Interactive Technologies to Increase Exercise Behavior
Condition: Cardiovascular Disease
MeSH terms: Cardiovascular Diseases
Study type: Interventional
Phase: Phase 1/Phase 2

Summary: 
      The purpose of this study is to examine if an individually tailored Internet intervention is
      more efficacious than an individually tailored print-based intervention and standard Internet
      intervention for physical activity adoption and maintenance among sedentary adults.
    

Detailed description: 
      As many as 75% of Americans do not engage in regular physical activity and 25% are completely
      inactive. The risk of cardiovascular disease is almost doubled among people who are
      physically inactive, comparable to the risk associated with increased systolic blood
      pressure, cigarette smoking, and elevated serum cholesterol. To make an impact on physical
      activity prevalence at the population level, research must focus at the interface between
      clinical efficacy trials and large-scale dissemination studies. Studies at this interface
      must compare proven interventions with new innovations that have the potential to reach large
      numbers of sedentary Americans.

      The objective of this study is to determine the differential effect of intervention delivery
      channel (Tailored Internet versus Tailored Print) on physical activity adoption and
      maintenance in previously sedentary adults. To our knowledge, no studies have examined the
      efficacy of a Tailored Internet-based physical activity intervention. Thus, we will conduct a
      randomized controlled clinical trial comparing three groups, 1) Internet-based
      motivationally-tailored individualized feedback (Tailored Internet); 2) print-based
      motivationally-tailored individualized feedback which has previously shown to be efficacious
      (Tailored Print); and 3) websites currently available to the public (Standard Internet
      comparison group). Two hundred and forty healthy, sedentary women and men ages 18-65 will be
      randomly assigned to one of the three groups. The Tailored Internet and Tailored Print arms
      will be matched on frequency and content of contact. Data will be collected at baseline, 6,
      and 12 months using well-established physical activity and physical performance measures, as
      well as a comprehensive set of psychosocial questionnaires. Our primary hypothesis is that
      individuals randomized to the Tailored Internet arm will exhibit significantly higher levels
      of physical activity participation at 6 and 12 months than individuals in the Tailored Print
      arm due to the enhanced capabilities of the Internet (e.g., immediacy of feedback and
      enhanced graphics). And, in addition, subjects randomized to the Tailored Internet or
      Tailored Print conditions will exhibit significantly higher levels of physical activity
      participation at 6 and 12 months than those in the Standard Internet comparison condition.
      Other questions of interest will include an examination of potential moderators and mediators
      of the intervention-physical activity relationship. This study will contribute important
      information regarding the relative efficacy of Internet and print-based interventions, each
      of which can be utilized for widespread public health dissemination.
    

Intervention name(s): Internet and print-based interventions
Intervention type(s): Behavioral
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention model: Single Group Assignment
Masking: None (Open Label)
Primary purpose: Treatment
Keywords: Exercise; Internet; Print; Randomized Controlled Trial; Exercise Intervention