Clinical Research Directory

Healthy School Recognized Campus: A Hybrid Type 2 Implementation-Effectiveness Trial

Healthy School Recognized Campus is a Texas A\&M AgriLife Extension initiative that supports the delivery of school-based physical activity and nutrition programs for diverse youth across Texas. The purpose of this study is to conduct a type 2 hybrid implementation-effectiveness, cluster dual randomized controlled trial (DRCT) to assess both Healthy School Recognized Campus (HSRC) and the mentoring program.

Intern Health Study 2026

The aim of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of using a reinforcement learning algorithm to determine the optimal content of a mobile health intervention (message delivered via smartphone) for improving the mood, physical activity, and sleep of medical interns.

Mentoring to be Active for Rural Appalachia Children

The innovative MPBA+F begins with peer-to-peer mentoring followed by structured parental/family support for long-term reinforcement of PA behaviors. Building and reinforcing skills, MPBA+F mitigates resource stressors and strengthens protective factors by providing culturally appropriate knowledge and skills to improve the sustainability of physical activity at home without the use of exercise equipment. By strengthening social support through peer and friendship networks and family-based support, MPBA+F responds to the unique needs of rural Appalachians in a culturally responsive way. This study targets physical activity among children with overweight, obesity, or extreme obesity because rural Appalachian communities identify sedentary activity as a key contributor to the high rates of obesity and diabetes risk among youth.

Healthy Aging as Black Adults, In It Together: a Comparative Effectiveness Study of Chronic Pain and Cognitive Decline

The investigators aim to conduct a randomized controlled trial to compare two symptom-management programs for Black older adults with early cognitive decline (self-reported confirmed by testing) and chronic pain. The programs are Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy with Walking (MBCT+w) and Active Living Every Day (ALED). The investigators will assess how each program may help in improving physical, cognitive, and emotional function. The investigators will also assess whether improvements in outcomes from the two programs are maintained through a 6-month follow-up.

Support for Physical Activity in Everyday Life With Parkinson's Disease

This study aims to determine the effects of a motor-cognitive exercise intervention, delivered in the home environment using eHealth methods, among people with Parkinson's disease. The intervention will support and motivate motor training, combined with cognitive training, aimed at attentional and executive functions, among people at mild-moderate disease stages. The main hypothesis is that unsupervised motor-cognitive training in the home environment using eHealth will lead to improvements in gait performance, increased physical activity levels and improved perceived health.

The Muscle Monitor: Early Skeletal Muscle Indicators of Insulin Resistance and Cardiometabolic Risk

Insulin resistance is an early etiological factor in the development of type-2 diabetes (T2D), which constitutes a large societal health burden with an expected additional rise in the years to come. Skeletal muscle is the body's largest lean tissue mass and the major site of glucose disposal in response to insulin stimulation. Prior studies have suggested that a fast skeletal muscle phenotype, including a predominant fast muscle fiber composition, reduced capillary density, low fat oxidation and muscle oxidative capacity may be implicated in insulin resistance and TD2 development. However, key questions pertain in relation to the cause and effect of these relationships as well as the interaction with potential confounders and effect-modifiers including life-style factors (e.g. diet and physical activity levels) and general participant characteristics (e.g. body composition and training status). In the present project, we therefore aim to derive muscle fiber type and extensively map the proteomic signature of the early stages of insulin resistance in a large cross-sectional study using a young and apparently healthy cohort prior to T2D development, including a thorough participant characterization. We will recruit \~250 participants (men and women) in the age of 20-30 years and conduct extensive phenotyping and tissue sampling across one laboratory-based test day and a scan visit, as well as measurements of physical activity level and glucose handling in free-living conditions with wearable sensors. The study has a longitudinal aspect as participants will be re-invited at 5-year intervals for up to 20 years to delineate the trajectory of metabolic health in relation to muscle phenotype measures. The results of the project are expected to lead to significant advancements in our understanding of the importance of muscle phenotype for early-stage insulin resistance and metabolic health trajectories. Such understanding has potentially important clinical implications, as it can open new avenues for targeted interventions and individualized early preventive strategies to counter or delay the progression of insulin resistance and associated metabolic and cardiovascular disorders.

