YouTube-Delivered Physical Activity Intervention

Effect of a YouTube-Delivered Physical Activity Intervention on College Students' Aerobic and Muscle-Strengthening Physical Activity: A Randomized Controlled Trial

This study will be an 8-week randomized controlled trial examining the effects of a YouTube-delivered aerobic and muscle strengthening physical activity intervention on university students' physical activity, fitness, sleep quality, and psychosocial health outcomes. Participants will be randomized into 1 of 2 groups: (1) intervention group (receive twice-weekly YouTube videos [1 aerobic workout video; 1 muscle-strengthening workout video] for 8 weeks); or (2) control group (receive twice-weekly YouTube videos with general health information [no physical activity-related information or workouts] for 8 weeks). Baseline (0 weeks), mid-point (4 weeks), and post-test (8 weeks) testing will take place and the following outcome measures will be assessed at these time points: participants' free-living (7-day) objectively-measured physical activity and sleep quality data will be collected; anthropometric measures (height, weight, percent body fat); cardiorespiratory and muscular fitness; and psychosocial assessments (perceived physical activity barriers and social support).

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Healthy
• Intervention / Treatment: Behavioral: YouTube-delivered aerobic and muscle-strengthening physical activity intervention

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 64
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United States
  • Minnesota
    • Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States, 55455
      • University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years to 35 years (Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• 18-35 years of age; able to participate in aerobic and muscle-strengthening exercise; healthy (i.e., no diseases or clinical/mental health conditions which will prevent physical activity participation); does not meet minimum physical activity guidelines criteria for aerobic (≥ 150 minutes per week of moderate-to-vigorous intensity physical activity) and muscle-strengthening (≥ 2 days per week; 8-10 exercises for all major muscle groups) physical activity at time of enrollment; willing to be randomized to the intervention or control group.

Exclusion Criteria:

• less than 18 years old or greater than 35 years old; physical or mental health contradictions which do not allow participants to participate in physical activity; exceed minimum aerobic or muscle-strengthening physical activity guideline recommendations; unwilling to be randomized to either intervention or control group.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

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

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Physical activity intervention; Will receive twice-weekly, YouTube-delivered aerobic and muscle-strengthening physical activity videos for 8 weeks.	Behavioral: YouTube-delivered aerobic and muscle-strengthening physical activity intervention; Participants in the intervention group will receive two YouTube-delivered videos each week, for 8 weeks. In detail, on Monday, participants will receive an aerobic-based physical activity video with information and a workout to complete and on Thursdays, the participants will receive a video with muscle-strengthening physical activity information and a workout to complete.
No Intervention: General health education control; Will receive twice-weekly, YouTube-delivered videos with general health education information for 8 weeks.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Change in objectively measured free-living physical activity	7-day measurement using wrist-worn ActiGraph tri-axial accelerometer	Baseline, 4 weeks (mid), and 8 weeks (end)
Change in adherence to muscle-strengthening guidelines	Assessed by 7-day physical activity recall interview to see if participants engaged in muscle-strengthening activity at least 2 days per week.	Baseline, 4 weeks (mid), and 8 weeks (end)

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Change in sleep quality	7-day measurement using wrist-worn ActiGraph tri-axial accelerometer	Baseline, 4 weeks (mid), and 8 weeks (end)
Change in cardiorespiratory Fitness	YMCA 3-minute step test	Baseline, 4 weeks (mid), and 8 weeks (end)
Change in muscular fitness	60 second pushups and sit-ups muscular endurance tests (maximal repetitions)	Baseline, 4 weeks (mid), and 8 weeks (end)
Change in intrinsic Motivation	Psychosocial survey	Baseline, 4 weeks (mid), and 8 weeks (end)
Change in social support	Psychosocial survey	Baseline, 4 weeks (mid), and 8 weeks (end)
Change in perceived physical activity barriers	Psychosocial survey	Baseline, 4 weeks (mid), and 8 weeks (end)
Change in body weight (kg)	Measured using stadiometer to the nearest 0.1 kg	Baseline, 4 weeks (mid), and 8 weeks (end)
Height (cm	Measured using digital bodyweight scale to the nearest 0.1 cm	Baseline
Change in body fat percentage	Measured using the digital weight scale used to assess body weight via bioelectrical impedance	Baseline, 4 weeks (mid), and 8 weeks (end)

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: University of Minnesota
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Daniel J McDonough, M.S., University of Minnesota

Publications and helpful links

General Publications

• McDonough DJ, Helgeson MA, Liu W, Gao Z. Effects of a remote, YouTube-delivered exercise intervention on young adults' physical activity, sedentary behavior, and sleep during the COVID-19 pandemic: Randomized controlled trial. J Sport Health Sci. 2022 Mar;11(2):145-156. doi: 10.1016/j.jshs.2021.07.009. Epub 2021 Jul 24.

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): December 2, 2020
• Primary Completion (Actual): March 27, 2021
• Study Completion (Actual): April 28, 2021

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: July 28, 2020
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: July 31, 2020
• First Posted (Actual): August 5, 2020

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): April 6, 2022
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: March 28, 2022
• Last Verified: March 1, 2022

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: physical activity; fitness; youtube
• Other Study ID Numbers: 2728

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO

Drug and device information, study documents

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