Developing an Adaptive Lifestyle Intervention Program in Family Medicine Clinics

September 29, 2025 updated by: Drew Sayer, University of Alabama at Birmingham

Using the Sequential Multiple Assignment Randomized Trial Experimental Approach to Develop an Adaptive Lifestyle Intervention Program in Family Medicine Clinics

The purpose of this study is to investigate the feasibility of conducting a multicomponent lifestyle intervention research study within the UAB Family Medicine Clinic at Highlands and to obtain preliminary data on the effectiveness of the adaptive treatment strategies being investigated to produce improvements in insulin resistance. This study is a Sequential Multiple Assignment Randomized Trial (SMART) with initial randomization groups of individualized nutrition counseling vs. individualized exercise counseling. Note that these initial nutrition or exercise interventions are NOT intended to produce significant weight loss. Participants that do not sufficiently improve their insulin resistance score after 8 weeks will be re-randomized to 2nd stage interventions of either receiving dietary counseling for weight loss or receiving a prescription for metformin. We will collect data on the effectiveness of the intervention to improve insulin resistance/metabolic health in the family medicine clinic as well as potential predictors or moderators of treatment success.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Completed

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
40

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • United States
    • Alabama
      • Birmingham, Alabama, United States, 35205
        • UAB Highlands Family and Community Medicine Clinic

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

18 years to 75 years (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Male or female
  • Any race or ethnicity
  • BMI >27 kg/m2
  • Presence of 1 or more mild-to-moderate obesity-associated metabolic complications (i.e., Stage 1 Obesity)
  • Prediabetes, type 2 diabetes (see exclusion criteria for additional details), metabolic syndrome, dyslipidemia, hypertension, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease
  • Stable medication type and dosage for ≥3 months

Exclusion Criteria:

  • If type 2 diabetes,
  • Currently prescribed metformin or prescribed within previous 3 months
  • HbA1c concentration of >12%
  • Using exogenous insulin
  • Pregnant or lactating within the past 6 months or trying to become pregnant
  • Prescription for weight loss medications within the past 3 months
  • Severe obesity-related complications that require immediate and more intensive clinical therapy (e.g., pharmacotherapy and/or bariatric surgery) as determined by study physician and/or referring practitioner at UAB Family Medicine Clinic.
  • History of kidney disease that may increase the risk of lactic acidosis with metformin.
  • Currently prescribed the following medications that may increase the risk of lactic acidosis with metformin: acetazolamide (Diamox), dichlorphenamide (Keveyis), methazolamide, topiramate (Topamax, in Qsymia), or zonisamide (Zonegran).
  • Does not have a life-sustaining medical implant such as a pacemaker.

