Rural Libraries Promoting Walking and Walkability in Their Rural Communities

Oregon Health and Science University331 enrolled

Overview

The investigators will randomize 20 rural libraries to implement either a group-based walking (standard approach) or a group-based walking combined with a civic engagement program (combined approach). Each rural library will enroll between 15-20 participants. The investigators will compare the change in physical activity between participants in each group.

The goals of this study are: 1. Increase the capacity of rural libraries to deliver evidence-based health promotion programs 2. Compare the effects of a group-based walking program with a combined group-based plus civic engagement program on physical activity, cardiovascular fitness and collective efficacy among rural residents. 3. Evaluate program implementation

Study Type

INTERVENTIONAL

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

PREVENTION

Masking

NONE

Enrollment

331

Conditions

Physical Activity

Interventions

Walking only (Step It Up!)OTHER

Participants will meet weekly for 60 minutes and walk together as a group. Participants will progressively build up to walking for 45 minutes at a brisk pace. Walks will start with a check-in and end with stretching as a group.

Combined (Step It Up! plus Civic Engagement)OTHER

Participants in the combined groups will meet weekly for 90 minutes with group members. They will participate in a group walk for 60 minutes followed by 30 minutes of civic engagement aimed at improving walkability in the community

Eligibility

Sex: ALLMin age: 18 YearsHealthy volunteers:

Medical Language ↔ Plain English

Inclusion Criteria: * Age 18 or older * Inactive (defined as engaging in physical activity \<3 days per week) * Ability to walk for at least 20 minutes * Living within the rural community served by the local library * Ability to travel to the local library/location of walking group. Exclusion criteria: * Participation/intention to participate in other lifestyle modification pro-gram(s) * Cognitive impairment * Inability to communicate due to severe uncorrected hearing loss or speech disorder or severe visual impairment (if precludes completion of assessments and/or intervention)

Locations (1)

Oregon Health & Science University

Portland, Oregon, United States

Outcomes

Primary Outcomes

Physical activity

Participants will be asked to wear an accelerometer for \>10 hours/day for seven days at the wrist to measure physical activity. An accelerometer is a small device worn at the wrist that records acceleration, the change in velocity of a participant over time.

Time frame: Change from baseline physical activity at 6 months, 12 months, and 24 months.

Cardio respiratory fitness

Participants will be asked to complete a six-minute walk test to measure cardiorespiratory fitness. The distance walked in 6 minutes will be recorded.

Time frame: Change from baseline cardio respiratory fitness at 6 months, 12 months, and 24 months.

Collective Efficacy

Participants will be asked to complete a survey regarding collective-efficacy, the Collective Efficacy Scale (Sampson and colleagues, 1997), which measures how well communities work together to make things happen.

Time frame: Change from baseline collective efficacy at 6 months, 12 months, and 24 months

Secondary Outcomes

Height

Researchers will measure the height of participants in inches.

Time frame: Baseline

Hip circumference

Researchers will measure the hip circumference of participants in inches.

Time frame: Change from baseline hip circumference at 6 months, 12 months, and 24 months.

Resting heart rate

Researchers will measure resting heart rate of participants by using heart rate monitor.

Time frame: Change from baseline resting heart rate at 6 months, 12 months, and 24 months.

Data from ClinicalTrials.gov

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