First-time Parents Physical Activity Intervention
Condition: Physical Activity
Study type: Interventional

Summary: 
      This study will be investigating whether a theory-based physical activity intervention can
      maintain/improve moderate to vigorous intensity physical activity measured via accelerometry
      of new parents over the eight months of having a child compared to a control group of new
      parents.

      Hypothesis: The theory-based condition will change salient underlying motives (theory of
      planned behaviour constructs) for physical activity. Health-related fitness and quality of
      life will also be higher for this condition in comparison to the control condition. (Note:
      improvements in both groups of mothers may occur due to recovery from pregnancy, but our
      hypotheses will still hold). All outcomes will remain significantly higher at eight months in
      the theory-based condition compared to the standard condition
    

Detailed description: 
      Clearly the prevention of chronic disease through physical activity promotion is an important
      research area. Identifying critical life transitions in people's physical activity behaviours
      may illuminate the most opportune intervention apertures for chronic disease prevention. A
      substantive evidence base now indicates that parenthood is one of these critical transition
      points for physical activity decline. Our proposed study will examine whether a brief,
      theory-based, and cost-effective intervention can help maintain/improve the physical activity
      behaviours of new parents in their first eight months of the parenthood experience. The study
      represents the first couple-based physical activity initiative in the parenthood literature;
      prior research has only focused on mothers and has shown short-term changes in physical
      activity that return to baseline levels after approximately one month. In light of the
      potential for couples to provide important sources of social support for the other parent
      within the household, it would seem remiss not to consider parenting interventions that are
      directed and evaluated at the dyadic level. Furthermore, couple-based interventions in other
      populations and other health behaviour domains have been shown as more effective than
      individual-level intervention. The long-term impact of this study, if the results support our
      hypotheses, has utility to prevent or curb the decline of physical activity habits based on
      our findings. This research has the clear potential to be applied to population-level
      knowledge translation sources such as prenatal classes, physician offices, and other early
      parent learning/counselling avenues.

      Parents will be measured at baseline (2 months post partum) with two assessment points at six
      weeks (3.5 months post partum) and three months (5 months post partum) and a final follow-up
      assessment six months later (8 months post partum). The content of the theory-based
      intervention was derived from the results of our prior CDA and SSHRC-funded longitudinal
      trial of new parents using the theory of planned behaviour to predict changes in physical
      activity, the content used in prior pilot-level studies that has already been successful in
      changing short-term physical activity in mothers 26-30, and the content of our current
      CIHR-funded study of physical activity goal planning.

      Primary Research Question

      1) Does the theory-based condition improve adherence to regular physical activity among new
      parents when compared to those in the control condition at eight months after the birth of
      their first child? Hypothesis: Adherence will be higher for parents in the theory-based
      condition in comparison to parents in the control condition after controlling for possible
      confounds. The adherence effect may wane over time from the initial measurement period of two
      months after the onset of parenthood but all outcomes will remain significantly higher at
      eight months.

      Secondary Research Questions

        1. Does the theory-based condition improve motivational, health-related quality of life,
           and health-related fitness outcomes among new parents when compared to those in the
           control condition at eight months after the onset of parenthood? Hypothesis: The
           theory-based condition will change salient underlying motives (theory of planned
           behaviour constructs) for physical activity because its basis is from the key results of
           our prior longitudinal trial of new parents. Health-related fitness and quality of life,
           will also be higher for this condition in comparison to the control condition,
           (footnote: improvements in both groups of mothers may occur due to recovery from
           pregnancy, but our hypotheses will still hold). All outcomes will remain significantly
           higher at eight months in the theory-based condition compared to the standard physical
           activity education group.

        2. Can group differences among new parents with regard to these motivational, behavioural,
           and health-related fitness outcomes be explained through a mediation model?

           Hypothesis: The covariance of the assigned conditions (theory-based, standard) on
           adherence will be explained by changes in the salient underlying motives for physical
           activity (i.e., manipulation check). In turn, the covariance between these salient
           underlying motives and health-related outcomes will be explained by physical activity
           adherence among conditions.

        3. Can motivational variables predict adherence? Do these differ by condition?

           Hypothesis: The approach will test Ajzen's 39 theory of planned behavior. Affective
           attitude and perceived behavioural control will predict intention, intention will
           predict adherence across conditions similar to our prior study with this population 41.

        4. Is there a seasonal, initial physical activity status, mental health or gender
           difference across primary outcomes by assigned condition?

      Hypothesis: No differences in gender or season are hypothesized based on our lack of evidence
      in the prior trial41, but these are exploratory research questions because there is limited
      research at present to make any definitive statement. The examination of whether the
      intervention affects maintenance or increases in baseline physical activity via
      stratification of baseline values will also be explored as will the assessment of baseline
      depression and anxiety.

      Recruitment: We began feasibility recruitment and procedures last year in order to establish
      our protocol, and pilot our intervention material. Based on this feasibility study,
      participant recruitment is being achieved with both active (pregnancy class visits) and
      passive recruitment techniques (notice of research and poster). The active recruitment is
      being conducted through community organizations offering prenatal classes and programming for
      first-time parents. The project coordinator and research assistants associated with this
      project are the main point of contact for potential participants. Organizations are contacted
      by the research coordinator and asked if they are interested in giving 10 minutes of time
      (prenatal class, workshop).
    

Intervention name(s): Theory-based group
Intervention type(s): Behavioral
Intervention description(s): Workbooks and mini-counselling sessions will be provided to participants in this group.
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: Single (Participant)
Primary purpose: Prevention
Keywords: physical; activity; exercise; new-parents; intervention; theory-based