Adapted Comprehensive School Physical Activity Program

Investigators will conduct a hybrid implementation-effectiveness trial of an adapted Comprehensive School Physical Activity Program (CSPAP) intervention. A clustered stepped wedge design will be used, with the duration of the trial being 3 years.

Healthy Mothers-Healthy Children Nutrition

Using a randomized two-group, repeated measures experimental design, the goal of the proposed study is to investigate the efficacy of a 12-week nutrition and exercise education, physical activity, coping skills training, and home-based physical activity intervention in Hispanic women and their 3-5 year old children and 6 months of continued monthly contact to help overweight and obese Hispanic mothers improve adiposity, weight, health behaviors, and self-efficacy and their 3-5 year old children improve their adiposity and weight gain trajectory and health behaviors.

Electronic Cardiac Rehabilitation (eCardiacRehab) Feasibility Study

In Norway, more than 11,000 patients undergo percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) annually. However, a very recent study utilizing registry data show a national average of cardiac rehabilitation (CR) participation of only 14%, despite its proven beneficial effects on readmissions, physical capacity, psychological distress, self-management, and quality of life. CR is strongly recommended in European guidelines. However, uptake is low and is not systematically identifying those in most need of CR. The primary objective of eCardiacRehab is to meet rehabilitation needs of large patient populations regardless of their access to traditional place-based rehabilitation by developing and evaluating the efficacy and cost effectiveness of an interdisciplinary and comprehensive home-based eCardiacRehab programme. eCardiacRehab address patient- and system level challenges in order to increase access to CR. The investigators give particular attention to older patients, women, and those with comorbidities or mental health challenges. Aspects related to continuity of care between specialist and primary care services, health literacy, adherence to treatment, cost effectiveness and ethics are investigated. The investigators will 1) continue to develop the programme with patients, general practitioners, healthcare experts from both specialist and primary care services, and technology developers, 2) develop treatment modules, 3) establish information and communication infrastructure, 4) evaluate the process and efficacy of treatment modules, 5) ensure knowledge development and transfer of competence to the municipalities, and 6) contribute to fulfil the innovation potential for health service and industry partners. eCardiacRehab has the potential to improve interaction and collaboration between primary and secondary care, modernise and digitalise work processes, and develop more coherent and tailored patient pathways. The vision of the home-based eCardiacRehab is to make CR available to all.

The SHAPE Project (Hospital System for Physical Activity and Active Participation) After Hospitalized Decompensation of Respiratory Chronic Diseases

It is widely established that a lack of adapted physical activity (APA) and sedentary behaviors increase the prevalence of frailty, which exacerbates chronic diseases. Hospital stays amplify this phenomenon, leading to physical deconditioning, often irreparable, especially in older patients if it is not detected and treated promptly. To date, there is no standard of care focused on APA to address frailty acquired during hospital stays. In this context, the SHAPE project (Hospital System for Physical Activity and Active Participation) aims to prevent dependency in older adults with chronic diseases by developing an innovative patient journey based on APA. The project seeks to reduce frailty acquired during hospital stays by establishing standards for APA prescription, based on early diagnosis and intervention. SHAPE ensures equal access to care through an accessible and user-friendly web platform, designed for older users and also including those in rural areas. It fosters the resilience of healthcare systems by integrating a preventive and multidisciplinary approach into hospital treatments and optimizes resources through a tiered care model that provides progressive and personalized care. Although hospital stays have been shown to trigger physical deconditioning, there is no adapted physical activity program initiated by the hospital and followed at home after hospital discharge from a severe exacerbation in patients with chronic respiratory diseases. The SHAPE Project offers a highly beneficial tool for patients with acute or exacerbated chronic respiratory disease requiring hospitalization, promoting better overall recovery after discharge. Furthermore, this project will foster healthy lifestyles and promote health from a sustainability and prevention perspective. Of particular interest is the opportunity to offer a lifestyle change program (physical activity and hygiene-dietary measures) focused on respiratory patients and adapted to their specific needs. Moreover, the project is considered innovative in implementing healthy clinical practices through telemedicine. In addition, it offers post-hospital discharge services that, to date, have not been considered in a generic way for respiratory patients except in selective subgroups (post-COVID, patients included in lung transplant program, etc.). In respiratory patients who have required high-risk admission due to decompensation, the implementation of the SHAPE program after hospital discharge as a support program that combines an adapted physical activity plan and general hygiene and dietary advice will improve the health indicators (frailty, sarcopenia, dyspnea, exercise tolerance, quality of life) of these patients.

