NCT03152214

Physical Activity and Community Engagement (PACE) Among Returning Veterans

• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 60 (actual)
• Sponsor: University of Texas at Austin · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Accepted

Summary

Over 2 million soldiers have deployed during the Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) and Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) conflicts. While the majority of veterans reintegrate successfully following deployment, a sizable minority return and face difficulties transitioning into civilian life. There is surprisingly little research on disseminable programs to facilitate reintegration, particularly outside of the formal VA healthcare system. The primary objective of this project is to develop and evaluate an integrated community- and exercise-based program that can be "prescribed" to augment existing transition assistance programs.

Detailed description

Founded in 2010, Team Red White and Blue (RWB) is a non-profit organization that aims to enrich the lives of veterans by enhancing their connection to their community. Initial survey findings support the mission by showing that involvement in Team RWB (1) increases connectivity; (2) helps bridge the civilian/military divide; and (3) improves well-being and life satisfaction. Numerous trials indicate that engaging in exercise programs can improve mood and reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety (for review see Penedo and Dahn, 2005). Accordingly, prescribing a structured exercise program has the potential to facilitate involvement in RWB and a reduction in reintegration difficulties. Compared to other levels of exercise intensity, vigorous-intensity exercise has been associated with increases in well-being (Cox, Thomas, Hinton, Donahue, 2006), reductions in anxiety and depression (Balchin, Linde, Blackhurst, Rauch, \& Schönbächler, 2016; Cox, Thomas, Hinton, \& Donahue, 2004; Katula, Blissmer, \& McAuley, 1999) and improvements in quality of life (Ostman, Jewiss, \& Smart, 2016). According to the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), high intensity exercise methods are the leading trend in the fitness industry (Thompson, 2013). Importantly, high intensity exercise programs have gained increasing popularity particularly within military units (Haddock, Poston, Heinrich, Jahnke, \& Jitnarin, 2016). This study aims to provide a pilot test of (1) the acceptability and effectiveness of RWB for veterans transitioning out of the military and (2) the effectiveness of a vigorous-intensity aerobic exercise prescription for enhancing the efficacy of RWB. To this end, the study will be a randomized controlled trial (RCT) that involves 75 veterans discharged from the US Army at Fort Hood who will be assigned to: 1) 8-weeks of vigorous-intensity aerobic exercise in addition to participation in a community-based program (Team RWB) or (2) 8-weeks of participation in Team RWB alone or (3) 8-weeks on a waitlist.

Conditions

• Reintegration

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
OTHER	Vigorous Intensity Aerobic Exercise and Community Engagement	Each veteran will be provided with an Apple watch for the duration of the study. Research staff will use the resultant data to monitor the veteran's activity level. Veterans will be asked to complete three 25-minute sessions of vigorous intensity aerobic exercise per week (either running, cycling, rowing, or elliptical workouts). Data collected will include the number of minutes exercised and the heartrate level (77-85% maximum heart rate). Any exercise session of 25 minutes at \> 76% of maximum heart rate will be characterized as 1 completed session of vigorous-intensity exercise. Veterans will enter the activity, minutes exercised, average heartrate, and perceived exertion into REDCap. Community engagement will involve attending at least one Team RWB event per week through the Austin or Killeen chapters. This could be a weekly running group, hike, or community service project-among other activities. Veterans will enter whether or not they attended a Team RWB event on REDCap.
OTHER	Community Engagement	Veterans in the study will receive a monthly calendar of Team RWB events upon assignment. Veterans will be able to participate in any Team RWB event located in Austin or Killeen. Veterans will be asked to attend at least one Team RWB event. This could be a weekly running group, hike, or community service project- among other activities. Veterans will enter whether or not they attended a Team RWB event on the REDCap exercise adherence surveys.

Timeline

• Start date: 2017-09-01
• Primary completion: 2019-05-01
• Completion: 2019-05-01
• First posted: 2017-05-12
• Last updated: 2019-12-09

Locations

1 site across 1 country: United States