AgingPLUS: Promoting Physical Activity in Adults

Study Overview
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Brief Summary
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This study examines the efficacy of a psycho-educational intervention program, AgingPLUS, with regard to increasing middle-aged and older adults' engagement in physical activity.

Detailed Description
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AgingPLUS is a multi-component intervention program that addresses negative views of aging (NVOA), low internal control beliefs, and deficient goal planning as a risk cluster that keeps adults from engaging in health-promoting behavior. The program focuses on engagement in physical activity (PA) as the health behavior of choice. Engagement in PA is widely recognized as the best non-pharmacological, non-invasive, and cost-effective method of health promotion. Yet, only 20% of the adult population meets the recommended PA guidelines. This suggests that messages about the benefits of PA alone are not effective. Rather, it is essential to address the social-cognitive and motiva-tional mechanisms that prevent adults from adopting and maintaining a regular PA regimen. NVOA, low internal control beliefs, and deficient goal planning represent such a cluster of social-cognitive and motivational mechanisms. Given this background, the specific aims and hypotheses of the proposed research are: Aim 1: To conduct a randomized controlled trial examining the efficacy of the AgingPLUS program. Aim 2: To test a conceptual model of the mechanisms underlying the intervention effects. Aim 3: To conduct a 6-month follow-up to examine the longer-term effects of AgingPLUS. Upon completion of this project, we expect to have successfully established evidence for the efficacy of the AgingPLUS program (Stage II of the NIH Stage Mode). The long-term goal is to develop AgingPLUS into a full-fledged evidence-based program that can be implemented in community settings (e.g., senior centers), and can serve as a fairly brief and cost-effective public health tool to promote healthy and successful aging.

Official Title
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Testing Psychological Mechanisms to Promote Physical Activity in Adults

Conditions
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Physical Activity

Intervention / Treatment
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* Behavioral: AgingPLUS
* Behavioral: Active Control Group


Participation Criteria
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Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria: Adults who engage in less than 60 minutes of PA per week and who intend starting a physical exercise program. English speaking. Willingness to be randomized to one of two programs. Willingness to take part in the physical fitness tests and wear an accelerometer. Willingness to commit to follow-up testing (i.e., not moving out of the area during the study period). Physician clearance to take part in a submaximal exercise test and to begin an exercise program. Exclusion Criteria: Signs of cognitive decline (defined as more than 4 errors on the Short Portable Mental Status Questionnaire). Severe vision and/or hearing loss (obtained by self-report). Serious problems with mobility. A history of neurological, mental, or substance abuse disorders.

Ages Eligible for Study
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Minimum Age: 45 Years
Maximum Age: 75 Years

Sexes Eligible for Study
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All

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: Basic Science
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment
Interventional Model Description: The study has an active treatment group and an active control group
Masking: Triple


Arms and Interventions

| Participant Group/Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
| --- | --- |
| Experimental: Active Treatment Group<br>This group will get the AgingPLUS intervention program which addresses negative views on aging, low internal control beliefs, and deficient goal planning skills. | Behavioral: AgingPLUS<br>* The program consists of 2-hour meetings for a total of 4 weeks (total of 8 hours) and discusses (a) how negative views on aging and negative age stereotypes undermine adults' health-promoting behaviors; (b) how adults can take control of their own aging; and (c) how personal goals can be achieved through more effective goal planning and action plans.<br>|
| Placebo Comparator: Active Control Group<br>This group will get a generic health education program, called the 10 Keys to Healthy Aging. The control program will control for the effect of social contact and will not address the intervention targets of the active treatment group. The health education program will only provide information related to some of the most important health conditions, such as cardiovascular disease, cancer, type 2 diabetes, and clinical depression, and how these conditions can be managed. | Behavioral: Active Control Group<br>* The program consists of 2-hour meetings for a total of 4 weeks (total of 8 hours) and discusses (a) four major health conditions that affect the lives of many middle-aged and older adults (e.g., cardiovascular disease, cancer, type 2 diabetes; clinical depression); and (b) how these conditions can be managed successfully.<br>|

What is the study measuring?
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Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Increased physical activity | We expect that participants significantly increase their engagement in physical activity as assessed by an accelerometer. | This effect should be observable (1) at the Week-4 post-test, (2) the Week-8 post-test, and (3) the 6-Month post-test. | 

 Terms related to the study
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Keywords Provided by Centre Hospitalier Valida
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Psychological Mechanisms, Social-Cognitive Mechanisms