Active Choice Intervention About Physical Activity for Physically Inactive Adults

Effects of an Active Choice Intervention on Physical Activity Intentions and Behaviour Among Physically Inactive Adults: A Four-Arm Web-Based Experiment

This web-based experimental study aims to ascertain whether promoting an active (i.e. conscious and autonomous) choice process about physical activity results in better behavioural outcomes (e.g. physical activity) and psychological outcomes (e.g. physical activity intention) compared to promoting a passive choice process in physically inactive adults.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Physical Activity
• Intervention / Treatment: Behavioral: Guideline + Active Choice + action&coping planning (GA+); Behavioral: Guideline + Active Choice (GA); Behavioral: Guideline + information (GI); Behavioral: Guideline (G)

Detailed Description

In this web-based experimental study, the investigators will use a pre-test post-test four-arm parallel design to compare the effect of promoting an active choice process versus a passive choice process about physical activity on behavioural outcomes (e.g. physical activity behaviour, perceived increase in physical activity) and psychological outcomes (e.g. physical activity intention, commitment) among physically inactive adults.

Participants will be randomized to one of four groups. Participants in group GA+ will be encouraged to make a very active choice by weighing advantages and disadvantages of physical activity, considering personal values, identifying barriers and engaging in action and coping planning. The intervention for group GA is similar, but lacks the action and coping planning exercises. In the other two groups, a passive choice process will be promoted by only providing information: Group G will read the national physical activity guideline and group GI will read the guideline and information about possible advantages and disadvantages and barriers to physical activity. Behavioural and psychological outcomes will be assessed at the first measurement and follow-up measurement. Regression analyses will be performed to examine intergroup differences. In addition, sensitivity analyses and a process evaluation will be performed.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 564
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Netherlands
  • Noord-Holland
    • Amsterdam, Noord-Holland, Netherlands, 1018BT
      • VUMedicalCenter

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:

• Low levels of physical activity (i.e. physically active for at least 30 minutes on <5 days a week and engaging in <150 minutes of physical activity in total throughout an average week)

Exclusion Criteria:

• Pregnancy
• Wheelchair user
• Not being able to walk a minimum of 100 meters

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Basic Science
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: Single

Number of Arms

4

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Guideline + Active Choice + action&coping planning (GA+); Participants received a web-based intervention consisting of information (including the national physical activity guideline) and several assignments. Assignments included: completing a decision balance sheet; indicating the importance of personal values and the time, effort and energy spent on these personal values; action planning; identifying barriers to physical activity; coping planning.	Behavioral: Guideline + Active Choice + action&coping planning (GA+); Web-based intervention consisting of information and assignments, including: completing a decision balance sheet; indicating the importance of personal values and the time, effort and energy spent on these personal values; action planning; identifying barriers to physical activity; coping planning
Experimental: Guideline + Active Choice (GA); Participants received a web-based intervention consisting of information (including the national physical activity guideline) and several assignments. Assignments included: completing a decision balance sheet; indicating the importance of personal values and the time, effort and energy spent on these personal values; identifying barriers to physical activity.	Behavioral: Guideline + Active Choice (GA); Web-based intervention consisting of information and several assignments, including: completing a decision balance sheet; indicating the importance of personal values and the time, effort and energy spent on these personal values; identifying barriers to physical activity.
Experimental: Guideline + Information (GI); Participants received the national physical activity guideline, and information about pros and cons of physical activity, and possible barriers to physical activity.	Behavioral: Guideline + information (GI); Web-based information about the national physical activity guideline, pros and cons of physical activity, and possible barriers to physical activity.
Other: Guideline (G); Comparison arm. Participants received the national physical activity guideline.	Behavioral: Guideline (G); Web-based information about the national physical activity guideline.; Other Names: Comparison arm

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Intention	Intention to become more physically active (yes/no), assessed by a questionnaire	Directly after the intervention (Day 0)
Physical activity	Physical activity levels (MET minutes per week), assessed by the short form of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ)	Change from baseline at approximately 18 days

