NCT03829267

eFIT: An Internet-based Intervention to Increase Physical Activity in Persons With MS

eFIT: An Internet-based Intervention to Increase Physical Activity in Persons With Multiple Sclerosis

• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 44 (actual)
• Sponsor: Columbia University · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

eFIT is a technology-enabled internet based psychosocial intervention to increase physical activity in persons with multiple sclerosis, who are at unique risk for sedentary behaviors and for whom exercise and physical activity hold many benefits.

Detailed description

This is a randomized controlled trial of an internet-based intervention to increase physical activity in persons with multiple sclerosis. Multiple sclerosis (MS) is the most common non-traumatic neurological cause of disability in young adults. Sedentary behavior, now recognized as a major contributor to increased morbidity is seen at higher rates and related to adverse health outcomes for persons with MS (PwMS). Prominent symptoms of MS (motor impairment, fatigue, depressed mood, pain), place this population at unique risk for increased sedentary behavior. And importantly, with increased age comes increased risk: patients over 60 are significantly more sedentary than middle-aged patients. On a positive note, current disease modifying therapies prolong time to disease progression, widening the window of opportunity for implementing behavioral interventions that support health and successful aging. Behaviors adopted early in life are more likely to be maintained into later adulthood. Physical activity is beneficial for PwMS on multiple levels: improved gait and balance, improved cognition, reduced depression and fatigue. Finding ways to increase physical activity is a key research priority for MS. Behavioral change is difficult to adopt and even more difficult to maintain. Here, we introduce a novel behavioral intervention to increase physical activity, eFIT, a technology-enabled (i.e., internet-delivered) support group-based treatment that leverages accountability to motivate and sustain behavioral change. Accountability constitutes the bedrock underlying the single most pervasive, successful, and widely embraced behavioral intervention known: Alcoholics Anonymous (AA). Through sponsors and support groups, AA utilizes accountability partners to deliver, reinforce, and sustain life-saving behavioral change. Here, we leverage accountability partners to motivate enduring behavioral change in physical activity participation, one of the single most difficult health behaviors to implement and maintain.

Conditions

• Multiple Sclerosis

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
BEHAVIORAL	eFIT Intervention	eFIT: social network accountability partners, a psychosocial intervention to increase physical activity in persons with multiple sclerosis
BEHAVIORAL	eJournal Intervention	1-hour online each week engaged in an active journaling activity
BEHAVIORAL	Treatment as usual	Participants in this condition will complete baseline and follow-up surveys with the same frequency as the active treatment groups, but will receive neither eFIT nor eJournal.

Timeline

• Start date: 2019-04-26
• Primary completion: 2020-04-13
• Completion: 2020-04-13
• First posted: 2019-02-04
• Last updated: 2020-11-04

Locations

1 site across 1 country: United States