CHARGE: Pilot Trial of Self-directed Use of Resources for Physical Activity

This is a pilot RCT examining physical activity outcomes at 3 months across 3 conditions: use of large language model (LLM) fully self-directed; use of LLM with guidance; and use of online tools to help with sleep.

Mobile-Based Gamified Physical Activity in Secondary Education

Physical activity (PA) is critical for children's physical, psychological, social and cognitive health. The World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends that children aged 5-17 engage in 60 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity per day. However, 81% of children worldwide, 58% of children in Turkey, and 80% of adolescents do not meet these recommendations. Physical inactivity increases the risk of cardiovascular disease, obesity, and metabolic disorders, causing millions of deaths each year. Therefore, school-based interventions offer an important opportunity to improve children's PA, health-related physical fitness, and physical literacy (3F) levels. In recent years, the concept of physical literacy and mobile-based gamification applications have come to the fore. Gamification increases motivation and improves PA levels through elements such as points, badges, levels, and leaderboards. The literature indicates that gamified applications have positive effects on step count and exercise habits. However, research on physical fitness and literacy dimensions remains limited. In this context, the aim of the project is to examine the effects of a 12-week gamified mobile-based physical activity programme on 3F in secondary school students. The research will be conducted with 54 students at a state secondary school in Bursa, and participants will be divided into three groups: the gamified experimental group (GE), the non-gamified experimental group (NG), and the control group (CG). The physical activity programme will consist of daily step targets and weekly exercises, and students will be monitored via the mobile application called 'Time to Move' and a portfolio notebook. The gamification group will use points, badges, levels and a leaderboard, and physical activity homework will also be assigned outside of school. The study will include pre-tests, post-tests and 12-week follow-up measurements. The unique value of the project lies in fostering PA habits through a gamified mobile application, determining 3F levels and examining their effects on these levels, and ensuring the sustainable monitoring of a school-based programme with the support of a mobile application and portfolio. The main objective of the research is to support behavioural change in secondary school students, make PA a lifestyle, and foster healthy living habits in the long term.

Effectiveness of NeoMayor in Improving Cardiovascular Health

This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of NeoMayor, a mobile health (mHealth) intervention designed to improve cardiovascular health among older adults at elevated cardiovascular risk in Chile. NeoMayor is a smartphone-based application that provides personalized guidance on physical activity, diet, sleep, and mental well-being through a multidomain lifestyle approach. This multicenter randomized controlled trial will enroll community-dwelling older adults aged 55 to 75 years recruited from primary healthcare centers in urban and rural settings. Participants will be randomized in a 2:1 ratio to either the NeoMayor intervention or a control group receiving standard health information and usual care. The intervention duration will be four months. The primary objective is to determine whether the NeoMayor intervention improves cardiovascular health as measured by the Life's Essential 8 Cardiovascular Health Index. Secondary objectives include evaluating changes in cognitive performance, depressive symptoms, anxiety symptoms, quality of life and physical performance outcomes. The study will also assess feasibility and adherence to digital intervention.

Symptom Severity, Posture, Pain, and Physical Activity in Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease

This study is a cross-sectional research designed to investigate symptom severity, posture, musculoskeletal pain, and physical activity levels in individuals with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).