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Sitting time	Sitting time (minutes per day), assessed by the short form of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ)	Change from baseline at approximately 18 days
Perceived change in physical activity compared to baseline	Questionnaire item: Participants' self-perceived change in physical between baseline and follow-up. Dichotomous outcome (change/no change).	Change from baseline at approximately 18 days
Intention strength	Questionnaire item: scale 0 (no strong intention) - 10 (very strong intention). a higher score indicates higher intention strength.	Change from day 0, at approximately 18 days
Active choice	Degree to which an active choice is made; a composite score of 9 items on a scale of 1 (totally not agree) - 5 (totally agree); a higher score indicates a more active choice.	Directly after the intervention (Day 0)
Autonomous choice	Degree to which an autonomous choice is made; 2 items on a scale of 1 - 10. For the first item, a higher score indicates a more autonomous choice, whereas for the second item, a higher score indicates a less autonomous choice.	Directly after the intervention (Day 0)
Commitment	Commitment to become more physically active; 1 item on a scale of 0 (no commitment) - 10 (high commitment). A higher score indicates higher commitment.	Directly after the intervention (Day 0)
Commitment	Commitment to become more physically active; 1 item on a scale of 0 (no commitment) - 10 (high commitment). A higher score indicates higher commitment.	Change from day 0, at approximately 18 days follow-up
Self-efficacy	Self-efficacy to become more physically active; 2 items on a scale of 1 (no self-efficacy) - 10 (high self-efficacy). A higher score indicates more self-efficacy.	Directly after the intervention (Day 0)
Self-efficacy	Self-efficacy to become more physically active; 2 items on a scale of 1 (no self-efficacy) - 10 (high self-efficacy). A higher score indicates more self-efficacy.	Change from day 0, at approximately 18 days follow-up
Satisfaction about one's plan	Degree of satisfaction with one's plan to become or not become more physically active on a scale of 1 (no satisfaction) to 10 (high satisfaction).	Directly after the intervention (Day 0)
Alignment of choice with personal values	Extent to which one's plan to become/ not become more physically active corresponds with what one considers important; 1 item on a scale of 1 (no alignment) - 10 (high alignment)	Directly after the intervention (Day 0)
Perceived advantages and disadvantages of physical activity	Open-ended questions about the perceived advantages and disadvantages of one's current physical activity behavior, and of increasing physical activity.	During intervention (Day 0)
Value of health	Importance of the value 'health', on a scale of 1 (not important at all) to 10 (very important), and the time, effort and energy spent on health on a scale of 1 (no time, effort and energy) to 10 (very much time, effort and energy)	During intervention (Day 0)
Values influencing physical activity	The extent to which the following values impact one's physical activity levels on a scale of 1 (no influence) to 10 (high influence): responsibility, achievement, pleasure, family, friendships, balance.	During intervention (Day 0)
Plans to change physical activity	Open-ended questions about the preferred kind of physical activity, frequency, location, days and start date.	During intervention (Day 0)
Perceived barriers to physical activity	Open-ended question asking about perceived barriers to physical activity	During intervention (Day 0)
Plans to cope with perceived barriers	Open-ended questions about the ways one could cope with each perceived barriers	During intervention (Day 0)
Factors supporting physical activity	Question about the factors that supported or would support physical activity. Multiple choice question.	Follow-up; approximately 18 days after the intervention (day 0)
Barriers to physical activity	Question about the barriers that hindered physical activity in the past two weeks. Multiple choice question.	Follow-up; approximately 18 days after the intervention (day 0)

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Amsterdam UMC, location VUmc
• Investigators: Study Director: Danielle Timmermans, Prof. dr., Academisch Medisch Centrum - Universiteit van Amsterdam (AMC-UvA); Study Director: Evert Verhagen, Prof. dr., Academisch Medisch Centrum - Universiteit van Amsterdam (AMC-UvA)

Publications and helpful links

General Publications

• Landais LL, Damman OC, Jelsma JGM, Verhagen EALM, Timmermans DRM. Promoting an active choice among physically inactive adults: a randomised web-based four-arm experiment. Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act. 2022 Apr 27;19(1):49. doi: 10.1186/s12966-022-01288-y.

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): September 4, 2020
• Primary Completion (Actual): October 9, 2020
• Study Completion (Actual): October 9, 2020

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: June 11, 2021
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: July 12, 2021
• First Posted (Actual): July 22, 2021

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): July 22, 2021
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: July 12, 2021
• Last Verified: July 1, 2021

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Decision making; Physical activity intervention; Web-based; Active choice
• Other Study ID Numbers: 2020.142

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: Yes
• IPD Plan Description: We plan to make all anonymized data available during publication, e.g. via clinicaltrials.gov.
• IPD Sharing Time Frame: Data will become available during publication.
• IPD Sharing Access Criteria: No access restrictions.
• IPD Sharing Supporting Information Type: Study Protocol; Statistical Analysis Plan (SAP)

Drug and device information, study documents

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