Clinical Research Directory

Sitting Interruption and Whole-body Cardiovascular Health

There is strong evidence for the association between sedentary behaviors and cardiovascular diseases such as coronary heart disease and stroke. However, the public currently has no clear guidance on how to limit or interrupt their sedentary behaviors. This study will identify and test the physiological effects of several sedentary behavior interruption strategies and explore the feasibility (i.e., likelihood of an individual performing the requested activities) of those strategies to inform the development of public policy surrounding sedentary behavior interruption. Long-term, the findings of this study will inform a large clinical trial that can test whether sedentary behavior reduction can decrease cardiovascular disease risk.

WatchWell: Simple and Practical Strategies to Reduce the Negative Health Impact of Sedentary Screen Time

The purpose of this study is to determine the feasibility, acceptability, efficacy, and participant adherence in using home-based technologies and wearable devices and simple, practical strategies to reduce the negative impact that evening screen time may have on your health.

The Sedentary to Active Rising to Thrive (START) Trial

The goal of this behavioral clinical trial is to compare two different ways of becoming less sedentary and more active in 60 older adults at elevated risk of becoming frail. The main question this project aims to answer are whether participants in each intervention are able to gradually replace 30 minutes of sedentary (sitting-like) behavior with very light walking over 60 days. There are other questions this project aims to answer that include: 1. whether it is easier to replace sedentary behavior with one 30-minute walking bout or three 10-minute walking bouts 2. whether becoming less sedentary and more active leads to feeling better, have less stress, pain, and fatigue and have more confidence in becoming more regularly active 3. whether becoming less sedentary and more active leads to better regulation of inflammation and metabolism Participants will be randomized into one of two sedentary reduction behavior programs; one program that gradually replaces sedentary time with one 30-minute walking bout and the other program that gradually replaces sedentary time with three 10-minute walking bouts in the morning, afternoon, and evening. Researchers will compare both programs to see which one is easier to achieve and maintain over 60 days.

mPATH for Low-income Older Adults

Although empirical research suggests that physical activity interventions benefit cognition and sleep in older adults in general, the possible benefit of physical activity is understudied in low-income older adults. The study aims to test the immediate and sustaining efficacy of an mHealth-facilitated Physical Activity Toward Health (mPATH) intervention on cognitive function and sleep in low-income older adults.

Exercise-snacks for Breaking the Sedentary Lifestyle and Improving the Physical Fitness of Obese Adolescents?

The management of a person with obesity involves long-term behavioral changes with a balanced diet in both quantity and quality, along with the adoption of a more active lifestyle: increasing physical activities and reducing sedentary behaviors. The school setting has been identified as a favorable environment for interventions aimed at reducing and interrupting the time adolescents spend sitting and preventing the associated negative health consequences. Recently, very short (\< 1 minute) and intense exercises, called 'exercise-snacks,' have been reported to be effective in adults for 1) improving physical fitness over 6 weeks, and 2) improving vascular function and lowering blood glucose levels over a single day. Additionally, in adolescents with diabetes, they have been shown to reduce body fat. This raises the question of whether adding \'exercise-snack\' sessions to a multidimensional care program for hospitalized obese adolescents could further improve their physical fitness in the short and medium term. The objective of this project is to compare the effects of a traditional multidimensional care program with the addition of 'exercise-snacks' to the same care program without \'exercise-snacks\' on the physical fitness, body composition, vascular function, and physical activity and sedentary behaviors of obese children in the short and medium term. Thirty-six obese adolescents will be included. The \'exercise-snack\' group will perform six exercise sessions per day for three weeks in addition to the standard care. The control group will receive only the standard care. Assessments of physical fitness, body composition, vascular health, and questionnaires on physical activity, sedentary behavior, and cognitive restraint will be conducted at the beginning and end of the three-week program, as well as 1 and 3 months after the end of the program.

Standing Desk Converter & Habitual Posture

This project will determine the short-term impact of a standing desk converter on: 1) objectively measured physical activity and posture levels, and 2) brain (cognition) and heart (blood pressure regulation) function. The main outcome is habitual activity patterns, assessed by the thigh-worn inclinometer (activPAL). All participants will be equipped with an activPAL and have their cardiovascular and cognitive function assessed at baseline and 4 weeks. Participants in the intervention group will use a standing desk converter for 4 weeks, while the wait-list control group will be encouraged to maintain their regular activity patterns. Researchers will compare the intervention and control groups to see if using the standing desk converter will increase standing time and lower sedentary time, improve cognition, and improve blood pressure regulation.

Biometrics and Self-reported Health Changes in Adults Receiving Behavioral Treatments for Chronic Pain

The study will provide important information regarding the biometric changes that occur in behavioral treatments for chronic pain and explore the additional impact of integrated movement and supervised exercise. The goal of this clinical trial is to determine if pain rehabilitation programs have impacts on physical function in patient reported outcomes and objective measures of physical activity or sedentary time with a wearable Fitbit. Additionally, we will examine the associations between movement, pain acceptance, and related health factors, such as pain severity, sleep, functional status, depression, and anxiety. The addition of biometric data will allow for further investigation of the association between objective measures and patient self-report measures.

RESPONSE-2-PAD to Reduce Sedentary Time in Peripheral Arterial Disease Patients

The RESPONSE-2- peripheral arterial disease (PAD) program will be implemented to modify sedentary time in patients with PAD. It is an adapted version of the RESPONSE that aims to reduce sedentary behavior in individuals with diabetes. The RESPONSE-2-PAD is a multicomponent program involves an online educational component, sedentary reminders and health coaching sessions, which are designed to modify patients' sedentary behavior.

Fullscale_Intervention Study: Genetic Risk Communication in Coronary Heart Disease and Wearables

Background: This study aims to determine the effects of communicating genetic risk for Coronary Heart Disease (CHD) alone or in combination with goal setting and prompts from a wearable device on objectively measured sedentary time (ST) in East Asians. It is hypothesized that this combination will lead to significant favorable changes in objectively ST, and that such changes will be more likely to be sustained over 6-month follow-up. Methods: In a parallel group, randomized controlled trial, a total 414 individuals of East Asians aged over 60years will be allocated into one of three groups: 1 control and 2 intervention groups. Blood samples will be used for estimation of CHD genetic and analysis of metabolic risk markers. Genetic risk for CHD will be estimated based on recently identified 79 SNPs (associated with CHD for East Asians) using an established methodology. Questionnaires and physical measurement will be administered at Before and after the 12-month intervention and at 6-month follow-up. Each group will receive a Fitbit device. Both intervention groups will be given CHD genetic risk estimates along with lifestyle advice but one of them will additionally use Fitbit's step-goal setting and prompt functions. The primary outcome is objectively measured sedentary time. Secondary outcomes include objectively measured MVPA, calories burned, and five intermediate metabolic risk markers (total cholesterol/HDL-C/LDL-C/triglycerides).