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An Approach to "Move a Little & Often" With Health Conditions

Not Applicable
Completed
Conditions
Multiple Chronic Conditions
Depression
Interventions
Behavioral: A plan to Move a Little and Often
Registration Number
NCT03537053
Lead Sponsor
University of Manchester
Brief Summary

People with long term conditions such as diabetes and arthritis, and who also have depression spend a lot of time sedentary during the day. This is because they face many barriers to being active, such as pain and fatigue. Being sedentary is problematic because it is associated with poorer health in the long term.

Common sedentary behaviours are watching television and using the computer; these behaviours are labelled as screen-based sedentary behaviours. An intervention to reduce these behaviours could improve mental and physical wellbeing. The aim of the study is to explore the acceptability of an intervention to "Move a Little and Often" in people with depression symptoms and long term conditions. The investigators will explore the intervention's acceptability using interviews and will examine if the intervention is associated with a reduction in time spent sedentary. Results will help refine the intervention further.

The feasibility study is part of a PhD project funded by the National Institute of Health Research (NIHR) Collaborations for Leadership in Applied Health Research and Care (CLAHRC) Greater Manchester

Detailed Description

There is a growing focus in research on the need to reduce sedentary behaviours. Studies have shown that independently of moderate to vigorous physical activity, the amount of time spent sedentary predicts poorer health outcomes. This means that in addition to exercising, it is important to reduce prolonged periods of sedentary behaviours to improve health. For people with depression and long term conditions, milder forms of physical activity may be more appropriate due to higher levels of pain and fatigue resulting from exercise. Reducing sedentary behaviours by substituting them with mild physical activities such as walking is a potential avenue to improve health outcomes in this population group.

To date, no intervention has been developed to reduce prolonged periods of sedentariness in people with depression and long term health conditions within the UK. This feasibility study aims to refine a behaviour change intervention to reduce sedentary time in this population group. The intervention has been developed through reviewing the literature on interventions to increase physical activity (a systematic review), an interview study to explore sedentary and physical activity behaviours within this population group, and through patient and public involvement.

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status
COMPLETED
Sex
All
Target Recruitment
30
Inclusion Criteria
  • be aged ≥18 years,
  • self-report a clinical diagnosis of a long term physical health condition;
  • score 8 or more on the depression subscale of the Hospital hospital anxiety and depression scales (Zigmond & Snaith, 1983) suggesting the presence of depression;
  • speak English fluently;
  • live within Greater Manchester
Exclusion Criteria
  • are not registered with a GP practice,
  • in receipt of palliative care,
  • report a diagnosis of severe mental health problems such as schizophrenia or bipolar disorder,
  • have had a recent bereavement

Study & Design

Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Study Design
SINGLE_GROUP
Arm && Interventions
GroupInterventionDescription
A plan to Move a Little and OftenA plan to Move a Little and OftenThe intervention will consist of 3 components: a short video will raise awareness about the impact of sedentary behaviours, a booklet, and an online forum on Facebook to encourage participants to support each other. At the end of the baseline data collection, participants will be asked to watch the video. They will then be given the booklet and invited to join the Facebook group. A minimum of 5 participants must be recruited prior to running the Facebook group.
Primary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
The short form International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ ; Booth 2000).1 month follow-up

The IPAQ will be used to measure frequency and duration of sedentariness, and any increase in physical activity. The IPAQ asks about walking, moderate intensity activities and vigorous-intensity activities. In order to compute the total score, it requires summation of the durations (minutes) and frequency (days) of walking, moderate-intensity and vigorous-intensity activities.

Secondary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod

Trial Locations

Locations (2)

The University of Manchester

🇬🇧

Manchester, United Kingdom

Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust

🇬🇧

Manchester, United Kingdom

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