View clinical trials related to Physical Activity.
Filter by:Encouraging greater levels of physical activity is critical to improving health among Americans, who are largely sedentary. Neighborhood parks are resources for physical activity that are available to most Americans within a couple miles of their homes, yet many residents are unaware of the programs and facilities available. Previous research indicates that park use is related to park programming and outreach. Because funding for parks is limited, low-cost interventions are needed to attract more people to parks to engage in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity. While many community-based organizations would like to invest in efforts that increase physical activity, few low-cost park programs are documented to be both scalable and cost-effective. Effective programs that can be replicated to make population-level impacts are needed. The goal of this study is to develop and test 2 low-cost community-level approaches, free exercise classes vs. a frequent user program, to promoting physical activity, singly and in combination, in 48 park settings in Los Angeles low-income neighborhoods.
Physical activity is a powerful lifestyle factor that on average reduces risk for development of diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Nevertheless, investigators have demonstrated that following supervised endurance exercise training, 20% of subjects show no change in fitness and 30% demonstrate no improvement in insulin sensitivity. Our concept is that by using molecular profiling of blood/muscle samples investigators will develop personalised lifestyle intervention tools. Further, revealing the biological basis for a variable metabolic or cardiovascular response to exercise will enable us to propose new targets and biomarkers for drug discovery efforts directly in humans. Using our established OMICS approaches (RNA, DNA and Metabo-) investigators will generate classifiers that predict the responses to exercise-therapy (fitness and insulin sensitivity). Classifier generation is a statistical strategy for diagnosis or prognosis. Critically, investigators have a large human tissue biobank, including subjects with insulin-resistance; young to elderly males and females, as well as twins. Our SME partner has significant intellectual property and capacity in the field of bio-prediction, with a proven track-record of collaboration with the team and product development. Investigators will add to the diversity of our biobank by carrying-out an exercise intervention study using a novel time-efficient strategy that investigators have recently proven to be effective in reducing insulin resistance in sedentary young people and in middle aged obese subjects. A time-efficient protocol is a critical as lack-of-time is a key reason for not maintaining physical activity levels. Finally, investigators have a novel out-bred rodent model that replicates high and low exercise training responses and investigators will establish its suitability for future drug screening purposes. Because of these substantial pre-existing resources investigators believe that our project has a very high probability of delivering on its goals of improving the healthcare of European citizens.
Despite their importance, health-related behaviors are hard to change. Among behaviors, physical activity is associated with protection from multiple diseases. People who are physically active have lower risk for heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, depression, and some cancers with associated dose-dependent reductions in cardiovascular and all-cause mortality. However, most US adults do not meet CDC physical activity guidelines. Sedentary work behavior in industrialized nations is likely a contributor to this problem. Current low-technology strategies for encouraging lifestyle change are disappointingly ineffective and are highly resource intensive. Systematic reviews of the literature show mixed evidence for using activity trackers (i.e., pedometers) and a limited body of evidence for text messaging in preventive health care. However, prior studies have not integrated digital activity tracking with mobile phone text messaging feedback. Given 91% of adults in the United States now use a mobile phone, and 56% a smartphone, this represents a potentially widely applicable avenue for therapeutic intervention. There is growing interest in leveraging mobile health (mHealth) technologies to improve health behaviors in the general population. The investigators propose to conduct a blinded, randomized mHealth trial of digital activity tracking and smart texting to promote physical activity.
The purpose of this study is to test the overall effects of incentives on physical activity among older taxi drivers, and whether mental accounting exists in this context.
This pilot study will assess whether a supported pedometer-based walking program is helpful in maintaining physical activity for breast and head-and-neck cancer patients who are undergoing radiation therapy. Follow-up monitoring sessions will be scheduled to help provide support for physical activity during radiation therapy. We will also examine the relationship of physical activity and quality of life outcomes to help inform future research.
