A Collaborative Theory-based Intervention to Promote Physical Activity Among Sedentary Parents and Their Children

Summary

Insufficient physical activity in children and adults is linked to increased risk of physical and mental health conditions. Parents have an important influence on their children's activity, and preliminary aimed at promoting physical activity suggest the family unit as a potentially efficacious means of delivery. However, there is relatively little research examining the efficacy of family interventions aimed at promoting both parents' and children's physical activity. In addition, many family-based interventions are not guided by behavioral theory known to enhance intervention efficacy and reduce variability, and do not target low-active families. This project will therefore develop and test the efficacy of a theory-based behavioral intervention to increase physical activity engagement in low-active children and their parents. The intervention will adopt a randomized waitlist-controlled design with parents and their children allocated to an intervention group that receives theory-based content targeting changes in key behavioral determinants or to a waitlist control group that receives measurement only. The intervention will be delivered to parent-child dyads in a series of four online meetings with a trained facilitator, accompanied by web-based supporting materials, and a moderated social support online chat group. The primary dependent variable will be parents' and children's leisure time physical activity, and secondary outcomes will be device measured physical activity (intervention group only) and measures of key theory-based determinants of physical activity, including autonomous motivation, attitudes, subjective norms, self-efficacy, intentions, and perceived autonomy support. These outcomes will be measured at baseline and at 3, 6, and 12 months post-baseline. Parents and children allocated to the intervention group are expected to exhibit higher levels of physical activity and behavioral determinants. Intervention effects on physical activity change are expected to be mediated by the theory-based determinants, consistent with psychological theory. The project will contribute to research by testing the efficacy of a unique intervention based on behavioral theory expected to be effective in promoting physical activity in low-active parents and their children, and providing guidelines and materials that practitioners in health promotion and public health can use in campaigns and national strategies to promote physical activity in this population.

Conditions

• Inactivity/Low Levels of Exercise
• Inactivity, Physical

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

Integrated Behaviour Change Based Intervention Materials

The intervention will be delivered over a three-month period as a series of four zoom hosted workshops, online content, and a moderated social support group. Zoom workshops will last 45 minutes and will target key constructs from the integrated behavior change model. Main topics of the workshops are autonomy Supportive parenting (Week 1), goal setting and outcome beliefs (Week 3), physical activity norms (Week 5), and encouraging self-efficacy and maintenance (Week 8). Following each workshop, participants will receive links to online content that builds on workshop themes, such as messages, worksheets, and reflection tasks. Throughout the trial, participants will be able to participate in social support chat groups to discuss their progress with other members of the intervention group and intervention facilitators.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• University of Jyvaskyla

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Martin Hagger · University of Jyvaskyla

• Keegan Knittle · University of Jyvaskyla

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

BASIC_SCIENCE

Masking

NONE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

18 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2023-09-20

Primary Completion

2024-05-31

Completion

2024-12-31

Countries

• Finland

Study Locations