A Social Media Game to Increase Physical Activity Among Older Adult Women
Trial Snapshot
- Phase
- Not Applicable
- Status
- Completed
- Enrollment
- 300
- Locations
- 2
- Primary Endpoint
- Walking physical activity as measured by daily steps at 12 months
Study Overview
Brief Summary
This study will test the effects of a social media game on the physical activity of older adult women. The game will consist of playful weekly challenges that require sharing photographs on a private social media group and also wearing an activity monitor to track steps. Participants will be randomized to this game group or to receive the activity monitor only.
Detailed Description
Older adult women are at risk for negative health impacts of physical inactivity, but current strategies to increase their activity have had disappointing long-term results. The intervention tested in this study seeks to test an innovative intervention that targets older womens' perceptions of enjoyment and their personal identity and values. The investigators will test the efficacy of a 12-month social media-based physical activity intervention for sedentary older adult women. Participants will be randomized to receive a standard Fitbit-only intervention or to an enhanced Fitbit + weekly social challenges intervention. The investigators hypothesize that participants in the enhanced intervention will demonstrate greater increases in autonomous regulation and objectively-measured steps as compared to those in the standard intervention. The investigators will also measure outcomes after a 6 month maintenance period (18 months after beginning the intervention). Additional outcomes will include engagement with the social network and self-reported playful experiences.
Study Design
- Study Type
- Interventional
- Allocation
- Randomized
- Intervention Model
- Parallel
- Primary Purpose
- Treatment
- Masking
- Single (Outcomes Assessor)
Eligibility Criteria
- Ages
- 65 Years to 85 Years (Older Adult)
- Sex
- Female
- Accepts Healthy Volunteers
- Yes
Inclusion Criteria
- •Age between 65 and 85
- •Able to read and understand English
- •Willingness to be randomized to any condition
- •Daily availability of an iOS or Android mobile device that is capable of taking and sending photos
- •Willingness to use a private Facebook group
- •Sufficient internet access to post photos to Facebook at least once per week
- •Having an existing Facebook account or willingness to create one
Exclusion Criteria
- •Unable to find transportation to the study location
- •Unable to walk for exercise (self-report)
- •Walk <475 meters in 6 minute walk test during baseline assessment
- •Stroke, hip fracture, hip or knee replacement, or spinal surgery in the past 6 months
- •Participant answered "yes" to any question on the PAR-Q+ and does not provide a doctor's note giving permission to begin a physical activity program
- •Self-reported weekly PA ≥ 150 minutes
- •BMI under 18 or over 40
- •Participant reports psychological issues that would interfere with study completion. Examples will be provided to illustrate potential psychological issues, such as dementia or schizophrenia.
- •Participant plans to move away from the Galveston-Houston area or to be out of town for more than 2 weeks at a time during the study period
- •Clinical judgment concerning safety
- •Currently participating in an organized commercial or research physical activity program
- •Uses a wearable activity monitor other than a simple pedometer and is unwilling to stop during the trial
- •Another member of the household is a participant or staff member on this trial
Arms & Interventions
Social media game
Private Facebook group with weekly walking challenges, Fitbit wearable activity monitor, and brief counseling
Intervention: Social media game (Behavioral)
Standard self-regulation
Fitbit wearable activity monitor and brief counseling
Intervention: Standard self-regulation (Behavioral)
Outcomes
Primary Outcomes
Walking physical activity as measured by daily steps at 12 months
Time Frame: Baseline to 12 months
Mean of daily steps taken from accelerometers worn for a 7 day period
Secondary Outcomes
- Intrinsic regulation(Baseline to 6 months)
- Autonomous regulation(Baseline to 6 months)
- Basic psychological needs(Baseline to 6 months)
- Physical activity as measured by minutes of moderate-vigorous intensity physical activity at 6 months(Baseline to 6 months)
- Walking physical activity as measured by daily steps at 6 months(Baseline to 6 months)
- Integrated regulation(Baseline to 6 months)
- Physical activity as measured by minutes of moderate-vigorous intensity physical activity at 12 months(Baseline to 12 months)
- Physical activity as measured by minutes of moderate-vigorous intensity physical activity at 18 months(Baseline to 18 months)
- Walking physical activity as measured by daily steps at 18 months(Baseline to 18 months)