A Structural Approach to Implement the Role of 'Physical Activity Counselors' in Sports and Exercise Promotion

Sedentary Lifestyle Clinical Trial

Official title:

Pilot Study: A Structural Approach to Implement the Role of 'Physical Activity Counselors' in Sports and Exercise Promotion in Flanders

Clinical Trial Details — Status: Completed

Administrative data

• NCT number: NCT01516099
• Other study ID #: S53801
• Status: Completed
• Phase: Phase 4
• First received: January 12, 2012
• Last updated: August 12, 2013
• Start date: April 2012
• Est. completion date: August 2013

Study information

• Verified date: August 2013
• Source: Universitaire Ziekenhuizen Leuven
• Contact: n/a
• Is FDA regulated: No
• Health authority: Belgium: Ethics Committee
• Study type: Interventional

Clinical Trial Summary

The primary aim of this study is to investigate how a physical activity counselor can offer an added value in the sports and exercise promotion in Flanders. The investigators will explore if the physical activity counselor, in collaboration with the setting of general practitioners and social-cultural associations, can refer sedentary people and persons who are active in a non-organized context, into systematic participation in sports and/or exercise. Additionally, the investigators want to determine if the physical activity counselor will succeed in referring the target population to the local supervised and structured sports and exercise activities.

Description:

Being regularly physically active is a basic component of a healthy lifestyle. However, a large amount of the Flemish population does not reach the prescribed guidelines and cannot enjoy the health benefits related to an active lifestyle. One part of the population is physically active but makes no use of the existing, structured and supervised exercise and sports programs. Therefore the chance on lifetime participation in sports and exercise is quite low in this group. Another group consists of sedentary people that does not participate in any exercise or sports activity at all.

A physical activity counselor can possibly deliver a crucial service for the above mentioned groups. He/she can design an individualized sports- or exercise approach and program. In the short term, the physical activity counselor can guide the participant into his first success experiences regarding exercise and sports. In the long term, the chance of remaining physically active will increase by improving the understanding and the self-confidence of these participants.

However it is questioned how the physical activity counselor can reach these target groups in an efficient way, as the traditional sports and exercise promotion seems to have no impact on these persons. A first alternative may be the setting of the general practitioners. The general practitioner is, as a care provider in primary health care, in a good position to refer sedentary people or those who are active in a non-organized context to a physical activity counselor for 'minimal' coaching. A second alternative can be the setting of the social-cultural associations (e.g. seniors association, women association, neighborhood actions, …). The social context and the local networks in these associations facilitate the proper forms of motivation to exercise with other people and to adapt to a healthy lifestyle.

Recruitment information / eligibility

• Status: Completed
• Enrollment: 110
• Est. completion date: August 2013
• Est. primary completion date: July 2013
• Accepts healthy volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers
• Gender: Both
• Age group: 18 Years to 75 Years

Eligibility

Inclusion Criteria:

• Between 18-75 years of age

• Able to walk

Exclusion Criteria:

• Severe cardial disease

Study Design

Allocation: Non-Randomized, Intervention Model: Single Group Assignment, Masking: Open Label, Primary Purpose: Treatment

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Sedentary Lifestyle

Intervention

Other:
• General Practitioners
The general practitioner can refer his patients to a physical activity counselor for an individual coaching (intake session with development of program and pretesting, follow up by e-mail or phone (max 4x), personal contact moments (max 3x) and exit session with evaluation and posttesting).
• Social-cultural organizations
In the social-cultural organization, members can sign in for group sessions led by the physical activity counselor (intake session with development of program and pretesting, follow up by email or letters (max 4x), personal contact moments (max 4x) and exit session with evaluation and posttesting).

Locations

Country	Name	City	State
Belgium	Katholieke Universiteit Leuven - Faculty of Kinesiology and Rehabilitation Sciences	Leuven	Vlaams Brabant

Sponsors (2)

Lead Sponsor	Collaborator
Universitaire Ziekenhuizen Leuven	Belgian Government

Country where clinical trial is conducted

Belgium, 

Outcome

Type	Measure	Description	Time frame	Safety issue
Primary	Change in health-related anthropometric measures	Length, Weight, Abdominal circumference	baseline, 10 weeks, 6 months	No
Primary	Change in objective measure of degree of physical activity	Sensewear: little accelerometer that will be carried on the upper arm during several days and consequently registrates the amount of physical activity during this period.	Baseline, 10 weeks, 6 months	No
Primary	Change in mental well-being	Standardized questionnaire	Baseline, 10 weeks, 6 months	No
Primary	Change in motivation to be physically active	Standardized questionnaire	Baseline, 10 weeks, 6 months	No
Primary	Change in participation in local structured sports and exercise	Standardized questionnaire	Baseline, 10 weeks, 6 months	No