Clinical trial NCT05287594: Feasibility of a Train-the-Trainer Delivered Exercise Intervention in Firefighters
Official title: Feasibility of a Train-the-Trainer Delivered Exercise Intervention in Firefighters
Study type: INTERVENTIONAL
Overall status: ENROLLING_BY_INVITATION
Phase: NA
Conditions: Firefighter
High Intensity Interval Training
Keywords: Firefighter
Train-the-Trainer
High intensity interval training
Neuromuscular warm-up
Fire and Rescue Personnel
Lead sponsor: University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
Sponsor class: OTHER
Collaborators: name: National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH/CDC)
First posted: 2022-03-18
Enrollment: 40
Sex: ALL
Minimum age (years): 18
Maximum age (years): 60
Standard ages: ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: yes
Allocation: RANDOMIZED
Intervention model: PARALLEL
Intervention model description: Two group design where 40 firefighters are cluster randomized (3:2 ratio) into a TRAINER or waitlist control group. There will be 6 trainers who will lead the TRAINER condition. All participants in the TRAINER group and following the intervention in the waitlist control group will receive the same integrated exercise program, led by a peer-trainer, including a neuromuscular warm-up and high intensity interval training at their respective fire stations 2 times per week for 6 weeks.
Primary purpose: TREATMENT

Brief summary: Purpose: To collect and report feasibility data for conducting a future cluster randomized trial to evaluate the efficacy of a TRAINER delivered integrated exercise program in career firefighters, and to determine intervention fidelity and preliminary effects of a TRAINER delivered integrated exercise program in career firefighters.

Participants: 52 career firefighters 18 - 60 years old (40 trainees, 6 trainers, 6 administrators).

Procedures (methods): Enrolled fire stations will be randomly assigned (3:2 allocation ratio) to a TRAINER or wait-list control (CON) group, stratified by city, using computer-generated random numbers. All enrolled firefighters will undergo a series of assessments at baseline (week 0) and post-testing (week 7) following the TRAINER delivered 6-week intervention.


Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

* Provide informed consent prior to any study procedures are performed
* Medically cleared for fire suppression duties
* A career firefighter from a local department (Carrboro, Chapel Hill, and Durham)

Exclusion Criteria:

* Highly active firefighters, defined as performing 4 or more days/week of vigorous exercise
* Pregnancy
* Recent injury preventing their participation in the exercise routine
* Involved in an active workers' compensation or personal injury case

Primary outcomes:
measure: Number of Firefighters and Fire Stations Recruited to the Study (Feasibility)
timeFrame: Within 14 months
measure: Percentage of Firefighters Retained (Feasibility)
timeFrame: Week 7 (post-intervention)
measure: Percentage of Sessions Attended (Feasibility)
timeFrame: Week 7 (post-intervention)
measure: Qualitative Summaries of Participant Experience in Semi-Structured Interviews (Acceptability)
timeFrame: Week 7 (post-intervention)
Secondary outcomes:
measure: Change in cardiorespiratory fitness as measured by VO2 peak during cycle ergometry
timeFrame: Baseline (i.e., pre-intervention), 7 weeks (i.e., post-intervention)
measure: Change in body composition as measured by % body fat from a 4-compartment model
timeFrame: Baseline (i.e., pre-intervention), 7 weeks (i.e., post-intervention)
measure: Change in explosive muscle strength as measured by dynamometry
timeFrame: Baseline (i.e., pre-intervention), 7 weeks (i.e., post-intervention)
measure: Change in low-back muscular endurance as measured by a modified Biering-Sorensen test
timeFrame: Baseline (i.e., pre-intervention), 7 weeks (i.e., post-intervention)
measure: Change in balance as measured by a modified star excursion balance test
timeFrame: Baseline (i.e., pre-intervention), 7 weeks (i.e., post-intervention)
measure: Fidelity of the neuromuscular warm-up as measured by a rubric across sessions at Week 2
timeFrame: 2 weeks (i.e., beginning of intervention following train-the-trainer completion)
measure: Fidelity of the neuromuscular warm-up as measured by a rubric across sessions at Week 6
timeFrame: 6 weeks (i.e., one of last 2 sessions)
measure: Fidelity of the HIIT protocol as measured by rate of peak power output across sessions at Week 2
timeFrame: 2 weeks (i.e., beginning of intervention following train-the-trainer completion)
measure: Fidelity of the HIIT protocol as measured by rate of peak power output across sessions at Week 6
timeFrame: 6 weeks (i.e., one of last 2 sessions)
measure: Change in physical activity as measured by the International Physical Activity Questionnaire-Short Form
timeFrame: Baseline (i.e., pre-intervention), 7 weeks (i.e., post-intervention)
measure: Change in nutrition as measured by the Rapid Eating Assessment for Participants-Short Form
timeFrame: Baseline (i.e., pre-intervention), 7 weeks (i.e., post-intervention)
Other outcomes:
Locations:
city: Chapel Hill
country: United States
facility: UNC Chapel Hill
state: North Carolina
Study officials:
affiliation: UNC Chapel Hill
name: Eric Ryan, PhD
role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
References: