A RCT of Walking With Positive Education in Retired Elders

Not Applicable

Completed

• Conditions: Happiness; Exercise; Educational Problems
• Interventions: Behavioral: pedometer walking; Behavioral: Pedometer walking with training; Behavioral: Pedometer walking training and positive education

• Registration Number: NCT03607877
• Lead Sponsor: National Defense Medical Center, Taiwan

Brief Summary

Three arms of experimental design were used: Pedometer walking training (PWT), positive education and pedometer walking training (PEPWT), and pedometer walking (PW). Trained walking exercise was provided by a physical education expert three times per week, 45 minutes per session. Positive education was designed and led by a licensed psychologist. Six sessions of activities targeted participants' self-strength, competence and self-efficacy in walking exercise; positive relations with others; and positive emotions about life and healthy lifestyle. Of 150 participants, 60, 60 and 30 were randomly assigned to PWT, PEPWT, and PW, respectively. Demographic information, Chinese Happiness Inventory (CHI), regular walking exercise and six-minute walking distance were assessed before and after the intervention.

Detailed Description

Randomization (allocation ratio 2:2:1) was stratified to three arms: pedometer walking (PW), pedometer walking with training (PWT), and positive education and pedometer walking with training (PEPWT). Randomization was conducted using opaque envelops and a randomly generated number sequence by an independent research assistant who had no prior knowledge of the recruited elders. Researchers allocated participants to their treatment condition based on the randomization code in the sealed envelope (opened in order of sequence). Researchers were not blind to the patients' treatment allocation.

Study Timeline

• Study Start: 2010-09-01
• Primary Completion: 2012-03-06
• Study Completion: 2012-06-30
• Status Verified: 2018-07
• Study First Submitted: 2018-07-13
• Study First Submitted QC: 2018-07-30
• Last Update Submitted: 2018-07-30
• Study First Posted: 2018-07-31
• Last Update Posted: 2018-07-31

Recruitment & Eligibility

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

Inclusion Criteria

• Inclusion criteria included being retired from work and being at least 55 years old.

Exclusion Criteria

• Elders who had cardiovascular disease, who were unable to walk, who had dementia or psychiatric disease, who already exercised regularly, or who were unwilling to sign the consent form were excluded from the study.

Study & Design

• Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Design: PARALLEL

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
pedometer walking (PW)	pedometer walking	15 minutes of warm-up activities, 30 minutes of walking, and 10 minutes to cool down for 3 months.
pedometer walking with training (PWT)	Pedometer walking with training	15 minutes of warm-up activities, 30 minutes of walking, and 10 minutes to cool down. Exercise intensity for the first four weeks was 50-55% heart rate reserve (HRR) with training for 3 months.
positive education and walking (PEPWT)	Pedometer walking training and positive education	PEPWT: 15 minutes of warm-up activities, 30 minutes of walking, and 10 minutes to cool down for 3 months and six sessions of positive education.

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Cardiovascular fitness	3 months	Cardiovascular fitness was calculated by using the six-minute walk test (6MWT) which measures the distance an individual is able to walk over a total of six minutes on a hard, flat surface and has been suggested as a useful outcome tool (Du, Newton, Salamonson, Carrieri-Kohlman, \& Davidson, 2009). The goal is for the individual to walk as far as possible in six minutes. The individual is allowed to self-pace and rest as needed as they traverse back and forth along a marked walkway. The 6MWT has been used to detect changes following interventions to improve exercise tolerance for healthy older adults (Troosters, Gosselink, \& Decramer, 1999).
Chinese Happiness Inventory	3 months	Chinese Happiness Inventory (CHI). The CHI 20-item version has been widely used to measure individual well-being in Chinese culture (Lu \& Shih, 1997; Chiang, Lin, \& Lee, 2016). Each statement represents a different level of happiness, ranging from 0 (very dissatisfied) to 3 (very satisfied). CHI score is the sum of 20 items. The higher the score is, the higher the psychological well-being is. CHI has high validity and reliability (Lu \& Shih, 1997; Chiang, Lin, \& Lee, 2016).