Positive Psychology for Physical Activity Promotion (PPPA)

Physical Activity Promotion Based on Positive Psychology: Development and Piloting of a Novel Intervention Approach

This study is for physically inactive adults. Participants will be enrolled in the Positive Psychology and Physical Activity intervention designed to help them overcome barriers to physical activity, based on the principals of positive psychology.

This will involve six weekly one-hour group-based sessions at a local YMCA with a trained group leader. In addition to the in-person sessions, there will be text messages sent to participants about physical activity that include positive psychology content.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Obesity; Physical Activity
• Intervention / Treatment: Behavioral: PPPA; Behavioral: PA

Detailed Description

The investigators propose to conduct a pilot study to test feasibility and proof-of-concept for a positive psychology intervention program to promote exercise among low-active overweight and obese adults. The program will be (a) a 6-week, group-based intervention, (b) delivered at local YMCAs, and (c) supplemented with text messaging. In an additive design, participants will be randomized in a 2:1 ratio to PPPA (n = 40) versus a control intervention (n = 20) including only the standard PA promotion components of the PPPA intervention (i.e., PA education, self-monitoring, and goal-setting), with equal frequency of staff contact and text message delivery. All participants will be followed for 3 months, and will receive a 3-month YMCA membership to equate access to PA facilities. As a secondary aim the investigators will examine effect sizes for PPPA versus the standard PA intervention on putative mediators that may underlie the efficacy of PPPA in improving PA outcomes, including positive and negative affect, optimism, happiness, life satisfaction, social support for PA, and PA enjoyment. The proposed research will set the stage for an RCT to test a novel PA promotion intervention that can be readily disseminated.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 54
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United States
  • Rhode Island
    • Providence, Rhode Island, United States, 02912
      • Brown University School of Public Health

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Sedentary or low-active, (defined as < 60 min/week of structured physical activity)
• Able to receive and respond to a text message at the time of screening

Exclusion Criteria:

• History of coronary artery disease
• History of stroke
• History of uncontrolled hypertension
• History of asthma
• History of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
• History of diabetes
• History of osteoarthritis or orthopedic problems that limit physical activity
• BMI greater than 40

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Prevention
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Positive Psychology; On a weekly basis, participants will engage in group-based intervention sessions that focus on personal strengths and the value of positive emotions and cognitions. Participants will receive daily text-messages addressing the content introduced during group sessions.	Behavioral: PPPA; The intervention will focus on a) health benefits of PA, b) individualized PA intensity prescriptions and instruction on gauging PA intensity, c) goal-setting and self-monitoring, and d) tips on overcoming barriers to PA. Participants will be instructed to target 30-60 min/day 5 days/week of MVPA consistent with national guidelines. PA content will be concentrated in sessions 1 and 2, but content on goal-setting, self-monitoring, and overcoming barriers will continue throughout the 6-week period. The intervention includes activities that focus on identifying each individual's strengths, identifying/savoring positive experiences, engaging in constructive conversation, expressing gratitude, and strategies to maintain increased positive affect after the intervention has completed.
Active Comparator: Physical Activity Promotion; On a weekly basis, participants will engage in group-based intervention sessions that focus on the standard physical activity promotion components of the PPPA condition. Participants will receive daily text-messages addressing the content introduced during group sessions.	Behavioral: PA; The intervention will focus on (a) health benefits of PA, (b) individualized PA intensity prescriptions and instruction on how to gauge PA intensity, (c) goal-setting and self-monitoring, and (d) tips on overcoming barriers to PA, including time-management. Participants will be instructed to target 30-60 min/day 5 days/week of MVPA consistent with national guidelines. PA content will be concentrated in sessions 1 and 2, but content on goal-setting, self-monitoring, and overcoming barriers will continue throughout the 6-week period.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Change in Moderate-to-Vigorous Minutes of Physical Activity Per Week	Change in Moderate-to-Vigorous Minutes of Physical Activity Per Week [Time Frame: Measured at baseline, mid-treatment (week 4), and post-treatment (week 7).]	Measured at baseline, mid-treatment (week 4), and post-treatment (week 7).

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Change in Subjective Happiness	Measure of subjective happiness. Scores range from 4 to 28, with higher scores reflecting greater subjective happiness. Higher scores will reflect better outcomes of the intervention.	Survey will be administered at baseline, week 4, week 7, and week 10.
Change in Positive and Negative Affect	The Positive and Negative Affect Scale measures changes in positive and negative affect. Both positive and negative affect sub-scales will be scored (scores range from 10 to 50 for each individual sub-scale), with higher scores on the positive affect scale and lower scores on the negative affect scale indicating a better outcome.	Survey will be administered at baseline, week 4 (mid-treatment), week 7 (post-treatment), and week 10 (one-month follow-up).
Change in Optimism	Life Orientation Test- Revised measures trait optimism. Scores range from 10 to 50, with higher scores reflecting greater optimism. Higher scores will reflect better outcomes of the intervention.	Survey will be administered at baseline, week 4 (mid-treatment), week 7 (post-treatment), and week 10 (one-month follow-up).
Change in Satisfaction With Life	Measures subjective well-being. Scores range from 5 to 35, with higher scores reflecting greater satisfaction with life and subjective well-being. Higher scores will reflect better outcomes of the intervention.	Survey will be administered at baseline, week 4 (mid-treatment), week 7 (post-treatment), and week 10 (one-month follow-up).
Change in Social Support for Exercise	Measures perceived social support for regular exercise. Scores range from 13 to 65, with higher scores reflecting greater social support. Will be assessed as a putative mediator.	Survey will be administered at baseline, week 4 (mid-treatment), week 7 (post-treatment), and week 10 (one-month follow-up).
Change in Physical Activity Enjoyment	Measures enjoyment of physical activity. Scores range from 18 to 126, with higher scores reflecting greater enjoyment. Will be assessed as a putative mediator.	Survey will be administered at baseline, week 4 (mid-treatment), week 7 (post-treatment), and week 10 (one-month follow-up).

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Brown University
• Collaborators: National Cancer Institute (NCI)
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: David M Williams, PhD, Brown University

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): October 26, 2018
• Primary Completion (Actual): July 8, 2020
• Study Completion (Actual): July 8, 2020

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: September 18, 2018
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: January 30, 2019
• First Posted (Actual): February 1, 2019

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): April 4, 2023
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: March 9, 2023
• Last Verified: March 1, 2023

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Affect; Positive Psychology
• Other Study ID Numbers: 1R21CA224609-01A1 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: YES
• IPD Plan Description: De-identified data will be shared with interested parties after all of the initial study analyses and outcomes have been published.
• IPD Sharing Time Frame: Data will be made available 1 year after the completion of the study.
• IPD Sharing Access Criteria: All data access requests will be reviewed by a panel prior to acceptance.

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No