the tlc2 (teaching healthy lifestyles to caregivers 2)/calm (counseling advice for lifestyle management) study

Conditions: Health Behavior; Psychological Stress; Healthy

Summary: the purpose of this study is to evaluate the effects of a 12-month telephone-supervised, home-based physical activity and dietary intervention, conducted in either a sequential or simultaneous fashion, on improving physical activity and dietary patterns in a high-stress population.

this study combines elements of two previous studies--teaching healthy lifestyles for caregivers (tlc2) and counseling advice for lifestyle management (calm)--to compare exercise and diet interventions in caregivers and non-caregivers. two hundred and forty healthy men and women ages 50 and older, half caregivers and half non-caregivers, will be randomly assigned to one of four conditions: * a 12-month physical activity intervention and a 12-month dietary counseling intervention delivered simultaneously; * a 12-month counseling intervention first focusing on physical activity followed by the addition of dietary counseling; * a 12-month counseling intervention first focusing on dietary counseling followed by the addition of physical activity counseling; or * a 12-month attention-control condition focusing on stress-management skills training. data on physical activity participation, saturated fat consumption, and related quality of life indicators (e.g., improved physical functioning, fitness, sleep, and psychological well-being) will be collected at baseline, 4 months, 8 months, and 12 months post-test. the primary hypotheses are: * participants assigned to the physical activity and dietary counseling conditions will show greater improvements in physical activity participation and saturated fat consumption at 12 months compared to the attention-control condition; and * participants in the sequentially-delivered counseling interventions will show greater improvements in physical activity and saturated fat consumption compared to participants in the simultaneously-delivered interventions.

Eligibility criteria:
inclusion criteria: * men and women ages 50 and older * current family caregiver * currently experiencing significant psychological stress * free of any medical condition that would limit participation in independent exercise * not currently engaged in a regular pattern of physical conditioning * current dietary pattern includes suboptimal total fat, saturated fat and vegetable and fruit consumption * free of chronic clinical psychopathology * stable on current medications * planning to remain in the geographic area throughout the duration of the trial * able to read and speak english sufficiently to understand protocol materials * able to use the telephone unaided * willing to accept random assignment to any study condition exclusion criteria: * under the age of 50 * currently under treatment for an acute, serious medical condition (e.g. cancer, heart disease, stroke) * physically active on a regular basis (i.e. performing more than 60 minutes per week of aerobic physical activity of at least a moderate intensity) * dietary patterns meet current recommendations for saturated fat and vegetable and fruit consumption * unstable and/or uncontrolled on medications for chronic medical conditions * unable or unwilling to use a telephone unaided * unwilling to accept random assignment to study condition

Keywords: healthy caregivers aging