Sit Less, Move More Program as an Integrated Service at Osonament

Severe Mental Disorders, Chronicity and Sedentary Behaviour: Usability and Effectiveness of the "Sit Less, Move More" Program as an Integrated Service at Osonament

People with severe mental illness (SMI), such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, or major depressive disorder, experience a life expectancy reduction of 10-20 years, largely due to chronic conditions like cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. These individuals are less physically active and spend more time in sedentary behaviours (SB), which are associated with increased mortality, poor metabolic health, worse cognition, and lower quality of life. Traditional studies often rely on self-reported SB, which is unreliable, whereas objective measures like accelerometry provide more accurate data. Understanding SB patterns is essential for designing effective interventions to reduce prolonged sitting and improve health outcomes in this population.

This study aimed to describe daily SB patterns in outpatients with SMI and evaluate the feasibility of the "Sit Less, Move More" program integrated into routine care at Osonament, a community mental health center in Catalonia. The pragmatic intervention lasted 16 weeks and included two weekly contacts: face-to-face sessions for planning walking routes and strategies to increase activity, and telephone follow-ups to reinforce goals. Participants were grouped by affinity and residence to encourage autonomous walks, and the program was embedded within individual recovery plans. Ethical approval was obtained, and informed consent was secured.

Sedentary behaviour and physical activity were measured using the ActivPAL™ accelerometer, worn continuously for seven days at baseline and post-intervention. The device provided detailed data on sitting time, standing, light activity, and moderate-to-vigorous activity, as well as SB bouts categorized by duration. Self-perceived health was assessed using a visual analogue scale. From 412 potential candidates, 231 were invited, 60 enrolled, and 53 completed the program. Dropouts were due to psychiatric relapse, hospitalization, discharge, relocation, or loss of interest.

The study demonstrates the feasibility of integrating SB reduction strategies into community mental health services and highlights the importance of objective SB measurement. It provides a foundation for developing tailored interventions that break up prolonged sitting and promote movement among people with SMI, addressing a critical gap in improving physical health and reducing premature mortality in this vulnerable population.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Sever Mental Illnes
• Intervention / Treatment: Behavioral: Sit less and move more; Other: Actual care

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 57
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Spain
  • Barcelona
    • Manresa, Barcelona, Spain, 08242
      • Fundació Universitaria del Bages

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Adult; Older Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Being an active user of Osonament
• Having a clinical diagnosis of a severe mental illness (e.g., schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, etc) in a stable plhase of the illness

Exclusion Criteria:

• Actively using toxics substances
• Had a predominant diagnosis other than a sever mental disorder
• Presented with medical contraindication that prevented safe participation in physical activity

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Supportive Care
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: Double

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Intervention	Behavioral: Sit less and move more; The "Sit Less, Move More" program was implemented between February and May 2018, with a total duration of 16 weeks. The intervention was led by AG and delivered across three locations: the main Osonament center in Vic, the Estivill Camps center in Torelló, and the Mental Health Residential Home in Manlleu. Each participant received two weekly contacts: one face-to-face session and one telephone follow-up. During the face-to-face sessions, participants collaboratively selected walking routes and discussed strategies to increase daily activity at home. Educational materials and personal diaries were distributed to support self-monitoring and reflection. The telephone sessions served to reinforce behavioral agreements and encourage adherence to the weekly goals. Participants were grouped according to affinity and place of residence to facilitate autonomous group walks and improve accessibility and adherence.
Active Comparator: Comparator	Other: Actual care; The intervention involve normal or standarized healthcare delivered in Osonament center

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Physical activity levels	Total physical activity levels will be measured though accelerometry using ActivPAL. Total levels of physical activity (light or moderate-high) will be recorded in minutes	From enrollment to the end of intervention at 12 weeks
Sedentary behaviour	Patterns of sedentary behvaiour will be measured though accelerometry using ActivPAL. Patterns of sedentary behaviour will be recorded in minutes and bouts	From enrollment to the end of intervention at 12 weeks
Self-perceived health	Self-perceived health was evaluated using a single-item visual analogue scale ranging from 0 to 100, where participants rated their general health status, with higher scores indicating better perceived health. This measure was chosen for its simplicity and feasibility in populations with severe mental disorders.	From enrollment to th end of intervention at 12 weeks

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Fundació Universitària del Bages

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): February 7, 2018
• Primary Completion (Actual): February 15, 2019
• Study Completion (Actual): December 1, 2019

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: December 5, 2025
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: January 23, 2026
• First Posted (Actual): January 28, 2026

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): January 28, 2026
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: January 23, 2026
• Last Verified: January 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: physical activity; sedentary behaviour; sever mental illness
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Behavior; Motor Activity
• Other Study ID Numbers: SMI25

Drug and device information, study documents

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