NCT05794789

"We Are an Active Family": Promoting Child Physical Activity Through Social Identity Formation in the Family System

• Status: Recruiting
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 148 (estimated)
• Sponsor: University of Victoria · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 6 Years – 12 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Accepted

Summary

The purpose of our study is to explore the effectiveness of physical activity (PA) identity formation in the family system as a promotor of long-term PA. The primary research question is: Does a family identity formation condition (with education+planning) result in increased child moderate- to vigorous-intensity PA (MVPA) compared to a standard comparison education and planning condition at six months? Hypothesis: Child MVPA will be higher for the identity formation condition in comparison to the more standard PA education+planning condition at six months.

Detailed description

The secondary research questions will include: 1. Does the identity formation condition improve child health-related fitness outcomes compared to the education and planning condition at six months? Hypothesis: Child health-related fitness will be higher for the identity formation condition in comparison to the education and planning condition. 2. Can group differences among behavioural, and health-related fitness outcomes be explained through a mediation model? Hypothesis: The covariance of the assigned conditions (identity formation, planning + education) on child MVPA will be explained by parental support, and through parental support identity (i.e., manipulation check). In turn, the covariance between support and health-related outcomes will be explained by MVPA among conditions. In the case of null outcomes for research question #1, the investigators will instead explore a prediction model of these variables rather than a mediation model. 3. Is there an intergenerational, seasonal, or sex difference across primary outcomes by assigned condition? Hypothesis: Parents in the identity formation condition will show higher physical activity via some activities being performed with their children (as part of social identity) in comparison to the other condition. No differences in child sex or season are hypothesized based on past research.

Conditions

• Physical Activity
• Social Identity

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
BEHAVIORAL	Social Identity	This group will receive the same content as the education+planning as well as two additional sessions. This includes short overviews of the benefits of PA as a family, brainstorming how a family can each assist each other in PA, and an activity for developing a family PA action plan. Behavior change techniques such as identity salience, identity similarity, and identity fit and contrast are included in the coaching session include. This will be supplemented by an organization of fun family PA roles for all members (e.g., activity planner, goal setter, supporter, etc.) to instill involvement as well as items (creation of a family PA t-shirt, family PA photos and display, etc.) to instill distinctiveness, which is a central feature of a social identity. Worksheets and discussion will be included. The second session will involve only the parent(s) to focus on parental support identity and the content is based on the behavior change principles of self-identity theory.

Timeline

• Start date: 2023-08-10
• Primary completion: 2026-03-31
• Completion: 2026-03-31
• First posted: 2023-04-03
• Last updated: 2025-04-03

Locations

2 sites across 1 country: Canada