NCT04869644

A Trial of Habit Formation Theory for Exercise in Older Adults

A Personalized Trial Pilot to Test Habit Formation Theory for Low Intensity Physical Exercise in Older Adults

• Status: Completed
• Phase: Phase 1
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 49 (actual)
• Sponsor: Northwell Health · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 45 Years – 75 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Accepted

Summary

This personalized trial will evaluate the effects of five behavioral change techniques (BCTs) described in Habit Formation Theory (Goal setting, Action Planning, Self-Monitoring, Behavioral Practice/Rehearsal and Habit Formation) delivered by text message to enhance low-intensity walking by 2,000 more steps per day/5 days per week in healthy Northwell employees aged 45-75 years old.

Detailed description

This pilot study uses a virtual, single-arm, personalized design to evaluate the effects of the five behavioral change techniques (BCTs) described in Habit Formation Theory (Goal Setting, Action Planning, Self-Monitoring, Behavioral Practice/Rehearsal and Habit Formation) delivered by text message to enhance low-intensity walking by 2,000 more steps per day/5 days per week in healthy Northwell employees aged 45-75 years old. Up to sixty participants will complete a 12-week personalized trial of their walking behavior and assess all five behavioral change techniques described in habit formation theory. Prior to beginning the trial, participants will be sent a Fitbit® activity tracking watch that monitors number of steps per day. Participants will be instructed to wear the Fitbit device all day and night, even when they are sleeping. The single-arm, personalized trial will be comprised of a 2-week baseline/screening phase and a 10-week intervention phase. During the baseline phase, participant's baseline levels of physical activity (operationalized as average steps per day measured using the Fitbit device) and adherence to the trial protocol (operationalized as wearing the Fitbit device for a minimum of 10 hours per day and completing daily survey measure) will be assessed. Participants who are adherent to the study protocol, defined as adherence to Fitbit use and survey measures on 80% or more days during baseline, will proceed to the intervention phase. At the beginning of the intervention, participants will develop a walking plan with the goal of walking 2,000 more steps per day than their average levels of baseline activity (e.g., if you walked an average of 6,000 steps per day during baseline, the new goal would be 8,000). The walking plan will include details about the day, time, and location of walking behavior. Participants will commit to walking according to this plan 5 days per week (e.g., walking 8,000 steps per day on 5 planned days. A time-sensitive text of all 5 BCTs will delivered to the participant when the context (e.g., day of week, time of day) that they pre-selected is encountered. Participants will later receive a text message with a link to a secure survey in which they will note whether they engaged with the five behavioral change techniques which were prompted. The goal of the intervention is to help participants make their walking behavior habitual and automatic. Participants will be assessed in terms of their satisfaction with the personalized trial design, their Fitbit-measured daily steps, adherence to their walking plan, and the automaticity of their walking behavior. After completion of the intervention phase, participants will be allowed to keep the Fitbit device.

Conditions

• Sedentary Behavior
• Aging
• Activity, Motor
• Behavior, Health

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
BEHAVIORAL	Goal setting	Goal setting: set or agree on a goal defined in terms of behavior to be achieved.
BEHAVIORAL	Action Planning	Action planning: prompt detailed planning of performance of behavior (must include a setting \[walking to the mailbox\], frequency, duration, and intensity.
BEHAVIORAL	Self-monitoring of behavior	Self-Monitoring of behavior: establish a method for person to monitor and record their number of steps based on their Fitbit.
BEHAVIORAL	Behavioral Practice/Rehearsal	Behavioral rehearsal: prompt practice or rehearsal of walking one or more times in a context when the performance may not be necessary, in order to increase habit and skill.
BEHAVIORAL	Habit Formation	Prompt rehearsal \& repetition of walking 2,000 steps or more in the same context repeatedly so that the context elicits the behavior.

Timeline

• Start date: 2021-03-26
• Primary completion: 2022-02-01
• Completion: 2022-05-31
• First posted: 2021-05-03
• Last updated: 2022-11-30
• Results posted: 2022-11-30

Locations

1 site across 1 country: United States