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Sequential Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Experimental: Diet Counseling
Delivery of nutrition counseling intervention to improve diet quality.
Behavioral: Diet Counseling
Delivery of nutrition counseling intervention to improve diet quality. Suggested energy intake will be prescribed with the intent to maintain energy balance and current body weight. A total of 16 nutrition counseling sessions lasting ~30 minutes will be scheduled with a frequency of 1 session per week for 1 month (5 sessions), 1 session every-other week for months 2-6 (11 sessions). "Responding" participants who have improved their insulin resistance as measured at the 8-week visit will continue receiving this level of nutrition counseling through the end of the study, meeting with the dietitian every other week. Starting at week 9, those identified as "non-responding" participants will be re-randomized to 2nd stage interventions, of either receiving nutrition counseling for weight loss (meeting with the dietitian every other week) or the addition of a prescription for metformin.
Experimental: Exercise Counseling
Delivery of exercise counseling intervention to increase engagement in physical activity..
Behavioral: Exercise Counseling
Delivery of exercise counseling intervention to increase engagement in physical activity. The exercise specialist will counsel participants to progressively increase their weekly physical activity. Weight loss is not a primary goal of these exercise counseling sessions. A total of 16 exercise counseling sessions lasting ~30 minutes will be scheduled with a frequency of 1 session per week for 1 month (5 sessions), 1 session every-other week for months 2-6 (11 sessions). "Responding" participants who have improved their insulin resistance as measured at the 8-week visit will continue receiving this level of exercise counseling through the end of the study, meeting with the exercise specialist every other week. Starting at week 9, those identified as "non-responders" will be re-randomized to 2nd stage interventions, of either receiving nutrition counseling for weight loss (meeting with the dietitian every other week) or the addition of a prescription for metformin.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Rates of recruitment and retention
Time Frame: Baseline
Number of participants recruited and retained in intervention
Baseline
Rates of recruitment and retention
Time Frame: Month 2
Number of participants recruited and retained in intervention
Month 2
Rates of recruitment and retention
Time Frame: Month 6
Number of participants recruited and retained in intervention
Month 6
Family medicine clinician referral rates
Time Frame: Baseline
Baseline
Family medicine clinician referral rates
Time Frame: Month 2
Month 2
Family medicine clinician referral rates
Time Frame: Month 6
Month 6
Number of counseling sessions attended
Time Frame: Month 2
Attendance to Zoom meetings
Month 2
Number of counseling sessions attended
Time Frame: Month 6
Attendance to Zoom meetings
Month 6
Frequency of metformin adherence (as applicable)
Time Frame: Month 2
Number of times metformin was taken as prescribed
Month 2
Frequency of metformin adherence (as applicable)
Time Frame: Month 6
Number of times metformin was taken as prescribed
Month 6
Intervention preference
Time Frame: Baseline
Preference is determined by the Intervention Preference Questionnaire, using a 5-point Likert Scale for preference among study treatment arms. Scale includes options for "strong," "slight," or "no" preference for a given treatment component.
Baseline
Intervention preference
Time Frame: Month 2
Preference is determined by the Intervention Preference Questionnaire, using a 5-point Likert Scale for preference among study treatment arms. Scale includes options for "strong," "slight," or "no" preference for a given treatment component.
Month 2
Intervention preference
Time Frame: Month 6
Preference is determined by the Intervention Preference Questionnaire, using a 5-point Likert Scale for preference among study treatment arms. Scale includes options for "strong," "slight," or "no" preference for a given treatment component.
Month 6
Treatment credibility
Time Frame: Baseline
Assessment of participants' perception of treatment success using the Credibility/Expectancy Questionnaire with a 9-point Likert scale, ranging from "not at all" (1) to "very" (9) for several descriptors (e.g., "useful," "logical.")
Baseline
Treatment credibility
Time Frame: Month 2
Assessment of participants' perception of treatment success using the Credibility/Expectancy Questionnaire with a 9-point Likert scale, ranging from "not at all" (1) to "very" (9) for several descriptors (e.g., "useful," "logical.")
Month 2
Treatment credibility
Time Frame: Month 6
Assessment of participants' perception of treatment success using the Credibility/Expectancy Questionnaire with a 9-point Likert scale, ranging from "not at all" (1) to "very" (9) for several descriptors (e.g., "useful," "logical.")
Month 6

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Changes in body weight
Time Frame: Baseline to Months 2 and 6
Baseline to Months 2 and 6
Changes in body composition (fat and lean mass)
Time Frame: Baseline to Months 2 and 6
Fat mass and lean mass via bioelectrical impedance analysis
Baseline to Months 2 and 6
Changes in glucose
Time Frame: Baseline to Months 2 and 6
Serum glucose will be measured in a fasted state
Baseline to Months 2 and 6
Changes in insulin
Time Frame: Baseline to Months 2 and 6
Serum insulin will be measured in a fasted state
Baseline to Months 2 and 6
Changes in glycosylated hemoglobin (hemoglobin A1C)
Time Frame: Baseline to Months 2 and 6
Percentage (%) glycated hemoglobin as a measure of long-term blood glucose control
Baseline to Months 2 and 6
Changes in lipids
Time Frame: Baseline to Months 2 and 6
Fasting serum concentrations of total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, and triglycerides
Baseline to Months 2 and 6

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
University of Alabama at Birmingham

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Principal Investigator: Gareth Dutton, PhD, University of Alabama at Birmingham
  • Principal Investigator: Drew Sayer, PhD, University of Alabama at Birmingham
  • Principal Investigator: Tapan Mehta, PhD, University of Alabama at Birmingham

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
April 19, 2021

Primary Completion (Actual)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
June 3, 2022

Study Completion (Actual)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
June 3, 2022

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
April 19, 2020

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
May 12, 2020

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
May 18, 2020

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Estimated)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
October 3, 2025

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
September 29, 2025

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
September 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • IRB-300005391

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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