Evaluating Health Outcomes of AI-Based Fitness Wearables and App Programs in Older Adults Living Alone With Cognitive Decline

The overarching goal of our research is to develop personalized and accessible healthy aging lifestyle interventions aimed at promoting physical activity (PA) and improving health among community-dwelling older adults living alone with cognitive decline (LACD). To achieve this goal, the purpose of this project is to determine whether wearable and app-based mHealth intervention component(s) will contribute to increased PA and improved health outcomes in older adults LACD. Our specific aims are to: identify and evaluate mHealth intervention components that practically and significantly contribute to enhanced mechanistic outcomes (e.g., self-efficacy, outcome expectations) and increased PA (primary outcome) in older adults LACD over a 6-month period; determine the optimal combinations of intervention components for future efficacy testing; elucidate the mechanism of behavioral change (MoBC) and potential outcomes of these intervention components, namely, the mediating effects of MoBC variables (e.g., self-efficacy, outcome expectations) on the relationship between intervention components and change in PA. The first two aims are primary and fully-powered. The third aim is exploratory. The aims will support a refined, data-driven intervention design for a subsequent larger trial.

Managing Pain and Cognitions in Older Adults With Early Cognitive Decline and Chronic Pain

The investigators aim to conduct a fully powered randomized controlled trial to compare the efficacy of two symptom management programs for older adults with early cognitive decline (either self-reported or confirmed by testing) and chronic pain, Active Brains 1 and Active Brains 2. The investigators will assess how each program may help in improving multimodal physical, cognitive and emotional function. The investigators will also assess whether improvements in outcomes from the two programs are maintained through 6-months follow-up. The investigators will also explore whether improvements in outcomes are mediated by nonadaptive pain reactions, adaptive coping, social factors and compensatory strategies and modified by demographic and clinical predictors. Both programs will be delivered virtually (Zoom).

My Wellness Begins With the Steps!

This study evaluates the effect of street signs inviting to use the conventional stairs instead of escalators at a subway station without and with active pop music.

The LEADS Trial (Linking Exericise for Advancing Daily Stress Management)

Chronic stressors have wide-reaching harmful effects on the physical, social, and psychological well-being of many African American (AA) families. These stressors place some AA adolescents, who already experience low rates of physical activity (PA) and high rates of obesity, at even greater risk for developing chronic diseases. Previous family-based interventions have targeted PA, diet, and sedentary behaviors to prevent and manage overweight and obesity, but few have been successful for AA adolescents. The investigators propose that this may be because chronic stressors are a major challenge to engagement in health promotion efforts, which has been significantly overlooked in previous interventions for AA families. Resilience-based interventions that empower youth to cope with daily stressors have shown improvements across a broad range of outcomes including mental health, academic achievement, and risk-taking behaviors. However, no previous study has evaluated a family-based stress and coping plus positive parenting intervention on improving engagement in PA in AA families. The Linking Exercise for Advancing Daily Stress (LEADS) Management intervention integrates a family-based intervention to address chronic stressors to promote behavioral skills for increasing PA in overweight AA adolescents and their parents. Based on Lazarus and Folkman's Stress and Coping Model, Family Systems, and Social Cognitive Theories, the proposed intervention integrates components that build coping skills (mindfulness, deep breathing, active coping, cognitive reframing), self-esteem (self-affirmation), and positive parenting practices (parent support, nurturance, family routines). The investigators propose that these protective factors as integrated into the LEADS intervention will buffer the negative effects of chronic stressors, which will lead to greater improvements in PA. The investigators pilot research indicates that the LEADS family-based intervention was feasible and acceptable and led to increased moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA) for adolescents. Thus, the primary aim of this study is 1) to evaluate the efficacy of the LEADS intervention on increasing MVPA from baseline to post-intervention, and maintenance at a 6-month follow-up in overweight AA adolescents. Secondary aims will examine 2) the effect of the LEADS intervention on light PA, dietary intake, family mealtime, body mass index, waist circumference, and blood pressure outcomes, 3) the effects of the intervention on parent outcomes, as well as examining 4) mediators of the intervention effect on changes in PA.

