A Social Media Game to Increase Physical Activity Among Older Adult Women

The University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston300 enrolled

Overview

This study will test the effects of a social media game on the physical activity of older adult women. The game will consist of playful weekly challenges that require sharing photographs on a private social media group and also wearing an activity monitor to track steps. Participants will be randomized to this game group or to receive the activity monitor only.

Older adult women are at risk for negative health impacts of physical inactivity, but current strategies to increase their activity have had disappointing long-term results. The intervention tested in this study seeks to test an innovative intervention that targets older womens' perceptions of enjoyment and their personal identity and values. The investigators will test the efficacy of a 12-month social media-based physical activity intervention for sedentary older adult women. Participants will be randomized to receive a standard Fitbit-only intervention or to an enhanced Fitbit + weekly social challenges intervention. The investigators hypothesize that participants in the enhanced intervention will demonstrate greater increases in autonomous regulation and objectively-measured steps as compared to those in the standard intervention. The investigators will also measure outcomes after a 6 month maintenance period (18 months after beginning the intervention). Additional outcomes will include engagement with the social network and self-reported playful experiences.

Study Type

INTERVENTIONAL

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

SINGLE

Enrollment

300

Conditions

Aging

Interventions

Social media gameBEHAVIORAL

Participants will engage in weekly challenges that require them to take photographs of interesting things they discover during their walks. They will post and discuss these photographs with other participants on a private social media page. They will track their steps using a wearable activity monitor and receive brief standard self-regulatory counseling.

Standard self-regulationBEHAVIORAL

Participants will track their steps using a wearable activity monitor and receive brief standard self-regulatory counseling.

Eligibility

Sex: FEMALEMin age: 65 YearsMax age: 85 YearsHealthy volunteers:

Medical Language ↔ Plain English

Inclusion Criteria: 1. Female 2. Age between 65 and 85 3. Able to read and understand English 4. Willingness to be randomized to any condition 5. Daily availability of an iOS or Android mobile device that is capable of taking and sending photos 6. Willingness to use a private Facebook group 7. Sufficient internet access to post photos to Facebook at least once per week 8. Having an existing Facebook account or willingness to create one Exclusion Criteria: 1. Unable to find transportation to the study location 2. Unable to walk for exercise (self-report) 3. Walk \<475 meters in 6 minute walk test during baseline assessment 4. Stroke, hip fracture, hip or knee replacement, or spinal surgery in the past 6 months 5. Participant answered "yes" to any question on the PAR-Q+ and does not provide a doctor's note giving permission to begin a physical activity program 6. Self-reported weekly PA ≥ 150 minutes 7. BMI under 18 or over 40 8. Participant reports psychological issues that would interfere with study completion. Examples will be provided to illustrate potential psychological issues, such as dementia or schizophrenia. 9. Participant plans to move away from the Galveston-Houston area or to be out of town for more than 2 weeks at a time during the study period 10. Clinical judgment concerning safety 11. Currently participating in an organized commercial or research physical activity program 12. Uses a wearable activity monitor other than a simple pedometer and is unwilling to stop during the trial 13. Another member of the household is a participant or staff member on this trial

Locations (1)

The University of Texas Medical Branch

Galveston, Texas, United States

Outcomes

Primary Outcomes

Walking physical activity as measured by daily steps at 12 months

Mean of daily steps taken from accelerometers worn for a 7 day period

Time frame: Baseline to 12 months

Secondary Outcomes

Walking physical activity as measured by daily steps at 6 months

Mean of daily steps taken from accelerometers worn for a 7 day period

Time frame: Baseline to 6 months

Walking physical activity as measured by daily steps at 18 months

Mean of daily steps taken from accelerometers worn for a 7 day period

Time frame: Baseline to 18 months

Intrinsic regulation

Self-reported intrinsic regulation on a scale from 0 (least motivated) to 4 (most motivated) using the Behavioral Regulation in Exercise Questionnaire - 3

Time frame: Baseline to 6 months

Integrated regulation

Self-reported integrated regulation on a scale from 0 (least motivated) to 4 (most motivated) using the Behavioral Regulation in Exercise Questionnaire - 3

Time frame: Baseline to 6 months

Autonomous regulation

Composite of subscales for intrinsic, integrated, and identified regulation as measured on a scale from 0 (least motivated) to 4 (most motivated) using the Behavioral Regulation in Exercise Questionnaire - 3

Time frame: Baseline to 6 months

Basic psychological needs

Perceptions of autonomy, competence, and relatedness on a scale from 1 (don't agree) to 5 (completely agree) using the Psychological Needs in Exercise Scale

Data from ClinicalTrials.gov

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