A Mobile Intervention to Reduce Pain and Improve Health (MORPH)
Condition: Chronic Pain; Obesity; Sedentary Lifestyle
MeSH terms: Chronic Pain
Study type: Interventional

Summary: 
      Chronic pain contributes to declining health and function in older adults; effects that are
      intensified by obesity and sedentary (sitting) behavior. The purpose of this study is to
      develop and test a novel, patient-centered intervention to reduce pain and improve physical
      function in older, obese adults. The study will utilize a combination of telephone based
      coaching and smartphone tools to deliver this novel intervention to decrease both body weight
      and sitting behavior. The long-term goals of this project are to test the efficacy of the
      intervention and to develop it as a tool for clinicians to provide outside-of-clinic
      patient-centered support for overweight/obese older adults with chronic pain.
    

Detailed description: 
      Chronic pain has emerged as an urgent age-related health issue that significantly effects
      physical functioning and quality of life, with the unfavorable effects worsened by both
      obesity and sedentary behavior. The annual cost of pain in the United States is nearly 30%
      higher than the combined costs of cancer and diabetes. In 2016, the NIH called for a National
      Pain Strategy to: 1) expand non-pharmacological treatment options in older adults, who are
      particularly susceptible to the side effects of opioid and other pain medications; 2) develop
      accessible treatments that are tailored to individuals; and 3) increase the development of
      self-management programs for chronic pain. The purpose of this R-21 is to develop and test
      the feasibility and acceptability of a novel, patient-centered intervention to reduce chronic
      pain and improve physical functioning in older adults, leveraging the combination of
      telecoaching and individually-adaptive mHealth tools to decrease both body mass and sedentary
      behavior. A pilot randomized controlled trial will be conducted to provide initial evidence
      for effect sizes (pain and physical function) associated with the proposed intervention, and
      to estimate the sample size needed for a full scale randomized controlled trial design that
      compares the effects of the intervention versus usual care on pain ratings and physical
      function in overweight/obese older adults with chronic pain.
    

Intervention name(s): MORPH
Intervention type(s): Behavioral
Intervention description(s): Participants will engage in 12 weekly group coaching sessions discussion behavioral approaches to pain management, weight loss, and daily physical activity. The first three sessions (i.e., weeks 1 - 3) will occur in-person, and the remaining 9 will take place via telephone. All intervention participants will receive access to an activity monitor, smart scale, and smartphone app that aims to provide support for daily physical activity and weight loss.
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: None (Open Label)
Primary purpose: Treatment
Keywords: Older Adults; Physical Activity; MORPH; Telecoaching; mHealth; Weight Loss; Sedentary Behavior; Pain; Design; RCT; Randomized Controlled Trial