IOBA - Impact on Body Awareness

Not Applicable

Completed

• Conditions: Body Image; Self-Assessment; Perception, Self
• Interventions: Procedure: Massage; Procedure: Gymnastics; Other: Lecture

• Registration Number: NCT05004272
• Lead Sponsor: Johannes Kepler University of Linz

Brief Summary

Due to social isolation and increased stress factors during the COVID-19 pandemic an increase of psychological and psychosomatic complaints in the population can be observed. There is growing evidence of the importance of body awareness (BA) in these complaints. The question arises how BA can be modified through therapeutic measures. The Awareness Body Chart (ABC), an innovative non-verbal tool for investigating subjective body awareness, implemented in clinical practice brings to light astonishing findings of patients' bodily experiences which have not been collected through verbal communication so far. In a randomized controlled study with 96 healthy adults in three groups (massage, gymnastics and control group), the use of the ABC questionnaire and further German questionnaires (Short questionnaire on self-perception of the body, self-rating mood scale - revised) concerning body awareness and well-being should analyse the following hypotheses: Primary hypothesis: There is a difference in the change of BA between the massage group and the control group, and there is a difference in the change of BA between the gymnastics group and the control group. Secondary hypothesis: There is a difference in the change of BA between the massage group and the gymnastics group. Before interventions demographic data and further questionnaires concerning health conditions of the participants (Simple Physical Activity Questionnaire, Short Form Health Survey, Brief Symptom Inventory and additional questions) are administered. Correlations between BA and the results of these tests will be investigated too. All these analyses can provide innovative information about BA and be indicative in the use of physiotherapeutic measures.

Detailed Description

Not available

Study Timeline

• Study First Submitted: 2021-06-02
• Study First Submitted QC: 2021-08-05
• Study First Posted: 2021-08-13
• Study Start: 2021-08-16
• Primary Completion: 2021-09-30
• Study Completion: 2021-09-30
• Status Verified: 2021-12
• Last Update Submitted: 2021-12-10
• Last Update Posted: 2021-12-13

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: COMPLETED
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 96

Inclusion Criteria

• Healthy volunteers
• Signing of informed consent by participants and head of the study
• Understanding of German language in order to be able to follow a lecture and complete questionnaires

Exclusion Criteria

• Current sick leave
• Pregnancy
• Acute physical or psychological complaints on the day of study participation
• Chronic illnesses / disabilities which make it difficult to participate in a moderate exercise while standing
• Chronic diseases / impairments that make it difficult to lie prone for a massage
• Current illnesses or injuries that are a contraindication for hand massages or gymnastics

Study & Design

• Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Design: PARALLEL

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
Massage	Massage	-
Gymnastics	Gymnastics	-
Lecture	Lecture	-

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Awareness Body Chart Questionnaire	Immediately after intervention	Body charts to fill in with colours according to intensity of body awareness. In sum, 51 body regions to colour with 5 different colour pencils (orange = "I can perceive with much detail", yellow = "I can perceive distinctly", green = "I can perceive", blue = "I can perceive indistinctly", black = "I cannot perceive"). To quantify the information, every region of the body will be coded as an extra item and the data of the colours will be transcribed: orange (= 5), yellow (= 4), green (= 3), blue (= 2), black (= 1). Higher values mean higher intensity of body awareness.

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Self-rating mood scale - revised	Immediately after intervention	Verbal questionnaire concerning mood status. 24 pairs of oppositional adjectives concerning mood: One of them or \<neither nor\> should be ticked, depending on how it best corresponds to the current situation. The negative pole = 2. The positive pole = 0. \<neither nor\> = 1. Higher sum scores indicate worse subjective mood, lower values better mood.
Short questionnaire on self-perception of the body	Immediately after intervention	Verbal questionnaire concerning body awareness. 20 items (5 = "I can perceive with much detail", 4 = "I can perceive distinctly", 3 = "I can perceive", 2 = "I can perceive indistinctly", 1 = "I cannot perceive"). Higher values mean higher intensity of body awareness.

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

Kepler University Hospital; 🇦🇹 Linz, Austria