theory-based, technology-delivered physical activity intervention characterized by personalized physical activity goals, a wearable physical activity tracker, electronic feedback, and behavior change modules embedded within a mobile-compatible app (Team) or the same intervention plus digitally delivered social support training (Team+Training). Outcome assessments will be completed at baseline, 3, and 12 months.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

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

Inclusion criteria

Participants must:

  • be at least 18 years of age
  • be insufficiently physically active (< 150 minutes per week of moderate-intensity equivalent aerobic physical activity as measured by waist-worn accelerometer (research grade physical activity measurement device) - i.e., sum of time spent in minutes of moderate-intensity activity plus twice the minutes spent in vigorous-intensity activity < 150 minutes per week)
  • be part of a self-selected team of 3-8 individuals each of whom also meet all other eligibility criteria (members of the same household are only eligible to participate if they are on the same team - limit one team per household)
  • have access to a smartphone (Android or iphone operating system-based) with an internet connection
  • report being able to walk at least ¼ mile without stopping
  • be able to provide informed consent
  • complete all screening and baseline questionnaires and activities

Exclusion criteria

  • participating in another physical activity study or program
  • are pregnant, breastfeeding, less than 6 months post-partum, or plan to become pregnant during the time frame of the investigation
  • report a medical condition that would affect the safety and/or efficacy of a physical activity program (e.g., terminal illness; uncontrolled heart condition, dementia, bulimia nervosa or binge eating disorder, other significant psychiatric problems, or use of insulin)
  • report conditions that in the judgment of the Principal Investigator would render them unlikely to be able to independently follow the intervention protocol for 3 months, including conditions which might compromise their ability to engage independently with the intervention website materials and wearable physical activity tracker, as well as complete online questionnaires and adhere to wearing an accelerometer

Treatment and study plan

Mobile STRIDES app (psychoeducation features)

Behavioral

Twelve theory-based physical activity behavior change lessons/modules during the course of the 3-month intervention.

Mobile STRIDES app (self-regulation features)

Behavioral

Personalized physical activity goals focused on moderate-to-vigorous intensity aerobic physical activity and steps. Physical activity (tracked with a Fitbit wearable smartwatch and synced with the Mobile STRIDES app) tracking component, displaying team and individual progress. Weekly individualized feedback messages crafted by a trained professional for the first month of the intervention.

Mobile STRIDES app (social support training features)

Behavioral

For the experimental group, the Mobile STRIDES app also includes five social support training lessons/modules (during the course of the 3-month intervention) focused on providing guidance related to effective communication when exchanging social support for physical activity within a team. In addition, six team feedback messages will be delivered to respective teams throughout the course of the 3-month intervention to reinforce content taught via the training lessons/modules. A weekly poll will also be administered that complements the social support training lessons, with cumulative results displayed.

Primary outcomes

  1. Change in minutes per week of moderate-to-vigorous intensity aerobic physical activity (MVPA) at 3 months

    Time frame: Baseline and 3 months

    Change in minutes per week of moderate-to-vigorous intensity aerobic physical activity (MVPA) from baseline to 3 months as measured by accelerometer

Secondary outcomes

  1. Change in minutes per week of moderate-to-vigorous intensity aerobic physical activity (MVPA) at 12 months

    Time frame: 3 months and 12 months

    Change in minutes per week of moderate-to-vigorous intensity aerobic physical activity (MVPA) from 3 months to 12 months as measured by accelerometer

  2. Change in supportive accountability at 3 months

    Time frame: Baseline and 3 months

    Support Accountability Inventory adapted for physical activity and to query about one's team. Items rated on a Likert scale response format ranging from 1 (Strongly Disagree) to 7 (Strongly Agree) with a not applicable option, with higher total scores indicating higher perceived supportive accountability.

  3. Change in motivation at 3 months

    Time frame: Baseline and 3 months

    Treatment Self-Regulation Questionnaire adapted for physical activity. Items scored using a 7-point Likert scale (1 = not at all to 7 = very true). Higher scores on the Autonomous Subscale indicate greater autonomous motivations for behavior change and higher scores on the Controlled Motivations subscale indicate higher controlled regulation.

  4. Change in supportive accountability at 12 months

    Time frame: 3 months and 12 months

    Support Accountability Inventory adapted for physical activity and to query about one's team. Items rated on a Likert scale response format ranging from 1 (Strongly Disagree) to 7 (Strongly Agree) with a not applicable option, with higher total scores indicating higher perceived supportive accountability.

  5. Change in motivation at 12 months

    Time frame: 3 months and 12 months

    Treatment Self-Regulation Questionnaire adapted for physical activity. Items scored using a 7-point Likert scale (1 = not at all to 7 = very true). Higher scores on the Autonomous Subscale indicate greater autonomous motivations for behavior change and higher scores on the Controlled Motivations subscale indicate higher controlled regulation.

  6. Change in autonomy support at 3 months

    Time frame: Baseline and 3 months

    Important Other Climate Questionnaire adapted for physical activity and to query about one's team. Items rated on a Likert scale response format ranging from 1 (Strongly Disagree) to 7 (Strongly Agree) with a not applicable option, with higher total scores indicating higher perceived autonomy support.

  7. Change in autonomy support at 12 months

    Time frame: 3 months and 12 months

    Important Other Climate Questionnaire adapted for physical activity and to query about one's team. Items rated on a Likert scale response format ranging from 1 (Strongly Disagree) to 7 (Strongly Agree) with a not applicable option, with higher total scores indicating higher perceived autonomy support.

  8. Change in social support for physical activity at 3 months

    Time frame: Baseline and 3 months

    Social Support for Healthy Behaviors Questionnaire (physical activity support scale) adapted to query about one's team. Items scored using response options on a 5-point scale which ranges from almost never/not applicable to almost always, with higher mean scores indicating more support.

  9. Change in social support for physical activity at 12 months

    Time frame: 3 months and 12 months

    Social Support for Healthy Behaviors Questionnaire (physical activity support scale) adapted to query about one's team. Items scored using response options on a 5-point scale which ranges from almost never/not applicable to almost always, with higher mean scores indicating more support.

Other outcomes

  1. Mediation analysis of social support on moderate-to-vigorous intensity aerobic physical activity

    Time frame: 3 months and 12 months

    A mediation analysis will be conducted to explore whether social support mediates increased (at 3 months) and sustained (at 12 months) moderate-to-vigorous intensity aerobic physical activity within the overall study sample. The Social Support for Healthy Behaviors Questionnaire (physical activity support scale) adapted to query about one's team will be used to measure social support at baseline, 3 months, and 12 months. Items are scored using response options on a 5-point scale which ranges from almost never/not applicable to almost always, with higher mean scores indicating more support. Minutes per week of moderate-to-vigorous intensity aerobic physical activity will be measured using an accelerometer at baseline, 3 months, and 12 months. These data will facilitate the construction of mediation models.

Study contacts

Contact information is provided by the study sponsor or research team.

Courtney Monroe, PhD

CONTACT

[email protected]

803-766-6275

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

University of South Carolina

Other

Collaborators

  • National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK)

Registry information

Official study title

Using Existing Social Ties to Promote Physical Activity: Effects of Digitally Delivered Team Social Support Training

Acronym: STRIDES

Important dates

Study start
2025
Primary completion
2027
Study completion
2028
First posted
Oct 28, 2024
Registry last updated
Oct 15, 2025

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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