Small Steps Towards Improving Activity and Sleep Habits to Decrease the Risk of Dementia

Summary

This is a randomised controlled study aiming to evaluate the implementation of a website ('Small Steps') to support the modification of participants' time-use behaviour to reduce the risk factors for dementia. 'Small Steps' website provides the tools for this with a visual representation of the participant's current use of time and allowing manipulation to demonstrate how small lifestyle changes may improve and meet sleep and physical activity needs. Participants will be assisted to make changes to current behaviours with the aim to reduce the time they spend sitting (sedentary behaviour), increase physical activity, and improve sleep duration and quality.

Participants (aged 65 or older) will be randomly allocated to one of two groups, the 'Extended Program' (intervention) group or the 'Condensed Program' (control) group.

There are 3 phases (Introductory, Maintenance and Follow-Up; each 12-weeks long) to this program and in total the program is 36-weeks long. Participants will use a tailored website to help support them in making progressive changes over the first 12 weeks. They will then try to maintain these behaviour changes for as long as possible. There will be in-person health testing during each phase and information about sleep habits, sleep quality, and motivation will be assessed using online surveys. Physical activity levels and sleep duration will also be assessed.

Conditions

• Dementia
• Alzheimer Disease

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

Small Steps Program

Participants in the intervention group will be given access to the Small Steps website. Small Steps website provides a visual representation of the participant's current use of time and allows for manipulation to demonstrate how small lifestyle changes may improve sleep and physical activity needs. The personal outcome goals selected by the participant will also feature on participant's dashboard within the Small Steps website as a reminder. Participants will be prompted through the first 12 weeks to add a new behaviour change each week and will receive support phone calls weekly. During the 12-week Maintenance Phase participants will be guided to maintain their new behaviour, with supportive phone calls being progressively reduced from fortnightly to monthly. At the completion of the 12 weeks, investigator support will be withdrawn. Maintenance of the new behaviour without support will then be assessed over 12 additional weeks in the Follow-Up phase.

BEHAVIORAL

Comparator Program

Participants will receive generic health advice only and it will not be individually tailored, nor will they receive weekly support phone calls during the first 12-weeks. Participants will receive no feedback or support in the Maintenance or Follow-Up phases.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Flinders University

  collaborator OTHER

• University of South Australia

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Ashleigh Smith, PhD · University of South Australia

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

PREVENTION

Masking

SINGLE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

65 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2024-04-03

Primary Completion

2026-02-28

Completion

2027-01-31

Countries

• Australia

Study Locations