The CHAT (Community Health Advice by Telephone) Study

Exercise Advice by Human or Computer: Testing 2 Theories

The purpose of the study is to compare a telephone-administered physical activity counseling program delivered by a person or by a telephone-linked computer system and test their relative benefits in improving regular physical activity among adults ages 55 and older.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Healthy; Health Behavior
• Intervention / Treatment: Behavioral: The Stanford Active Choices program; Behavioral: The TLC system

Detailed Description

Two hundred and twenty five healthy, sedentary men and women ages 55 and older will be randomly assigned to one of three conditions: 12 months of physical activity counseling delivered by a human counselor, 12 months of physical activity counseling delivered by a telephone-linked computer system, or a 12-month attention-control condition (a health education class). Data on physical activity participation and related quality of life indicators (e.g., improved physical functioning, fitness, sleep) will be collected at baseline, 6 months, 12 month post-test and 18 month follow-up. The primary hypotheses are:

• participants in either physical activity counseling condition will show greater improvements in physical activity participation at 12 months compared to the attention-control condition;
• participants in the human counselor condition will show greater improvements in physical activity at 12 months relative to the computer condition; and
• participants in the computer condition will show better maintenance of physical activity between 12 and 18 months compared to participants in the human counselor condition.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 225
• Phase: Phase 2

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United States
  • California
    • Stanford, California, United States, 94305-5705
      • Stanford Prevention Research Center

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 55 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Men and women ages 55 and older
• Free of any medical condition that would limit participation in independent exercise
• Not currently engaged in a regular pattern of physical conditioning
• Free of clinical psychopathology
• Stable on current medications
• Planning to remain in the geographic area through the duration of the trial
• Able to read and speak English sufficiently to understand protocol materials
• Can use the telephone unaided
• Willing to accept random assignment to any study condition

Exclusion Criteria:

• Under the age of 55
• Currently under treatment for an acute, serious medical condition (e.g., cancer, heart disease, stroke)
• Physically active on a regular basis (i.e. performing more than 60 minutes per week of aerobic physical activity of at least a moderate intensity)
• Unstable and/or uncontrolled on medications for high blood pressure or depression
• Unable or unwilling to use a telephone unaided
• Unwilling to accept random assignment to study condition

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: Single

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Increase in physical activity measured by the Stanford 7-Day Physical Activity Recall and the Community Healthy Activities Model Program for Seniors (CHAMPS) physical activity questionnaire for older adults

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Physical performance on a symptom-limited, graded exercise treadmill test
quality of life and psychological questionnaires measuring physical functioning, sleep, perceived stress, depressive symptoms

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: National Institute on Aging (NIA)
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Abby C. King, PhD, Stanford Prevention Research Center

Publications and helpful links

General Publications

• King AC, Friedman R, Marcus B, Castro C, Forsyth L, Napolitano M, Pinto B. Harnessing motivational forces in the promotion of physical activity: the Community Health Advice by Telephone (CHAT) project. Health Educ Res. 2002 Oct;17(5):627-36. doi: 10.1093/her/17.5.627.
• Castro CM, King AC. Telephone-assisted counseling for physical activity. Exerc Sport Sci Rev. 2002 Apr;30(2):64-8. doi: 10.1097/00003677-200204000-00004.
• Pinto BM, Friedman R, Marcus BH, Kelley H, Tennstedt S, Gillman MW. Effects of a computer-based, telephone-counseling system on physical activity. Am J Prev Med. 2002 Aug;23(2):113-20. doi: 10.1016/s0749-3797(02)00441-5.
• Glanz K, Shigaki D, Farzanfar R, Pinto B, Kaplan B, Friedman RH. Participant reactions to a computerized telephone system for nutrition and exercise counseling. Patient Educ Couns. 2003 Feb;49(2):157-63. doi: 10.1016/s0738-3991(02)00076-9.

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start: June 1, 1999
• Primary Completion (Actual): December 1, 2003
• Study Completion (Actual): December 1, 2003

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: August 8, 2005
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: August 15, 2005
• First Posted (Estimate): August 17, 2005

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Estimate): December 11, 2009
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: December 9, 2009
• Last Verified: December 1, 2008

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: physical activity; exercise; aging
• Other Study ID Numbers: AG0033; R01AG016587 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract); Sponsored Proj. Office #20047