Intervention Study: Genetic Risk Communication and Wearables

Not Applicable

• Conditions: Exercise; Type 2 Diabetes; Sedentary Behavior; Fitness Trackers; Genetic Predisposition to Disease
• Interventions: Genetic: Genetic Risk Estimate; Other: Genetic Risk Estimate + Fitbit Functions

• Registration Number: NCT04879758
• Lead Sponsor: The University of Hong Kong

Brief Summary

This study aims to determine the effects of communicating genetic risk for type 2 diabetes (T2D) alone or in combination with goal setting and prompts from a wearable device on objectively measured physical activity (PA) and sedentary behavior (SB) in East Asians. It is hypothesized that this combination will lead to significant favorable changes in objectively measured PA and SB, and that such changes will be more likely to be sustained over 6-month follow-up.

This study aims to recruit 150 healthy East Asian adults in Hong Kong. At baseline, participants will be invited to visit the research laboratory for measurement of a series of variables including height, body weight, blood pressure and grip strength. Participants will also be invited to complete a set of questionnaires to assess their self-reported PA and SB, fruit and vegetable consumption, smoking status and psychological variables. Blood samples will be collected to analyze key diabetes and cardiovascular disease biochemical markers as well as their estimated genetic risk of T2D. Each individual's unique genetic risk for T2D will be estimated on the basis of established genetic variants associated with T2D specifically for East Asians. Each participant will be asked to wear a Fitbit Charge 4 tracker, an objective activity monitoring device, throughout the entire trial.

Participants will be randomly allocated into 3 groups: 1 control and 2 intervention groups. A control group will receive an e-leaflet containing general lifestyle advice for prevention of T2D. An intervention group will receive an estimated genetic risk of T2D, in addition to the e-leaflet. The other intervention group will have a Fitbit step goal set 10% higher than their baseline step count and use prompt functions of the Fitbit tracker, in addition to the genetic risk estimate and e-leaflet.

Activity data from the Fitbit will be collected at 4-week post-intervention; information about lifestyle and psychological variables will be assessed through the questionnaires at both immediate and 4-week post-intervention. To determine the longer-term effect of the intervention, participants will be asked to visit the research laboratory 6 months after the intervention to repeat the same set of assessments as baseline, except the blood samples collected at 6-month follow-up are used only to analyze cardiometabolic risk profiles (not genetic risk). Activity levels will also be objectively measured using the Fitbit for 4 weeks.

Detailed Description

Not available

Basic Information
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Recruitment & Eligibility
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Study & Design
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Trial Locations

Study Timeline

• Study First Submitted: 2021-04-27
• Study First Submitted QC: 2021-05-04
• Study First Posted: 2021-05-10
• Status Verified: 2021-07
• Study Start: 2021-07-07
• Last Update Submitted: 2021-07-21
• Last Update Posted: 2021-07-23
• Primary Completion: 2023-12
• Study Completion: 2024-05

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: UNKNOWN
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 150

Inclusion Criteria

• East Asian ancestry
• Aged 40-60 years
• Able to perform daily-living physical activity
• Able to use English to communicate
• Use a smartphone

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Exclusion Criteria

• have been diagnosed with any type of diabetes
• pregnant or lactating
• unable to perform daily-life physical activities (determined through Physical Activity Readiness Questionnaire [PAR-Q])
• participating in another research study or exercise programs
• had experience of genetic testing
• cannot use English

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Study & Design

• Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Design: PARALLEL

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
Intervention Group - Genetic Risk Estimate	Genetic Risk Estimate	This intervention group will receive an estimated genetic risk of T2D in addition to the Fitbit and e-leaflet.
Intervention Group - Genetic Risk Estimate + Fitbit Functions	Genetic Risk Estimate + Fitbit Functions	This intervention group will receive a Fitbit device, but have a Fitbit step goal set 10% higher than their baseline step count, and use its prompt functions, in addition to the genetic risk estimate and e-leaflet.