Effect of Mobile Health-Based Gamified Long-Term Interventions to Increase Physical Activity on Cardiovascular Risk Factors: Randomized Controlled Study on University Students and Employees

The increasing incidence of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and related mortality is now recognized as a global emergency. CVD risk factors include unhealthy diet, inactivity, dyslipidemia, diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity, smoking, and family history/genetics. Increasing physical activity (PA) is recognized as an essential factor in reducing the risk of CVD. Many studies have emphasized that regular and adequate physical activity significantly reduces the risk of CVD through effects such as lowering blood pressure and cholesterol levels, supporting weight control, and improving diabetes management. Measuring steps/day is used to determine PA, and as technologies have developed, smartphones have become widely used tools. Inactivity and time constraints of modern life make it difficult for people to increase PA levels. Therefore, innovative intervention methods based on mobile health and gamification should be used to improve individuals' physical activity. Gamification is the application of game design elements such as points, badges, leaderboards, and levels in non-game environments. Gamification is increasingly being used to create change, particularly in physical activity and health behaviors. It is recommended to include resistance exercises at least 2 days a week in addition to aerobic activity to maximize health benefits. Recently, the high-intensity circuit training (HICT) program, which combines high-intensity interval training (HIIT) and circuit training (CT), requires less time, combines aerobic and resistance exercises, and uses body weight, has been developed and is used in sports. The main aim of the present study is to examine the effects of 12-week Mobile Health-Based Gamified applications on cardiovascular risk factors among university students and employees. In this direction, it is aimed to increase participants' daily steps and improve their physical activity habits. A total of 105 volunteers aged 18 to 64, including students and employees of Bursa Uludag University, will participate in the study. PACER pedometer and 7 Minute Workout HICT exercise mobile health applications will be used in the study. Subjects will be divided into five equal groups of 21 people each using the closed opaque envelope randomization method. Walking intervention (WG), gamified walking intervention (GWG), walking and exercise intervention (WEG), gamified walking and exercise intervention (GWEG), and control (CG) groups will be formed. The first four groups (WG, GWG, WEG, and GWEG) will walk every day for 12 weeks to reach the set target number of steps. In addition, volunteers in the GWEG and WEG group will exercise (HICT) for at least 15 minutes on 3 designated days per week in addition to walking. In addition, volunteers in the GWG and GWEG groups will use a gamified application. In CG, there will be no regular physical activity, and they will continue their daily lifestyle. In our study, unlike those conducted to date, the application of HICT with gradually increasing physical activity for 12 weeks to reduce CVD risk factors, and the use of gamified methods to stay in the program and ensure sustainability, emphasize its unique value. The gamified exercise program applied in this study is expected to provide an additional benefit for CVD risk factors compared with the protocols used to date.

Addressing Food Access and Physical Activity to Improve Diabetes Prevention Outcomes Among Underserved African Americans

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if an enhanced, culturally, socially, and structurally tailored Diabetes Prevention Program (E-DPP) can improve weight loss and related diabetes risk factors in African American adults with prediabetes living in low-income, socially vulnerable communities. The main questions it aims to answer are: * Does the enhanced DPP (E-DPP) lead to greater percent weight loss at 6 and 12 months compared to the standard culturally tailored DPP (S-DPP)? * How do social determinants (e.g., food insecurity, stigma, access to resources) influence weight loss and engagement in lifestyle behaviors? Researchers will compare a standard culturally tailored DPP (S-DPP) to an enhanced DPP (E-DPP) to see if improving access to healthy food, physical activity, and community resources increases weight loss and improves diabetes-related outcomes. Participants will 1. Attend DPP sessions delivered in community settings (e.g., churches) 2. Receive lifestyle education focused on diet, physical activity, and weight loss 3. Engage in physical activity (including in-class exercise sessions \[E-DPP only\] and community-based options) 4. Receive support for healthy eating, including food deliveries (\[E-DPP only\]), food selection guidance, and referrals to food assistance programs 5. Receive information and support for accessing community resources for food and physical activity

Study of Programm Interest 'Bouge' to Improve the Daily Physical Activity at the Pregnant Women.

