Variety of Physical Activity in Normal to Overweight Adults Who Are Regularly Active

The purpose of this study is to investigate the variety of physical activity, a cross-sectional design will be used. The data collected will provide descriptive details about how people are engaging in physical activity, as well details about the environment they are in while engaging in physical activity.

Study Overview

• Status: Active, not recruiting
• Conditions: Overweight

Detailed Description

Many individuals, particularly those who are obese, are inactive and increasing physical activity continues to be a challenge, thus, developing strategies that assist individuals in engaging and sustaining high levels of physical activity is imperative.1,2 Incorporating a variety of activities into a physical activity program is a strategy that may be promising for increasing physical activity levels.3 Data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) showed that individuals who reported engaging in a variety of activities (i.e., walking + other leisure-time activities) were more likely to meet national physical activity recommendations compared to those who reported no variety (i.e., only walking).4 In another study, the investigators found that overweight participants in an 18-month behavioral lifestyle intervention who reported physical activity variety (i.e., ≥ 2 activities) at 6 months had higher self-reported physical activity-related energy expenditure and a lower body mass index (BMI) at 18 months than those who reported no physical activity variety (i.e., only 1 activity).5 Additionally, the investigators have also found that performing a variety of activities is related to greater engagement in objectively measured moderate- to vigorous-intensity physical activity in both successful weight loss maintainers and normal weight individuals.6 Based on the literature available, it appears that increasing the number of activities in a physical activity regimen can assist with increasing engagement of physical activity. However, physical activity variety has primarily been examined by summing the number of different activities a person engages in (i.e., walking + other leisure-time activities). Other environmental factors, including location, visual and auditory stimuli, and the number and types of people engaging in physical activity in close proximity, may impact on the degree of variety of differing physical activities that people engage in. Thus, the purpose of this study is to collect more information about physical activity variety.

Specific Aims:

Specific Aim 1. To determine the average minutes of moderate- to vigorous-intensity physical activity participants engage in.

Specific Aim 2. To determine if environmental factors influence the degree of variety of physical activities that participants engage in.

Specific Aim 3. To determine if the average number of minutes of moderate- to vigorous-intensity physical activity increases as the variety of physical activities increases.

• Study Type: Observational
• Enrollment (Estimated): 50

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United States
  • Tennessee
    • Knoxville, Tennessee, United States, 37996
      • University of Tennessee-Knoxville: Jesse Harris Building

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years to 65 years (Adult, Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

• Sampling Method: Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

Participants will be 50 men and women, recruited from flyers posted on the University of Tennessee-Knoxville campus and in local gyms.

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Body mass index (BMI) between 18.5 and 29.9 kg/m2.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Have a metal allergy (which would prevent the ability of a participant to wear the SenseWear® armband from BodyMedia® used in the proposed study).
• Self-report engaging in less than 30 minutes/week of moderate- to vigorous-intensity physical activity over the previous week.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Number of groups / cohorts

1

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort

Physical Activity Variety; participants will complete the Self-Efficacy questionnaire, the Physical Activity Enjoyment Scale, the Behavioral Regulation in Exercise-2 questionnaire, and an Outcome Expectations questionnaire. Participants will be instructed to wear the SenseWear® armband which will measure physical activity-related energy expenditure for the course of the study. The armband will be worn every day for at least 10 hours per day. In addition, participants will be asked to complete a physical activity diary to record their physical activity as well as additional information about the environment in which the physical activity was conducted. Participants will be instructed to engage in their normal physical activity regimen, wear the armband, and complete the physical activity diary for 3 weeks.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Time Frame
Physical Activity	Baseline, 3 weeks

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: The University of Tennessee, Knoxville
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Hollie Raynor, PhD, University of Tennessee-Knoxville

Publications and helpful links

Helpful Links

• This is the website for the Healthy Eating and Activity Laboratory (HEAL), where this program is being conducted

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start: May 1, 2014
• Primary Completion (Actual): December 31, 2018
• Study Completion (Estimated): December 31, 2024

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: May 20, 2014
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: May 28, 2014
• First Posted (Estimated): May 29, 2014

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): June 22, 2023
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: June 17, 2023
• Last Verified: June 1, 2023

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: physical activity; environmental factors; MVPA; variety
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Overnutrition; Nutrition Disorders; Body Weight; Overweight
• Other Study ID Numbers: 9492 B