SOC-based Behavioral Intervention to Promote Walking (SOCWalk)

SOC-based Behavioral Intervention to Promote Walking and Well-being Among Older Adults in Jiazhou, China

Drawing on the Selection, Optimization, and Compensation (SOC) model of adaptive development, this study tested whether a structured behavioral intervention could enhance walking activity and well-being through improvements in self-regulatory strategy use.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Older Adults; Older Adults (65 Years and Older)
• Intervention / Treatment: Behavioral: SOC-based walking intervention; Other: general health education program

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 350
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• China
  • Henan
    • Jiaozuo, Henan, China, 454099
      • Henan Polytechnic University

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Older Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Individuals were excluded if they had moderate-to-severe cognitive impairment, medical contraindications for walking, or planned relocation within six months.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Eligible participants were Chinese adults aged 65 years or older, lived in urban areas, could walk independently for at least 10 minutes, and had access to a mobile phone or WeChat (personally or through a family member).

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Health Services Research
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: Double

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: SOC; SOC-based walking intervention	Behavioral: SOC-based walking intervention; A structured Selection, Optimization, and Compensation (SOC)-based workshop designed to promote adaptive self-regulation in the domain of physical activity, particularly walking
Active Comparator: Active control group; active health education control.	Other: general health education program; A general health education program that covered age-related topics such as nutrition, sleep, medication adherence, and mental well-being, but excluded any self-regulatory or goal-setting components.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Walking behavior	weekly minutes of walking	From enrollment to the end of treatment at 8 weeks

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Selection	Use of "SOC (Selection, Optimization, and Compensation strategies)" questionnaire specific to walking, assessed with brief subscales (3-4 items each; 5-point Likert), at T0, T1, and T2. It assesses the self-regulatory strategies using a 12-item version of the Selection Questionnaire originally developed by Freund and Baltes (2002) and validated for use with Chinese older adults by Chou and Chi (2001). The instrument comprises three subscales-in this case we use the Selection scale-with four items rated on a 5-point Likert scale (1 = strongly disagree, 5 = strongly agree).	From enrollment to the end of treatment at 8 weeks
Optimization	Use of SOC "Selection, Optimization, and Compensation strategies Questionnaire" specific to walking, assessed with brief subscales (3-4 items each; 5-point Likert), at T0, T1, and T2. For this outcome, we use the subscale Optimization, which self-regulatory strategies assessed using a list of Optimization items, originally developed by Freund and Baltes (2002) and validated for use with Chinese older adults by Chou and Chi (2001). The instrument comprises is rated on a 5-point Likert scale (1 = strongly disagree, 5 = strongly agree).	From enrollment to the end of treatment at 8 weeks
Compensation	Use of SOC "Selection, Optimization, and Compensation strategies Questionnaire" specific to walking, assessed with brief subscales (3-4 items each; 5-point Likert), at T0, T1, and T2. We use the Compensation subscale of self-regulatory strategies, that was originally developed by Freund and Baltes (2002) and validated for use with Chinese older adults by Chou and Chi (2001). The instrument is rated on a 5-point Likert scale (1 = strongly disagree, 5 = strongly agree).	From enrollment to the end of treatment at 8 weeks

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Ling Yang

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): February 1, 2025
• Primary Completion (Actual): June 30, 2025
• Study Completion (Actual): June 30, 2025

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: November 25, 2025
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: December 17, 2025
• First Posted (Actual): December 31, 2025

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): December 31, 2025
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: December 17, 2025
• Last Verified: December 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Selection, Optimization, and Compensation (SOC); walking behavior
• Other Study ID Numbers: SOCWALK2025

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO
• IPD Plan Description: The protection of the privacy of our respondents does not allow us to share IPD.

Drug and device information, study documents

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