Exercise Behavior Among Young Adults Study
Condition: Physical Activity
Study type: Interventional

Summary: 
      The rate of adult obesity in the United States has increased more than two times since 1970,
      and the rate of child-teen obesity has increased by four times. One of the antecedents of
      obesity is an inactive lifestyle. Exercise has been known to be associated with increases in
      both physical and mental health by increasing longevity, preventing risk of obesity, coronary
      heart disease, and hypertension, and increasing self-esteem and overall quality of life. The
      broad aim of the current study is to investigate the effectiveness of psychoeducational
      training to increase exercise activity initiation and maintenance in young adults.

      The goal of this study is to compare three training approaches for college students to
      increase exercise behavior. One approach provides general information on the different types
      of exercises and benefits of engaging in exercise behavior after an initial questionnaire
      assessment session. A second approach includes the general exercise information and
      questionnaire assessment as well as training on how to create specific goal intentions (i.e.,
      implementation intentions) to aid in exercise initiation. A third approach uses all the
      components of the second approach but also tests the utility of a personality-informed module
      by incorporating concepts from the theory of learned industriousness. It is expected that the
      third approach will be the most effective in helping participants initiate and maintain their
      exercise activities during the course of the study duration.
    

Detailed description: 
      The aims of the study (mentioned in the Brief Summary) will be addressed using a 6-month
      multi-wave assessment of approximately 200 college students. Participants will be randomly
      assigned to one of the three approaches once it is determined they meet study criteria.
      Random assignment will occur when the participants are scheduled for the first session.

      All participants will partake in three group sessions. The first session will take
      approximately 2 hours to complete. The second and third sessions will be scheduled 2 and 6
      months after the first session and will take approximately 45 minutes each to complete.

      In the initial session for the first approach, the group session will include discussion of
      what constitutes regular physical activity and benefits of exercise and basic tips on the
      activity itself. Guidelines for prescribing suggested exercises will be based on
      recommendations from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services as well as risks
      associated with exercise and how they can be reduced.

      In the initial session for the second approach, the group session will include discussion of
      all the components from the first approach, but with more emphasis on how to create
      implementation intentions. Discussions will revolve around possible barriers to exercise
      plans and how to overcome those barriers by making specific plans of when and where to
      exercise, along with designating which types of exercises they will perform and for how long
      (or how many repetitions).

      In the initial session for the third approach, the group session will include discussion of
      all the components from the second approach as well as include findings on industriousness.
      Participants will be directed to think about and generate solutions to how they can become
      more industrious despite the difficulties they may face and relate these solutions to help
      them engage in more exercise behavior.

      For all approaches, participants will complete questionnaires regarding aspects of their
      personality, attitudes regarding exercise, beliefs about the positive and negative effects of
      exercise, confidence in engaging in exercise despite barriers, and current levels of
      exercise. Participants' body mass index will also be measured. All participants will be given
      an exercise booklet tailored to their respective approaches to record their exercise behavior
      during the three weeks following the initial session. They will also be loaned a pedometer
      that will be used to track their overall daily activities for the same three-week period.
      Participants in the third approach will also receive booster contacts (to encourage them to
      think about their efforts and monitoring of physical activity) every two weeks starting after
      the three-week tracking period until their six-month follow up (total of 11 booster
      contacts).

      The first session will be video and audio recorded to check on and ensure presentation
      consistency. At the end of the first session, participants will be given a post-session
      survey to gauge how well materials were presented and to determine how much information
      participants felt they gained from the session. When participants return their daily exercise
      diaries and pedometers, they will also complete a condensed set of measures (similar to those
      in the first session) to track any changes experienced during the three-week tracking period.

      For the 2- and 6-month follow-up sessions, participants in all approaches will complete the
      same questionnaires as in the initial session and have their body mass index measured.

      Power analyses conducted via G*Power, 3.1.6 indicated that 159 participants will be needed to
      detect an effect size of F of 0.25 with alpha error probability at 0.05 and power at 1-Β
      =.80. Oversampling by 25% will occur to account for possible attrition from the study,
      thereby making the target N = 200.
    

Intervention name(s): Exercise info; Implementation intentions; Industriousness; pedometer
Intervention type(s): Other; Other; Other; Device
Intervention description(s): Discussion:
benefits of exercise
types of exercise
exercise guidelines
components of an exercise session
how to reduce risk of injuries; Discussion of:
barriers to exercise and how to address/overcome barriers
how to create detailed exercise plans; Discussion of:
realistic monitoring of efforts related to exercise
reaching and pushing past thresholds for sustained effort for exercise
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: None (Open Label)
Primary purpose: Other