Tweet4Wellness: An Online Virtual Support Group for Promoting Increased Physical Activity

Study Overview
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Brief Summary
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The purpose of this study is to determine whether a Twitter-based intervention with a private, online support group can significantly increase number of walking steps compared to self-monitoring of physical activity alone or a control group in sedentary women at a women's heart clinic.

Detailed Description
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Sedentary behavior is a risk factor for heart disease, independent of meeting physical activity guidelines. Tweet4Wellness is an innovative light physical activity, specifically walking, intervention which randomly assigns participants to a 25-person private, online support group that will receive daily, theory-based messages as peer-to-peer discussion prompts. Many text-based interventions do not base the intervention text messages in behavior change theory, but this study will base the daily messages in the behavior change theories such as implementation intentions, social support, mindfulness, and social learning theory. The trial will be conducted over a 6-month periods. For the first 3 months, there will be 2 groups: Group 1 will receive the Twitter intervention and a Fitbit triaxial pedometer to track their steps throughout the day; Group 2 will receive the Fitbit pedometer only. For the second 3 months: Group 1 an Group 2 will track their physical activity with Fitbit only.

Official Title
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Tweet4Wellness: An Online Virtual Support Group for Promoting Increased Physical Activity

Conditions
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Physical Activity, Social Media

Intervention / Treatment
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* Behavioral: Tweet4Wellness
* Behavioral: Self-monitoring


Participation Criteria
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Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria: Are a woman Are over 18 years of age Are English speaking Have or are willing to purchase a mobile phone with a camera Have or are willing to purchase an unlimited text plan Are willing to participate in daily tweets or texts for up to 3 months Have an active email account Have internet access on your mobile phone Use or are familiar with Facebook, Twitter, or other social media Text at least weekly Exclusion Criteria: Have certain symptoms or conditions that would not be conducive to increasing your physical activity as determined by your physician Are planning on becoming pregnant in the next 8 months If our screening survey indicates that you are already adequately physically active Do not provide all required personal contact information

Ages Eligible for Study
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Minimum Age: 18 Years

Sexes Eligible for Study
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Female

Accepts Healthy Volunteers
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Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Study Plan
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How is the study designed?
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Design Details

Primary Purpose: Prevention
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: None (Open Label)


Arms and Interventions

| Participant Group/Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
| --- | --- |
| Experimental: Group 1: Tweet4Wellness+Self-monitoring<br>This group will receive the Tweet4Wellness intervention: daily theory-based peer-to-peer discussion prompt within the private Twitter-based support group for the entire 6 months of the study. They will also receive the Fitbit triaxial pedometer that will track their daily steps (self-monitoring component). | Behavioral: Tweet4Wellness<br>* A daily, behavior change theory-based intervention message is sent to a private, 25-person online Twitter-support group to prompt peer-to-peer discussion. Participants receive individual text messages to encourage group participation (e.g. 'thank you for participating' or 'please participate tomorrow'). Participants also receive weekly individual messages giving them daily step goals for the week based on their previous week's daily step average, recorded from Fitbit.<br>Behavioral: Self-monitoring<br>* A Fitbit is provided to the group which tracks participants' daily steps.<br>|
| Active Comparator: Group 2: Self-monitoring<br>This group will receive the Fitbit triaxial pedometer that will track their daily steps (self-monitoring component) for the first 3 months. For the second three months of the study, they will receive the Tweet4Wellness intervention in addition to their Fitbit self-monitoring. | Behavioral: Self-monitoring<br>* A Fitbit is provided to the group which tracks participants' daily steps.<br>|

What is the study measuring?
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Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Change in steps (physical activity) | Steps measured by triaxial accelerometer | Baseline to 3 months and 6 months | 

Secondary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Support Group Engagement during the intervention | Measured by # of Tweets per day sent to the group | 3 months | 
| average length of prolonged sedentary periods per day | average length of uninterrupted sedentary periods per day over a seven day period | baseline to 3 months and 6 months | 

 Terms related to the study
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Keywords Provided by Centre Hospitalier Valida
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Twitter, social support, internet intervention, sedentary lifestyle, walking, behavior change