This 12-week trial will test the efficacy of a personalized, multi-component, personalized text-message delivered behavior change technique (BCT) intervention to encourage habitual hourly physical activity among care providers of persons with Alzheimer's Disease and Alzheimer's Disease Related Dementias (AD/ADRD) via the key mechanism of behavior change (MoBC) of automaticity. The main question it aims to answer is whether a multi-component, personalized BCT intervention to increase habitual walking of \>250 steps/hour will lead to successful development of habitual hourly walking among 50% of caregivers.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
NA
Purpose
BASIC_SCIENCE
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
100
Behavior Change Technique 1: Goal setting (Behavior) (BCT 1.1). Goal setting for behavior is defined as setting a goal for the behavior to be achieved. Behavior Change Technique 2: Action planning (BCT 1.4). Action planning is defined as detailing the plan of where, for how long, and at what time taking medication is going to be performed. Behavior Change Technique 3: Self-monitoring of behavior (BCT 2.3). Self-monitoring of behavior is defined as monitoring and recording behavior. Behavior Change Technique 4: Prompts/Cues (BCT 7.1) This BCT is defined as prompt rehearsal and repetition of the behavior in the same context repeatedly, so that the context elicits the behavior.
Institute of Health System Science
New Hyde Park, New York, United States
RECRUITINGBinary indicator of habit formation
The primary outcome will be a binary indicator of habit formation. A null hypothesis rate of 30 percent will be used. There will be a comparison of the achieved proportion of habitual walking versus this null level, using a 1-sample binomial test with a 2-sided alpha at 5 percent. For the purposes of this current analysis, it is assumed that 50 percent of the sample will achieve habitual hourly walking following the BCT intervention to encourage habit formation. Rate of habit formation will be summarized using the observed proportion along with a 95 percent confidence interval.
Time frame: Baseline to intervention period (12 weeks)
Habit formation association with changes in automaticity
Examining whether an hourly walking habit formation will be associated with positive changes in cognitive automaticity using Fisher's exact test (5%, 2-sided). Specifically, for each participant, the difference between average automaticity during the last 2 weeks of intervention and average baseline automaticity will be calculated; a positive change is defined as a difference of greater than zero. The rate of habit formation will be compared between the group of participants whose automaticity increased and the participants whose automaticity did not using a Fisher's exact test. Finally, logistic regression will be utilized to assess the effects of automaticity on development of a daily walking habit, with adjustment for other factors, such caregiver demographic characteristics and factors related to caregiving.
Time frame: Baseline (first 2 weeks of study) and last 2 weeks of intervention
Longitudinal association between automaticity and habitual walking over time
Longitudinal associations between the intervention, automaticity, and habitual walking over time will be examined using univariate logistic regression models. These models will provide preliminary estimates of how automaticity change at a given week will impact habit formation, thus informing how the timing of automaticity change will impact habit. Further, weekly automaticity changes will be explored together in a multivariate Bayesian logistic regression model, which will be trained using iPIPE.238
Time frame: Baseline to intervention period (12 weeks)
Heterogeneity of treatment effects for habit formation and on changes in automaticity
To examine the heterogeneity of treatment effects for habit formation and on changes in automaticity, analyses of HTEs across participants will be conducted. This will involve examining the heterogeneity in time to achieving habitual hourly walking due to the BCT intervention.
Time frame: Baseline to intervention period (12 weeks)
This platform is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional.