The Active by Choice Today (ACT) Trial to Increase Physical Activity

Sponsor

University of South Carolina (Other)

Overall Status

Completed

CT.gov ID

NCT01028144

Collaborator

Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) (NIH)

1,422

Enrollment

Location

Arms

Duration (Months)

24.5

Patients Per Site Per Month

Study Details

Study Description

Brief Summary

The increasing prevalence of obesity in U.S. children and adolescents is a major health threat to our society, especially among minority and low social economic status (SES) populations. During adolescence physical activity (PA) decreases and is likely an important contributor to the increasing trend in childhood obesity rates. Little evidence suggests that school-based curriculum interventions lead to increases in overall PA. Thus, this proposal will evaluate the efficacy of an innovative motivational and behavioral skills after-school program for promoting increases PA among underserved adolescents (e.g., minorities, low SES). The motivational plus behavioral skills intervention is consistent with Self-Determination (Motivation) Theory and Social Cognitive Theory in that it emphasizes increasing intrinsic motivation and behavioral skills for PA. Adolescents in the intervention take part in developing the program, selecting physical activities that generate fun and interest, and generating their own coping strategies for making effective PA changes during a videotaped session. Preliminary data from our group demonstrates the feasibility of the motivational plus behavioral skills PA program for increasing moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA) in underserved adolescents in South Carolina. The proposed project will use a school-based nested cohort design to evaluate efficacy of a 17-week motivational plus behavioral skills program versus typical after-school program (general health education only) on increasing PA in underserved adolescents. Twenty-four middle schools (70 6th graders per school; N=1,680), located in South Carolina will be randomly assigned to one of two after-school programs. The study employs a nested cohort design, with schools, rather than individuals assigned to condition and will be analyzed using repeated measures analysis of covariance techniques as outlined by Murray. We will also examine psychosocial variables (PA self-efficacy, self-concept, motivation, social support, and enjoyment) as potential mediators of the intervention on changes in MVPA using regression and structural equation modeling techniques. This study will address an important public health problem that will have implications for decreasing obesity in underserved adolescents.

Condition or Disease	Intervention/Treatment	Phase
Exercise Physical Activity Obesity	Behavioral: Physical Activity Program Behavioral: General Health Program	Phase 1/Phase 2

Study Design

Study Type:

Interventional

Actual Enrollment :

1422 participants

Allocation:

Randomized

Intervention Model:

Parallel Assignment

Masking:

Single (Outcomes Assessor)

Primary Purpose:

Prevention

Official Title:

Self-Determination for Increasing Physical Activity

Study Start Date :

Jul 1, 2004

Actual Primary Completion Date :

May 1, 2009

Actual Study Completion Date :

May 1, 2009

Arms and Interventions

Arm	Intervention/Treatment
Experimental: ACT Program Motivational and Behavioral Skills Physical activity after-school program	Behavioral: Physical Activity Program A 17-week motivational and behavioral skills after-school intervention for increasing moderate to vigorous physical activity in low income and minority adolescents. Other Names: ACT
Active Comparator: General Health General health education after-school program	Behavioral: General Health Program A 17-week general health afterschool intervention (comparison program) focused on nutrition, stress management, drug prevention, and drop-out prevention. Other Names: Comparison

Arm

Intervention/Treatment

Experimental: ACT Program

Motivational and Behavioral Skills Physical activity after-school program

Behavioral: Physical Activity Program

A 17-week motivational and behavioral skills after-school intervention for increasing moderate to vigorous physical activity in low income and minority adolescents.

Other Names:

ACT

Active Comparator: General Health

General health education after-school program

Behavioral: General Health Program

A 17-week general health afterschool intervention (comparison program) focused on nutrition, stress management, drug prevention, and drop-out prevention.

Other Names:

Comparison

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

moderate to vigorous physical activity (based on accelerometry estimates) [2 weeks post intervention]

Secondary Outcome Measures

moderate to vigorous physical activity during the intervention (based on accelerometry estimates) [week 8 of the intervention]

Eligibility Criteria

Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study:

10 Years to 13 Years

Sexes Eligible for Study:

All

Accepts Healthy Volunteers:

Yes

Inclusion Criteria:

parental consent
agree to random assignment
6th grade student

Exclusion Criteria:

medical condition that interfered with physical activity
developmentally delayed such that the intervention materials were not cognitively appropriate
currently in treatment for a psychiatric disorder