NCT06939621

Trajectories for Active and Healthy Aging

Trajectories for Active and Healthy Aging (Behavioural and Psychological Determinants)

• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 60 (actual)
• Sponsor: University of Roma La Sapienza · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 65 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Accepted

Summary

The objective of the present study is to identify which psychological and motivational factors can help foster Virtual Reality (VR)-based interventions. Specifically, the main question is: \- Does the combination of VR-based interventions and motivational messages grounded in Self-Determination Theory (SDT) impact older adults' motivation for physical activity and their physiological indicators related to exercise? Older adults will participate to a 4 week intervention where they have ti engage in a physical activity program under different conditions: with and without VR, with and with out motivational messages.

Conditions

• Healthy
• Older Adults (65 Years and Older)
• Virtual Reality
• Physical Activity

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
BEHAVIORAL	VR-based physical activity with motivational stimuli	Participants will undergo four weekly supervised VR-based training sessions, each lasting approximately 35 minutes, over four weeks. Each session includes: 1. VR Warm-Up: Activities adapted from NVIDIA VR Fun House on SteamVR, involving repetitive movements through mini-games like throwing objects, archery, and sword handling. 2. Aerobic and Balance Exercises: Walking in place within a virtual natural environment, incorporating stretching steps and one-leg balance tasks. 3. Lower-Body Training: VR-based exercises such as Balloon Game for hip flexibility (popping balloons with foot movements), Cave Game for squatting motions, and sit-to-stand activities. 4. Upper-Body Training: VR exercises involving racket-based ball hitting and reaching activities at varied distances. Participants received motivational messages from a virtual coach designed to enhance the three psychological needs outlined in Self-Determination Theory: competence, autonomy, and relatedness.
BEHAVIORAL	VR-based physical activity without motivational stimuli	Participants will undergo four weekly supervised VR-based training sessions, each lasting approximately 35 minutes, over four weeks. Each session includes: 1. VR Warm-Up: Activities adapted from NVIDIA VR Fun House on SteamVR, involving repetitive movements through mini-games like throwing objects, archery, and sword handling. 2. Aerobic and Balance Exercises: Walking in place within a virtual natural environment, incorporating stretching steps and one-leg balance tasks. 3. Lower-Body Training: VR-based exercises such as Balloon Game for hip flexibility (popping balloons with foot movements), Cave Game for squatting motions, and sit-to-stand activities. 4. Upper-Body Training: VR exercises involving racket-based ball hitting and reaching activities at varied distances. In this condition, instead of motivational stimuli, participants received neutral information regarding the activity (e.g., "This exercise is good for your legs ").
BEHAVIORAL	Standard Physical Activity with motivational stimuli	Participants will engage in four individual training sessions, supervised by a trainer, scheduled once per week for a total duration of four weeks. Each session will last approximately 35 minutes and include: 5 minutes of warm-up and stretching, 10 minutes of aerobic and balance exercises (walking in place, heel raises, knee lifts, leg curls), 10 minutes of lower-body exercises (squats), and 10 minutes of upper-body exercises (shoulder abduction 180°, shoulder flexion 180°, shoulder external rotation 90°, bending 35°, trunk extensions 80°). Participants received motivational messages from a real coach designed to enhance the three psychological needs outlined in Self-Determination Theory: competence, autonomy, and relatedness.
BEHAVIORAL	Standard Physical Activity without motivational stimuli	Participants will engage in four individual training sessions, supervised by a trainer, scheduled once per week for a total duration of four weeks. Each session will last approximately 35 minutes and include: 5 minutes of warm-up and stretching, 10 minutes of aerobic and balance exercises (walking in place, heel raises, knee lifts, leg curls), 10 minutes of lower-body exercises (squats), and 10 minutes of upper-body exercises (shoulder abduction 180°, shoulder flexion 180°, shoulder external rotation 90°, bending 35°, trunk extensions 80°). In this condition, instead of motivational stimuli, participants received neutral information regarding the activity (e.g., "This exercise is good for your legs ").

Timeline

• Start date: 2024-06-01
• Primary completion: 2025-01-01
• Completion: 2025-01-01
• First posted: 2025-04-23
• Last updated: 2025-04-23

Locations

1 site across 1 country: Italy