Clinical Research Directory

Promoting Walking Among Older Adults Through Nostalgia-Based Messages and Step-Monitoring

Physical inactivity increases substantially after age 60 and represents a major public health challenge in older adults, as it is linked to increased risk of functional and cognitive decline and aging problems. Walking is one of the most accessible and recommended forms of moderate physical activity for this population. However, promoting sustained engagement in walking remains difficult, as traditional informational approaches often fail to activate personally meaningful motivations. This study tests whether nostalgia-based persuasive messages can promote walking by leveraging psychologically meaningful connections with the past. Nostalgia, a predominantly positive, bittersweet emotion associated with meaningful past experience, has been shown to strengthen self-continuity, self-esteem, and psychological well-being in older adults. Building on this framework, the present trial examines whether nostalgic memories can strengthen motivation to engage in walking behavior. In addition, the study investigates whether combining nostalgia-based messaging with a self-regulation strategy (daily step monitoring) enhances intervention effectiveness. Self-monitoring is a well-established behavioral technique that supports goal pursuit by increasing awareness and feedback. Using a randomized controlled 4-arm factorial design, the study compares the effects of nostalgia-based messages, step-monitoring, their combination, and an attention control condition on walking behavior and its psychological determinants. A national sample of 1,000 Italian adults aged 65-74, recruited through a certified panel provider (Ipsos) and balanced for age, gender, and geographic region, will be randomly assigned to one of the four conditions. All participants will receive one message per day for 14 days via a mobile application. Participants in the self-monitoring conditions will also be asked to track and report their daily step count using a pedometer application. Behavioral, psychological, and process measures will be collected at baseline, post-intervention, and follow-up. The study aims to provide experimental evidence on the role of nostalgia as a motivational driver of health behavior change and to clarify whether combining affective and self-regulatory strategies enhances intervention effectiveness in older adults.