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Changes in Very Active Minutes between baseline and 4-week post-intervention, and between baseline and 6-month follow-up	Baseline, 4-week post-intervention, 6-month follow-up	Very Active Minutes (per day) will be objectively measured by the Fitbit tracker.
Changes in Fairly Active Minutes between baseline and 4-week post-intervention, and between baseline and 6-month follow-up	Baseline, 4-week post-intervention, 6-month follow-up	Fairly Active Minutes (per day) will be objectively measured by the Fitbit tracker.
Changes in Calories Burn between baseline and 4-week post-intervention, and between baseline and 6-month follow-up	Baseline, 4-week post-intervention, 6-month follow-up	Calories Burn (kcal per day) will be objectively measured by the Fitbit tracker.
Changes in Steps between baseline and 4-week post-intervention, and between baseline and 6-month follow-up	Baseline, 4-week post-intervention, 6-month follow-up	Step count (per day) will be objectively measured by the Fitbit tracker.
Changes in Sedentary Minutes between baseline and 4-week post-intervention, and between baseline and 6-month follow-up	Baseline, 4-week post-intervention, 6-month follow-up	Sedentary Minutes (per day) will be objectively measured by the Fitbit tracker.
Changes in Lightly Active Minutes between baseline and 4-week post-intervention, and between baseline and 6-month follow-up	Baseline, 4-week post-intervention, 6-month follow-up	Lightly Active Minutes (per day) will be objectively measured by the Fitbit tracker.

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Changes in Low-density lipoproteins (LDL) between baseline and 6-month follow-up	Baseline and 6-month follow-up	Blood samples will be collected to test the five key biochemical markers of T2D and cardiovascular disease, including LDL (mmol/L).
Changes in Triglycerides between baseline and 6-month follow-up	Baseline and 6-month follow-up	Blood samples will be collected to test the five key biochemical markers of T2D and cardiovascular disease, including Triglycerides (mmol/L).
Changes in diastolic blood pressure between baseline and 6-month follow-up	Baseline and 6-month follow-up	Diastolic blood pressure (mm Hg) will be measured using the OMRON HEM-907 Digital Automatic Blood Pressure Monitor.
Changes in hand grip strength between baseline and 6-month follow-up	Baseline and 6-month follow-up	Hand grip strength (in kilograms) will be measured using the Jamar Hydraulic Hand Dynamometer, which has good reliability and reproducibility.
Changes in Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) between baseline and 6-month follow-up	Baseline and 6-month follow-up	Blood samples will be collected to test the five key biochemical markers of T2D and cardiovascular disease, including HbA1c (%).
Changes in body mass index (BMI) between baseline and 6-month follow-up	Baseline and 6-month follow-up	Measured height (in meters) and body weight (in kilograms) will be used to calculate BMI (in kg/m²).
Changes in systolic blood pressure between baseline and 6-month follow-up	Baseline and 6-month follow-up	Systolic blood pressure (mm Hg) will be measured using the OMRON HEM-907 Digital Automatic Blood Pressure Monitor.
Changes in Total cholesterol between baseline and 6-month follow-up	Baseline and 6-month follow-up	Blood samples will be collected to test the five key biochemical markers of T2D and cardiovascular disease, including Total cholesterol (mmol/L).
Changes in Self-reported Physical Activity between baseline and Immediate post-intervention, between baseline and 4-week post-intervention, and between baseline and 6-month follow-up	Baseline, Immediate post-intervention, 4-week post-intervention, 6-month follow-up	This outcome will be assessed using an assessment questionnaire.
Changes in Self-reported Fruit and Vegetable Consumption between baseline and Immediate post-intervention, between baseline and 4-week post-intervention, and between baseline and 6-month follow-up	Baseline, Immediate post-intervention, 4-week post-intervention, 6-month follow-up	This outcome will be assessed using an assessment questionnaire.
Changes in High-density lipoproteins (HDL) between baseline and 6-month follow-up	Baseline and 6-month follow-up	Blood samples will be collected to test the five key biochemical markers of T2D and cardiovascular disease, including HDL (mmol/L).
Changes in Self-reported Smoking Status between baseline and Immediate post-intervention, between baseline and 4-week post-intervention, and between baseline and 6-month follow-up	Baseline, Immediate post-intervention, 4-week post-intervention, 6-month follow-up	This outcome will be assessed using an assessment questionnaire.
Changes in Self-reported Psychological Status between baseline and Immediate post-intervention, between baseline and 4-week post-intervention, and between baseline and 6-month follow-up	Baseline, Immediate post-intervention, 4-week post-intervention, 6-month follow-up	This outcome will be assessed using an assessment questionnaire.

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

Exercise Physiology Lab, The University of Hong Kong; 🇭🇰 Hong Kong, Hong Kong