SITless Pilot Study
Research type
Research Study
Full title
SITless: Exercise Referral Schemes enhanced by Self-Management Strategies to battle sedentary behaviour - a pilot study
IRAS ID
197777
Contact name
Mark Tully
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Queen's University Belfast
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 9 months, 17 days
Research summary
It is well known that taking part in physical activity provides numerous health benefits for older adults. As people age, their activity levels decline rapidly. Primary care is a key setting for promoting more active lifestyles. GPs can refer suitable individuals to exercise referral schemes where the individual gets free supervised exercise sessions in a leisure centre for up to 16 weeks. An issue is that the health gains from exercise referral schemes are rarely sustained. Therefore, the use of behavioural change techniques such as self-management strategies may help to increase levels of daily activity, enhance quality of life and other health outcomes. However, no studies have compared combining exercise referral schemes with self-management strategies in older adults.
The primary aim of this research is to assess the feasibility and acceptability of a theoretically-based behavioural intervention combining exercise referral schemes with self-management strategies to target sedentary behaviour reduction in inactive, community dwelling older adults.
Approaching local community organisations, we will invite 15 participants aged ≥65 years old from the Belfast Metropolitan area to participate. Those who agree and consent will be allocated to one of three groups by chance (randomly). Five individuals will be offered a 17-week intervention combining an exercise referral scheme with self-management strategies; another five individuals will be offered a 16-week exercise referral scheme; and another five individuals will receive healthy lifestyle advice for older adults stressing the importance of doing regular physical activity to improve health.
As the aim of this pilot study is to test the feasibility of conducting the intervention, we will assess the delivery of intervention by recording the rate of recruitment achieved and level of drop out from the intervention. In addition, we will estimate changes in sedentary behaviour, physical activity, physical function and secondary outcomes post-intervention (i.e. 17 weeks after baseline).
REC name
Yorkshire & The Humber - Sheffield Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
16/YH/0160
Date of REC Opinion
12 Apr 2016
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion