Web-based Aftercare Intervention for Cardiac Patients
Condition: CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASES; HEART DISEASES
MeSH terms: Cardiovascular Diseases; Heart Diseases
Study type: Interventional

Summary: 
      Persons undergoing cardiac rehabilitation often have difficulties transferring the learned
      health behaviors into their daily routine which decreases their health status. Computer-based
      tailored interventions have been shown to be effective in increasing physical activity as
      well as fruit and vegetable consumption. The aim of this study is, to support people in
      transferring these two learned behavior changes and their antecedents into their daily life
      after cardiac rehabilitation in Germany, the Netherlands and China. The primary goal of the
      study is to analyze the effectiveness of a rehabilitation aftercare program with regard to
      the level of physical activity and nutrition.
    

Detailed description: 
      For cardiac patients, medical rehabilitation after severe medical incidents (e.g., bypass
      surgery, heart attack, heart failure) is a central part in the recovery process. Health
      behavior change is an important subject within rehabilitation, and patients have to learn how
      to improve their eating habits and increase their physical activity. Back home, the adoption,
      maintenance and transfer into daily life of the behavior change is difficult. Until now it is
      unclear how such a complex behavior change actually takes place and how it can be supported
      effectively. On basis of theoretical assumptions (health action process approach, HAPA,
      Schwarzer, 1992, and compen¬satory carry-over action model, CCAM, Lippke, 2010) multiple
      behavior change will be observed and supported in an online intervention. To its effects, an
      intervention will be provided firstly targeting physical activity, secondly nutrition and
      compared with a waiting-list control group. Furthermore, very little is known about
      intercultural differences and therefore will be tested with rehabilitation patients with
      various cultural backgrounds. This all will be archived in the study RENATA.

      RENATA is an online based intervention for post-rehabilitative medical care, with the aim to
      integrate skills and behavior patterns, which were gained during the rehabilitation, into
      daily life of the participants. The goal is to maintain learning results for a long period of
      time, improve rehabilitation effects at a sustained basis and support the return to the labor
      market i.e. to work. The objective of this research project is to increase the
      self-regulatory abilities of participants to the extent that they are able to be regularly
      and autonomously physically active and eat healthy, so that they will increase their quality
      of life and become resilient.

      Due to the fact that there is only a limited number of evaluated programs, the present
      research project has the aim (1) to offer such a program and to test the effectiveness.
      Moreover, compared on an international level it will be considered (2) if such an aftercare
      program helps participants equally in different countries with rehabilitation systems varying
      in intensity. This question will be investigated by comparing Germany, the Netherlands and
      China. Due to the demographic changes, there are rising numbers of older employees in the
      labor market who will and should be kept in. Within this context, the last research aim is
      (3) to examine age effects in detail: Is it possible to determine age-specific differences in
      the effectiveness of the different interventions?
    

Intervention name(s): self-regulation
Intervention type(s): Behavioral
Intervention description(s): Web-based support for behavior change regarding physical activity and fruit & vegetable consumption
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: Single (Participant)
Primary purpose: Prevention
Keywords: medical rehabilitation; aftercare; multiple health behavior change; diet; physical activity; computer; international study; ETHNOPSYCHOLOGY; HABIT; HEALTH; eHealth; eLearning