PAthway To Health (PATH): Fostering Culturally Appropriate Physical Activities in Indigenous Communities

Overview

Being physically active is important for everyone's health, but it is often challenging for people to start and sustain an activity routine. The investigators will develop and pilot test the PATH (PAthway To Health) program with Indigenous communities served by the Kwakiutl District Council (KDC) Health on North Vancouver Island. The project idea was conceived through a partnership between the communities and University of British Columbia health researchers. The PATH program will include an education sessions on how to be active, physical activity coaching by community health workers, and the use of Fitbit Flex (a wearable activity tracker). The investigators will develop a culturally appropriate online application to pair with Fitbit, which will provide instant feedback to individuals about their activity level. 60 community members will be recruited to test the PATH program. Their physical activity level, health status and use of activity resources at KDC Health Centres will be assessed.

Background: Promoting an active lifestyle is a priority identified by the communities served by KDC Health. Statistics Canada estimates obesity in one in four adults based on 2007-2009 data, with higher prevalence among Indigenous people compared to non-Aboriginal population (between 26% and 36% among adults living off-reserve and on-reserve, respectively). Furthermore, Indigenous people also report higher prevalence of obesity associated complications, including diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and arthritis. The association between physical inactivity and obesity suggests that increasing physical activity is important. KDC Health offers a variety of free programs to community members, however, the use of these services has been low. KDC Health has previously partnered with the CIHR-funded IMPAKT project, and has expressed a strong interest in developing an intervention to improve health and wellness in the communities. Objectives: 1. To determine whether the PATH program can improve physical activity participation in the communities served by KDC Health. 2. To assess the effect of this program on reducing sedentary time, and increasing the use of health promotion and wellness services offered by KDC Health 3. To assess the correlation of physical activity levels and the secondary outcome measures among individuals who are living in the same household. Methods: The investigators will conduct a community-based proof-of-concept randomized controlled trial (RCT) with 60 eligible participants. Only 1 member per household will be enrolled. If more than 1 member is interested, they will select 1 person by consensus or by a random draw. After obtaining the baseline measures, participants will be randomly assigned to the 'Now Group' (target=30) or 'Later Group' (target=30). The Now Group will participate in a brief education session held at the KDC Health Centre, use a wearable physical activity tracker (Fitbit Flex), and physical activity mentoring by a KDC Health Staff (the Activity Mentors). The Activity Mentors have received training for the project from the Principal Investigator. In Month 1-2, participants will meet with their Activity Mentor once every 2 weeks to review their physical activity status, activity goals, and the health programs available at the Centre. In Month 3-4, they will continue to use Fitbit Flex but will no longer have regular meetings with the Activity Mentor. The Later Group will receive intervention two months later (i.e., Month 3-4). The primary outcome measure will be the time spent in moderate/vigorous physical activity. In addition, time spent in sedentary behaviours will be recorded. Participants will wear a SenseWear Mini accelerometer for 7 days at baseline, 2 months, and 4 months. Secondary outcome measures include sedentary time measured with SenseWear Mini, health status that will be measured using the SF-36 (a generic measure of health-related quality of life), and body weight. Participants' use of KDC Health programs and their motivation to be physically active will also be recorded. At the end of the program, participants will be interviewed for 30 minutes in person about their opinion on the intervention. Interviews will focus on 1) barriers/facilitators to being physically active, 2) their experience with the intervention, and 3) the nature of activities they engage in.