Movement-Oriented Behavioral Activation (MOBA) to Reduce Stationary Behavior

Overview. The study uses randomized waitlist-control design. We propose to randomly assign half of participants to (a) 10 weeks of MOBA intervention, and half of participants to (b) a 10-week waitlist, followed by 10 weeks of MOBA.

Intervention. MOBA is adapted from established protocols to integrate traditional behavioral activation (BA) principles with strategies to incorporate values-based, goal-directed movement into daily routines. The BA content of MOBA is adapted from co-investigator Dr. Smoski's intervention Behavioral Activation Therapy for Anhedonia (BATA). MOBA reduces depression-related content relative to BATA and increases focus on values that engage individuals in movement-related activity. MOBA is designed as a group intervention to leverage the reward value of social contact, and the positive influence of group problem-solving and accountability on behavior change. MOBA preserves the principles and general sequence of sessions used in BATA, but incorporates movement-oriented content: (a) provide psychoeducation about risks of physical inactivity, behavioral barriers to activity, and rationale for the treatment approach; (b) explore personal values, non-stationary, movement-oriented activities that support those values, and a hierarchical plan for goal attainment; (c) identify and assign weekly activities related to the valued goals; (d) address common barriers to engagement with valued activities including avoidance, low behavioral initiation, and an overemphasis on felt motivation as a prerequisite for action; and (e) monitor, support, and reward achieving behavioral goals. Content unique to MOBA includes: 1) demonstration and participation in physical activities that provide alternatives to stationary behavior, including select activities used in a previous study with the Dining Services cohort (e.g., stairs, body-weight squats, knee raises), and 2) generation of person-centered strategies for integrating movement-oriented activities into daily routines across the three domains of the Behavior Settings Model: 1) workplace sitting/prolonged standing, 2) screen-focused home activities, 3) time spent sitting in automobiles. Weeks 1-4 address topics a-c; weeks 5-12 address topics d-e. MOBA will be facilitated by a clinician (Dr. Potter) and a wellness educator (Dr. Tittle), who will be trained on the MOBA treatment manual. The facilitators' role is to provide teaching, support, encouragement, and guidance throughout the intervention. Weekly sessions will take place in a dedicated conference room near the workplace, during the last hour of the workday (4-5 pm), and is counted as paid time at work.