Clinical trial NCT06246812: Text Message and Competition-Based Interventions Among University Students
Official title: Examining the Effects of Text Message and Competition-Based Interventions on Physical Activity, Self-Efficacy, Self-Regulation, Social Support, Incentive Motivation, and Mental Well-being Among University Students
Study type: INTERVENTIONAL
Overall status: COMPLETED
Phase: NA
Conditions: Physical Inactivity
Keywords: Text message
Fitness Competition
University students
Social Cognitive theory
Lead sponsor: Auburn University
Sponsor class: OTHER
Collaborators: name: Edward Via Virginia College of Osteopathic Medicine
First posted: 2024-02-07
Enrollment: 58
Sex: ALL
Minimum age (years): 18
Standard ages: ADULT
OLDER_ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: yes
Allocation: RANDOMIZED
Intervention model: PARALLEL
Primary purpose: TREATMENT

Brief summary: The goal of this quasi-experimental study is to assess and compare the effectiveness of text message interventions and a competition-based intervention and evaluate participants' acceptability and experiences in university students. The main questions it aims to answer are:

1. What are the effects of text message interventions and competition-based interventions on university students' physical activity levels, self-efficacy, self-regulation, social support, incentive motivation, and mental well-being?
2. What are participants' perceptions regarding their experience with and acceptability of text message interventions and competition-based interventions?

Participants will

1. participate in a fitness competition
2. participate in a fitness competition and receive text messages
3. enroll in control group

Detailed description: Physical activity promotes health and wellness, yet many U.S. university students are physically inactive. Text messaging and competition-based interventions have been shown to increase physical activity. The primary objectives of this study are to 1) assess and compare the effectiveness of a competition-based intervention with and without a Social Cognitive Theory-based text-messaging campaign in improving physical activity among university students, and 2) evaluate participants' acceptability and experiences of the text messaging and the competition-based interventions. In coordination with the Deans' Fit Family Challenge (DFFC; an annual physical activity and weight loss competition between Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine - Auburn Campus (VCOM-Auburn), Auburn University College of Nursing (AUCON), and Auburn University Harrison College of Pharmacy(HCOP), a 3-group quasi-experimental design will be employed to accomplish the study objectives. A total of 300 students will be enrolled. Students across all 3 institutions who sign up for the DFFC and enroll in this study will be randomly assigned to a competition-only group or a competition + text messaging group. The 3rd group will include students across all 3 institutions who enroll in the study but are not participating in the DFFC.

Participants will submit physical activity minutes via the "Challenge Runner" app, after initially connecting the app to their fitness tracker. All participants will be asked to complete the first anonymous survey at the beginning of the study, as well as the second anonymous survey at the conclusion of the study. Variables of interest include weekly activity minutes, self-efficacy, self-regulation, social support, incentive motivation, mental well-being, participants' acceptability and experiences, and maintenance of moderate and vigorous activity 4 weeks after DFFC. Data will be analyzed using descriptive statistics to characterize the sample and inferential statistics to analyze associations.

Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

* Auburn University Harrison College of Pharmacy (HCOP), Auburn University College of Nursing (AUCON), and Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine - Auburn Campus (VCOM - Auburn) students
* Possess a smartphone and a fitness tracker or smartwatch
* Willingness to receive text messages

Exclusion Criteria:

* Pregnant women
* Disabilities or chronic diseases that prevent them from being physically active

Primary outcomes:
measure: Minutes of weekly moderate to vigorous physical activity
timeFrame: week 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12
Secondary outcomes:
measure: Self Efficacy assessed by 9-item Exercise Self Efficacy Scale
timeFrame: week 0 and 8
measure: Self Regulation assessed by 10-item Self-Regulation Scale
timeFrame: week 0 and 8
measure: Social Support assessed by 5-item Friend Support for Exercise Habits Scale
timeFrame: week 0 and 8
measure: Incentive Motivation assessed by 23-item Physical Activity Motivation Scale
timeFrame: week 0 and 8
measure: Mental Well-Being assessed by The World Health Organization Five Well-Being Index
timeFrame: week 0 and 8
measure: Participants' Experience assessed by questionnaires
timeFrame: week 8
measure: Participants' Acceptability assessed by questionnaires
timeFrame: week 8
Other outcomes:
measure: Race
timeFrame: week 0
measure: Ethnicity
timeFrame: week 0
measure: Gender
timeFrame: week 0
measure: Age
timeFrame: week 0
measure: Health Literacy assessed by Brief Health Literacy Screening Tool
timeFrame: week 0
Locations:
city: Auburn
country: United States
facility: Auburn University
state: Alabama
city: Auburn
country: United States
facility: Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine - Auburn Campus
state: Alabama
Study officials:
affiliation: Auburn University
name: Brent I Fox
role: STUDY_DIRECTOR
References:
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citation: Farren GL, Zhang T, Martin SB, Thomas KT. Factors related to meeting physical activity guidelines in active college students: A social cognitive perspective. J Am Coll Health. 2017 Jan;65(1):10-21. doi: 10.1080/07448481.2016.1229320. Epub 2016 Sep 3.
citation: Feng D, Zhang Y. College Students' Knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding body posture: A cross-sectional survey--Taking a university in Wuhu City as an example. Prev Med Rep. 2023 Sep 16;36:102422. doi: 10.1016/j.pmedr.2023.102422. eCollection 2023 Dec.
citation: Jeftic I, Furzer B, Dimmock JA, Wright K, Budden T, Boyd C, Simpson A, Rosenberg M, Sabiston CM, deJonge M, Jackson B. The Stride program: Feasibility and pre-to-post program change of an exercise service for university students experiencing mental distress. Psychol Sport Exerc. 2023 Nov;69:102507. doi: 10.1016/j.psychsport.2023.102507. Epub 2023 Aug 16.