NCT03377634

A Mobile Intervention to Reduce Pain and Improve Health (MORPH)

A Mobile Intervention to Reduce Pain and Improve Health (MORPH) in Obese Older Adults

• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 33 (actual)
• Sponsor: Wake Forest University Health Sciences · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 65 Years – 79 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

Chronic pain contributes to declining health and function in older adults; effects that are intensified by obesity and sedentary (sitting) behavior. The purpose of this study is to develop and test a novel, patient-centered intervention to reduce pain and improve physical function in older, obese adults. The study will utilize a combination of telephone based coaching and smartphone tools to deliver this novel intervention to decrease both body weight and sitting behavior. The long-term goals of this project are to test the efficacy of the intervention and to develop it as a tool for clinicians to provide outside-of-clinic patient-centered support for overweight/obese older adults with chronic pain.

Detailed description

Chronic pain has emerged as an urgent age-related health issue that significantly effects physical functioning and quality of life, with the unfavorable effects worsened by both obesity and sedentary behavior. The annual cost of pain in the United States is nearly 30% higher than the combined costs of cancer and diabetes. In 2016, the NIH called for a National Pain Strategy to: 1) expand non-pharmacological treatment options in older adults, who are particularly susceptible to the side effects of opioid and other pain medications; 2) develop accessible treatments that are tailored to individuals; and 3) increase the development of self-management programs for chronic pain. The purpose of this R-21 is to develop and test the feasibility and acceptability of a novel, patient-centered intervention to reduce chronic pain and improve physical functioning in older adults, leveraging the combination of telecoaching and individually-adaptive mHealth tools to decrease both body mass and sedentary behavior. A pilot randomized controlled trial will be conducted to provide initial evidence for effect sizes (pain and physical function) associated with the proposed intervention, and to estimate the sample size needed for a full scale randomized controlled trial design that compares the effects of the intervention versus usual care on pain ratings and physical function in overweight/obese older adults with chronic pain.

Conditions

• Chronic Pain
• Obesity
• Sedentary Lifestyle

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
BEHAVIORAL	MORPH	Participants will engage in 12 weekly group coaching sessions discussion behavioral approaches to pain management, weight loss, and daily physical activity. The first three sessions (i.e., weeks 1 - 3) will occur in-person, and the remaining 9 will take place via telephone. All intervention participants will receive access to an activity monitor, smart scale, and smartphone app that aims to provide support for daily physical activity and weight loss.

Timeline

• Start date: 2018-08-07
• Primary completion: 2020-02-28
• Completion: 2020-02-28
• First posted: 2017-12-19
• Last updated: 2021-01-22
• Results posted: 2021-01-22

Locations

1 site across 1 country: United States