Usability of the PALMS system, validity of the PALMS system and added value to an existing cohort study. Hypothesis: Addition of GPS device and use of PALMS system will allow researchers to better examine place-based interventions.
The study addresses a critical public health problem, childhood obesity, by testing a physical activity intervention in the types of preschools that millions of children attend. Information gained in this study may lead to adoption of preschool policies and instructional practices that increase physical activity and reduce the risk of obesity in preschool children.
The primary research question is: 1) Does the planning condition improve adherence to regular physical activity compared to the control condition at six months? Hypothesis: Adherence will be higher for the planning condition in comparison to the more standard physical activity education condition. The effect may wane over time from the initial measurement period but all outcomes will remain significantly higher at six months. Secondary Research Questions 1. Does the planning condition improve motivational, health-related quality of life, and health-related fitness outcomes compared to the control condition at six months? Hypothesis: The planning condition will not affect intentions or underlying motives (theory of planned behaviour constructs) for physical activity because its effect on behavior is to tie initial intentions better to behavioural action (i.e., behavioural regulation) and not to enhance motivation. Health-related fitness and quality of life, however, will be higher for the planning condition in comparison to the standard physical activity education intervention condition. The effect may wane over time from the initial measurement period but all outcomes will remain significantly higher at six months in the planning condition compared to the standard physical activity education group. 2. Can group differences among these motivational, behavioural, and health-related fitness outcomes be explained through a mediation model? Hypothesis: The covariance of the assigned conditions (planning, education) on use/adherence will be explained by planning and use of behavioural regulation strategies (i.e., manipulation check). In turn, the covariance between planning and behavioural regulation strategies and health-related outcomes will be explained by physical activity adherence among conditions. 3. Can motivational variables predict adherence? Do these differ by condition? Hypothesis: The approach will test Ajzen's theory of planned behavior, extended by the concept of active planning. Affective attitude and perceived behavioural control will predict intention, intention will predict planning and planning will predict adherence across conditions. 4. Is there an intergenerational, seasonal, or gender difference across primary outcomes by assigned condition? Hypothesis: Children will show greater adherence to the planning condition than their parents. No differences in gender or season are hypothesized but these are exploratory research questions because there is limited research at present to make any definitive statement.
Rationale: Abnormally low and high levels of insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) are both associated with increased metabolic risk. Since (U-shaped) associations of IGF-I, within the normal range, have also been found with cardiovascular risk factors and disease in the general population, it would be interesting to investigate if this association can also be found in growth hormone deficient (GHD) adults treated with Growth Hormone (GH). This could be of interest for endocrinologists prescribing GH in clinical practice because strict dosing may become even more important. Next to that, scientific evidence for clinical practice is wanted. Objective: Next to cardiovascular risk factors (main objectives: body composition and lipid profile; secondary objectives: remainder) we investigate the effect on glucose metabolism, physical performance, and neuropsychological functioning of different levels of IGF-I in GH treated GHD men and women. Study design: Open-label randomized trial. Study population: At least 32 subjects, both childhood as adult onset GHD men and women, receiving GH treatment for at least one year, with an age between 20 and 65 years. Intervention: At entry subjects are already receiving GH treatment according to general clinical practice, and are expected to demonstrate an IGF-I concentration of 0 - 1 SD score (SDS) (normal dose). The group of men and group of women will be randomized to receive either a decrease of their regular dose of GH treatment (IGF-I target level of -2 - -1 SDS) (low dose), or an increase of their regular dose, (IGF-I target level of 1 - 2 SDS) (high dose) for at least 24 weeks.
This proposal will address the existent gaps in the literature by identifying barriers and facilitators to participation in physical activity in inner-city minority elementary schoolchildren with asthma, more that half of whom are also overweight; developing and refining a school-based intervention in partnership with the community to improve physical activity; and conducting a pilot randomized controlled trial of the intervention to determine feasibility and obtain preliminary data for a future large-scale trial.