Evaluate the "Bouge" digital program (smartphone application) to increase the daily physical activity of pregnant patients beguining at 15 SA

Support Your Heart, Phase 1

This is a pilot feasibility study designed to establish the feasibility and acceptability of the "Support Your Heart" (SYH) study's phone-based protocols regarding AHA's LE8, social isolation, loneliness, and stress. The age range for this intervention is 18-39, which is intended to reflect the transitional life period from adolescence to adulthood. Participants must also display at least two LE8 risk factors for cardiovascular disease (e.g., not enough sleep or physical activity; tobacco/nicotine product use; elevated body mass index; high cholesterol, high blood pressure, elevated HbA1c , and/or poor diet). Participants will receive weekly calls (averaging around 20-30 minutes each) from a SYH health coach in order to review key concepts, give personalized progress, and provide consistent feedback over the course of 12 weeks. SYH staff will measure improvement in AHA metrics as well as participant burden, acceptability, satisfaction, adherence, and retention. This research has the potential to create substantial public health impact by addressing cardiovascular health, social isolation, loneliness, and stress, all of which represent significant burdens to individual health.

Effect of Gerofit Exercise on Cognition in Older Veterans

Over 50% of the Veterans enrolled for VA health care are over the age of 65. Dementia prevalence increases with age, and with the increase in the population of people ages 65 and older, the total number of people with dementia is also increasing. Older Veterans often have comorbid PTSD, major depression and traumatic brain injury so that they are at 2 to 5 times the risk for cognitive impairment and dementia compared to the general population. There is evidence that exercise interventions in sedentary older adults could improve both physical and cognitive function. However, there have been very few studies on the effects of exercise on cognition in older Veterans and do not reflect the broader ethnic and health-status diversity of Veterans. Thus, improved knowledge of the role of exercise on cognition as well as the predictive power of biomarkers could have a major beneficial impact on Veterans' functional independence and quality of life. The investigators hypothesize that participation in the VA Gerofit exercise program will improve cognitive function in older Veterans and that blood and muscle biomarkers will predict these improvements.

Development of The Pediatric Physical Activity Tracking Platform (Pedi@Ctivity) and Smartwatch-based Big Data Analysis

Regular physical activity is extremely important for the protection and development of physical and psychosocial health. In addition, acquiring regular physical activity habits in the early years of life allows maintaining numerous gains related to physical fitness, functional capacity and psychoemotional health into adulthood. Guided by scientific and technological innovations, focusing on sustainable development goals, the vision of Society 5.0 is based on digital innovation with artificial intelligence, the internet of things, digital technologies and big data, and is to increase the awareness of individuals and encourage individuals to take a role in improving their health status with wearable technology and mobile health applications. In the literature, only one study has been found on the acquisition of big data with wearable technologies for the promotion of physical activity in adolescents. The general aim of our project is to obtain smartwatch-based big data for adolescents, which will be done for the first time in the field of health and sports in our country, and to analyze the obtained data using both statistical methods and big data analytics and artificial learning methods, to develop Pediatric Physical Activity Tracking Platform (Pedi@ktivite) through physical activity algorithms and to reveal the effect of the developed system on the physical fitness of adolescents and the usability of the system with scientific evidence. Within the scope of the project, adolescents with chronic rheumatic disease will also be included in the sample group, and the effects of the system to be developed in adolescents with the chronic rheumatic disease will be demonstrated. Due to the results obtained, we believe that this technology-supported approach will be an example of good practice for other chronic diseases. As the first technology-supported and big data-oriented project for health and sports in adolescents, our project will fill an important gap and provide pioneering results for future projects, paving the way for providing services in the fields of health and sports with big data analytics and addressing physical inactivity.