We Walk Plus Study for Older Adults With Intellectual Disabilities

August 18, 2026 updated by: Kueifang Hsieh, University of Illinois at Chicago

We Walk Plus Study: A Walking Program Using Physical Activity Monitors and Social Networking for Older Adults With Intellectual Disabilities

Determine the feasibility and acceptability of We Walk Plus intervention to promote physical activity and improve cognition for older adults with intellectual disabilities (ID).

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.

Detailed Description

We Walk Plus study consists of: (1) a user friendly physical activity tracker (i.e., Fitbit Charge HR ); (2) user-centered social networking (e.g., Fitbit community); and (3) the iCardia platform for monitoring daily Fitbit physical activity and wear time and sending personalized text-messages targeting physical activity and self-efficacy. The specific aims of this two-arm RCT pilot are to: 1) assess the feasibility and acceptability of the We Walk Plus intervention and 2) explore the preliminary efficacy of We Walk Plus on physical activity and well-being.

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.
53

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 Contact

Study Contact

The name and contact information for the person who can answer enrollment questions for a clinical study. Each location where the study is being conducted may also have a specific contact, who may be better able to answer those questions.
  • Name: Kelly Hsieh, PhD
  • Phone Number: 3124131530
  • Email: hsieh@uic.edu

Study Contact Backup

Study Locations

  • United States
    • Illinois
      • Chicago, Illinois, United States, 60608
        • University of Illinois at Chicago
      • New Lenox, Illinois, United States, 60451
        • Trinity Services Inc.

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

35 years to 60 years (Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Men and women with mild or moderate intellectual disabilities;
  • ages 35-60;
  • able to speak, read English and willing to provide consent to enroll;
  • able to follow instructions and walk, physically inactive;
  • willing to receive SMS, wear Fitbit throughout the study;
  • living with family or in a community residence;
  • support persons are willing to assist participants to ensure the Fitbit functions properly.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Inability to follow instructions;
  • diagnosis of coronary disease or uncontrolled hypertension, smokers, physically active;
  • participating in a health promotion program;
  • having mental illness or behavior problems;
  • support persons unable or unwilling to assist participants with Fitbit devices, if needed.

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: Other
  • 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: We Walk Plus Intervention
The intervention group will receive a Fitbit, SMS and will be assigned to a private Fitbit community (4-5 participants per group) for 12 weeks. During the intervention, participants will receive weekly personalized SMS on their mobile phones including encouraging messages, reminders, and tips to increase steps, and weekly step goals. The investigators will use a secure, web-based platform, iCardia, to support continuous real-time remote monitoring of activity data from Fitbit devices and personalized communication via SMS based on incoming data. The investigators will set up the Fitbit networking settings on participants' phones to give notifications when there are posts to this group. Individual goals and a weekly team goal of steps will be set up by the research team. Each member will be awarded a badge upon reaching each individual's weekly goal. Teams will also be awarded badges when all team members reach their individual weekly goals.
Behavioral: We Walk Plus Intervention
The frequency and content of weekly personalized SMS are based on each participant's preference. Prior to implementation of intervention, the investigators will conduct focus groups to learn participants' social network activities and preferences, strategies that can be used to encourage engagement via a private Fitbit community network.
No Intervention: Attention control group
The attention control group will also receive a Fitbit and will be asked to continue with normal daily activities. During the initial in-person session, they will receive the same PA recommendations as the intervention group to walk at least 30 minutes for 5 days or more a week or 10,000 steps a day. However, a plan for improving PA will not be discussed.

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
Physical activity
Time Frame: 12 weeks
daily steps
12 weeks

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
Cardiovascular fitness
Time Frame: 12 weeks
modified six-minute walk test
12 weeks
Self-efficacy to physical activity
Time Frame: 12 weeks
Physical Activity Self-efficacy/Social Support scale will be used to assess confidence to perform physical activity
12 weeks
Attention & executive function
Time Frame: 12 weeks
Flanker Inhibitory Control and Attention Test -a standard test from the NIH toolbox which has been adapted and validated for individuals with ID to assess one's limited capacities to deal with an abundance of environmental stimulation.
12 weeks
Working memory
Time Frame: 12 weeks
List Sorting Working Memory Test-a standard test from the NIH toolbox which has been adapted and validated for individuals with ID to assess the ability to store information.
12 weeks
Executive function
Time Frame: 12 weeks
Dimensional Change Card Sort Test -a standard test from the NIH toolbox which has been adapted and validated for individuals with ID to assess one's capacity to plan, organize, and monitor the executive of behaviors.
12 weeks
Processing speed
Time Frame: 12 weeks
Pattern Comparison Processing Speed Test- a standard test from the NIH toolbox which has been adapted and validated for individuals with ID to assess the amount of information that can be processed within a certain unit of time.
12 weeks

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 Illinois at Chicago

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.
June 15, 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.
January 15, 2026

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.
March 13, 2026

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).
September 14, 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.
September 29, 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.
October 5, 2020

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

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.
August 20, 2026

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.
August 18, 2026

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.
August 1, 2026

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.
  • 2020-1140

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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