Reducing Sedentary Behavior to Improve Sleep: an Ancillary Study to the RESET BP Clinical Trial

Not Applicable

Completed

• Conditions: Sleep; Obstructive Sleep Apnea; Insomnia
• Interventions: Behavioral: Behavioral Intervention

• Registration Number: NCT03946228
• Lead Sponsor: University of Pittsburgh

Brief Summary

Using a multi-method sleep assessment approach, the purpose of this study is to examine the bidirectional relationship between sleep and sedentary behavior in the context of a randomized trial investigating the impact of sedentary behavior reduction on blood pressure.

Detailed Description

Disturbed sleep, most notably insomnia and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), is highly prevalent and associated with increased risk for elevated blood pressure (BP) and cardiovascular disease. Unfortunately, despite the substantial public health burden of disturbed sleep, standard treatments are often limited by poor adherence, inadequate availability, and/or significant side effects. As such, identification of alternative approaches to mitigate disturbed sleep is greatly needed. In contrast to increasing engagement in exercise, we propose that reducing sedentary behavior (SED), or time spent sitting, is a novel and feasible approach to reduce sleep disturbance. We also propose that the presence of disturbed sleep during the intervention could blunt the adherence to attempted SED reduction and impact its cardiovascular health benefits. Therefore, the goal of this ancillary study is to test the hypotheses that SED reduction will improve sleep and that the presence of baseline sleep disturbance will reduce the effectiveness of SED reduction efforts. We will test this hypothesis by adding comprehensive sleep assessments to an ongoing randomized clinical trial (NCT03307343) that is examining the effect of SED reduction on BP. In this parent trial, 300 desk workers with elevated BP are randomized to a 3-month multicomponent behavioral intervention aimed at replacing 2-4 hr/day of SED with light-intensity activity or a 3-month no-contact control condition.

Anticipating the ability to enroll 150 participants from the remaining sample of the parent trial (estimated N\~210), we will assess sleep at baseline and post-intervention using 7 nights of wrist-worn actigraphy and 1 night of home-based polysomnography (PSG), yielding objective measures of sleep quality (WASO), total sleep time (TST), OSA severity (apnea-hypopnea index \[AHI\]), and sleep depth (slow-wave sleep \[SWS\]. These data will allow us to efficiently address the following specific aims:

Aim 1: To evaluate the effect of a 3-month SED reduction intervention on objective measures of sleep quality, depth, duration, and OSA severity.

Hypothesis: Participants randomized to the SED reduction intervention will have greater reduction than control participants in actigraphy-assessed WASO (primary outcome \[hypothesis 1.1\]), PSG-assessed AHI and SWS, and greater increase in actigraphy-assessed TST (secondary outcomes \[hypothesis 1.2\]).

Aim 2: To examine the effect of baseline disturbed sleep on SED reduction and BP improvement.

Hypothesis: Intervention-induced reductions in SED (hypothesis 2.1) and BP (hypothesis 2.2) will be smaller among individuals with disturbed sleep (e.g., elevated WASO or AHI) at baseline.

Study Timeline

• Study Start: 2019-05-06
• Study First Submitted: 2019-05-08
• Study First Submitted QC: 2019-05-09
• Study First Posted: 2019-05-10
• Primary Completion: 2022-12-30
• Study Completion: 2022-12-30
• Status Verified: 2023-07
• Last Update Submitted: 2023-07-06
• Last Update Posted: 2023-07-07

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: COMPLETED
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 176

Inclusion Criteria

1. Age 21-65 years
2. SBP of 120-159 mmHg or DBP of 80-99 mmHg
3. Physically inactive or insufficiently active (i.e., not meeting current aerobic MVPA recommendations [≥150 min/wk])
4. Currently perform deskwork for ≥ 20 hr/wk at a desk compatible with a sit-stand desk attachment
5. Employment within 25-mi radius of University of Pittsburgh
6. Stable employment (≥ 3 mo at current job, plan to be in current job for at least the next 3 mo)
7. Supervisor approval to join intervention
8. Possession of cellular phone able to receive text messages

Exclusion Criteria

1. SBP ≥ 160 mmHg or DBP ≥ 100 mmHg
2. Use of anti-hypertensive or glucose-controlling medication
3. Comorbid condition that would limit ability to reduce sedentary behavior (e.g., musculoskeletal condition)
4. History of ischemic heart disease, chronic heart failure, stroke, or chronic kidney disease
5. Inability to obtain consent from primary care provider/physician to participate
6. Current use of a sit-stand desk or sedentary behavior prompting device
7. Current enrollment in a weight loss or exercise program, recent (< 1 yr) or planned bariatric surgery
8. Plans to be away from work for an extended period (>1 wk) during the study period
9. Current or recent (within last 6 mo) pregnancy; current or recent (within last 3 mo) breastfeeding
10. Undiagnosed severe OSA (AHI ≥ 30) or insomnia (ISI ≥ 22)

Study & Design

• Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Design: PARALLEL

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
Behavioral Intervention	Behavioral Intervention	The intervention will use behavioral strategies (self-monitoring, goal setting, problem solving, social support, stimulus control), environment modification (sit-stand attachment), and proximal (activity prompter) and distal (text messages) external prompts to target a 2-4 hour/day reduction in sedentary behavior.

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Change from baseline actigraphic wake after sleep onset (WASO) at 3 months	3 months	Primary outcome for Aim 1: actigraphy-assessed wake after sleep onset, averaged over 7 nights
Change from baseline activPAL-assessed sedentary behavior (SED) at 3 months	3 months	Primary outcome for Aim 2: SED, assessed via activPAL inclinometer, averaged over 7 days
Change from baseline resting systolic blood pressure (SBP) at 3 months	3 months	Primary outcome for Aim 2: resting SBP, measured via oscillometric device following a 10-minute rest averaged over two separate occasions

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Change from baseline total sleep time (TST) at 3 months	3 months	Secondary outcome for Aim 1: actigraphy-assessed TST, averaged over 7 nights
Change from baseline 24-hour blood pressure at 3 months	3 months	Secondary outcome for Aim 2: blood pressure, assessed by an ambulatory monitor during a workday and overnight for 24 hours total
Change from baseline apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) at 3 months	3 months	Secondary outcome for Aim 1: polysomnography-assessed AHI, assessed over 1 night of home-based recording
Change from baseline slow-wave sleep (SWS) at 3 months	3 months	Secondary outcome for Aim 1: polysomnography-assessed slow-wave sleep, assessed over 1 night of home-based recording
Change from baseline pulse wave velocity (PWV) at 3 months	3 months	Secondary outcome for Aim 2: carotid-femoral and carotid-radial PWV, assessed via tonometry following a 10-minute rest

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

University of Pittsburgh Physical Activity and Weight Management Research Center; 🇺🇸 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States