A Comparison of Physical Activity Levels With and Without Feedback Via Fitbit® Flex™ in Hemodialysis Patients (IAM)

September 29, 2015 updated by: Renal Research Institute
This is a pilot study intended to gather data in order to inform future studies about the role of feedback as an incentive for increasing levels of physical activity which could improve health in hemodialysis patients.

Study Overview

Detailed Description

In prior studies that have analyzed physical activity in dialysis patients, three-dimensional accelerometers, physical performance tasks or self-reporting physical activity questionnaires have been used to measure levels of activity. This proposed study differs in that it will determine the effectiveness of providing "feedback" to dialysis patients using a fitness tracking bracelet. For the purpose of this study, the word 'feedback' is used to refer to the information provided to the subject that demonstrates the number of steps taken since the previous dialysis session as displayed by the Fitbit® application. This 'feedback' will allow subjects to be more aware of their overall physical activity on a quantitative level.

The study will seek to explore an association between feedback and physical activity. Improved physical activity could improve indicators of subjects' health status such as blood pressure, inflammatory markers, and pre-albumin levels, which will also be monitored and recorded.

While informing subjects quantitatively about their levels of physical activity could be a promising method to encourage them to be more active, it is unclear at this point if that strategy actually works. This is an important practical question though, because actually informing subjects on a regular basis about their activity level may pose substantial operative challenges and result in additional costs.

The importance of encouraging subjects to be more physically active should not be underestimated. Studying the physical activity of dialysis patients is important because it allows researchers to consider the long-term effects that may influence the subject's well-being. Johansen et al. showed that there was a direct relationship between the inactivity of dialysis patients and susceptibility to hypertension, diabetes, cardiovascular disease and even mortality. Additionally, the study demonstrated the importance of implementing programs to promote physical activity [1]. If feedback does indeed increase physical activity, then it will be substantially beneficial for this program to be implemented.

Study Type

Observational

Enrollment (Actual)

33

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

    • New York
      • New York, New York, United States, 10065
        • Avantua Upper East Side Dialysis Center

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

Ages Eligible for Study

18 years to 75 years (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Genders Eligible for Study

All

Sampling Method

Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

  • Receiving hemodialysis three times a week
  • On hemodialysis for more than 3 months
  • Between the ages of 18 and 75 years
  • Able to walk without assistance or assistive devices
  • Able to read and understand the English language

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Receiving hemodialysis three times a week
  • On hemodialysis for more than 3 months
  • Between the ages of 18 and 75 years
  • Able to walk without assistance or assistive devices
  • Able to read and understand the English language

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Patient already uses an activity tracker
  • Unstable health: acute infections, congestive heart failure NYHA class 4 and/or unstable angina
  • Hospitalization within the past 3 months for non-access related reasons
  • Known allergies to nickel
  • Unable to physically grip the handheld dynamometer in order to complete the Hand Grip Strength Test
  • Cognitive impairment

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

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort
Intervention / Treatment
Control Group
Subjects will wear the activity monitoring device to track their activity between dialysis treatments, however, the feedback from the device will not be shared with them.
Feedback Group
The feedback from the activity monitoring device will be shared with subjects at each visit.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
The effect of physical activity feedback on physical activity levels.
Time Frame: 5 weeks
Physical activity level will be measured by the number of steps each subject takes. The number of steps each subject takes will be recorded and reported to those in one of the two groups. The study will evaluate whether a subject will begin to walk more steps once s/he is informed about the number of steps s/he is taking.
5 weeks

Collaborators and Investigators

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

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

October 1, 2014

Primary Completion (Actual)

June 1, 2015

Study Completion (Actual)

June 1, 2015

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

November 3, 2014

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

December 15, 2014

First Posted (Estimate)

December 19, 2014

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Estimate)

October 1, 2015

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

September 29, 2015

Last Verified

September 1, 2015

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Other Study ID Numbers

  • 20141534

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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