Family Physical Activity for Increasing Physical Activity

Age: < 18

Sex: Any

Trial Phase: Academic

Sponsor: University of Victoria

Disqualifiers: Unsafe for physical activity

No Placebo Group All trial participants will receive the active study treatment (no placebo)

Compensation: Varies

Number of Visits: 12

240 Participants Needed

What You Need to Know Before You Apply

What is the purpose of this trial?

This trial explores how forming exercise habits in parents can boost physical activity in their children. Researchers aim to determine if habit formation leads to more active children compared to education or planning activities alone. The trial includes different groups: one receives standard exercise guidelines, another adds planning tools, and a third focuses on habit formation. It is ideal for parents with children aged 6 to 12 who feel their family isn't active enough and whose child isn't meeting Canada’s physical activity guidelines. As an unphased trial, this study offers families a unique opportunity to actively participate in research that could enhance their lifestyle and well-being.

Will I have to stop taking my current medications?

The trial information does not specify whether you need to stop taking your current medications.

What prior data suggests that these physical activity interventions are safe for families?

Research shows that planning physical activities as a family is generally safe and well-received. Studies indicate that when parents and children participate in these activities, they often feel more confident, happier, and closer as a family. No evidence suggests serious side effects from this approach.

Similarly, creating exercise habits is considered safe. Research suggests that building these habits can effectively increase physical activity without causing harm. Both methods aim to encourage regular movement and fit easily into family routines, making them safe options for most families. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

Why are researchers excited about this trial?

Researchers are excited about these approaches because they aim to boost physical activity in families through innovative behavior strategies. Unlike standard recommendations that just advise on daily activity levels, the Family Physical Activity Planning method encourages families to actively plan and set goals together, making exercise a shared, enjoyable experience. Meanwhile, the Family Physical Activity Habit Formation approach adds another layer by helping families develop consistent exercise habits through context-dependent repetition, making physical activity a seamless part of daily life. These strategies not only aim to increase activity levels but also foster long-term lifestyle changes, which could be more effective than simply following guidelines.

What evidence suggests that this trial's treatments could be effective for increasing physical activity in children?

Research has shown that planning family activities can increase overall activity levels. In this trial, one group will concentrate on Family Physical Activity Planning, which involves creating structured exercise plans for the family. One study found that families who planned their exercise adhered to it more consistently. Another study found that when parents planned activities, their children became more active.

Another group in this trial will focus on Family Physical Activity Habit Formation, which emphasizes developing habits around regular physical activity. Research suggests that habit-building supports children's activity levels by integrating regular exercise into family routines. Overall, both planning and habit-building have shown promising results in encouraging families to be more active. ^{1 3 6 7 8}

Who Is on the Research Team?

Mark Beauchamp, PhD

Principal Investigator

University of British Columbia

Ryan Rhodes, PhD

Principal Investigator

University of Victoria

Chris Blanshard, PhD

Principal Investigator

Dalhousie University

Valerie Carson, PhD

Principal Investigator

University of Alberta

Benjamin Gardner, PhD

Principal Investigator

King's College London

Darren Warburton, PhD

Principal Investigator

University of British Columbia

Are You a Good Fit for This Trial?

This trial is for families with children aged 6-12 who aren't active enough according to Canada's guidelines. Parents should report low family physical activity levels but must be safe to exercise as determined by the PAR-Q.

Inclusion Criteria

The child is not meeting the physical activity guidelines recommended by Canada.

You do not engage in physical activities with your family.

You are a parent of a child who is between 6 and 12 years old.

Exclusion Criteria

participant is unsafe to participate in physical activity as determined by answers to the Physical Activity Readiness Questionnaire (PAR-Q)

Timeline for a Trial Participant

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

2-4 weeks

Intervention

Participants engage in physical activity habit formation, planning, or control conditions to increase moderate to vigorous physical activity over six months

6 months

Baseline, 6 weeks, 3 months, and 6 months assessments

Follow-up

Participants are monitored for changes in physical activity, health-related fitness, and quality of life

6 months

Assessments at 6 weeks, 3 months, and 6 months

What Are the Treatments Tested in This Trial?

Interventions

• Family Physical Activity Habit Formation
• Family Physical Activity Planning

Trial Overview The study tests if helping parents form a habit of being physically active can make their kids more active too. It compares three groups: one gets habit formation guidance, another gets education, and the last gets both education and planning help.

How Is the Trial Designed?

Group I: Family physical activity Planning Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

Behavoural: Family Physical Activity Planning. The physical activity planning intervention condition will receive the same guidelines as the standard education control group but will also be provided with family physical activity planning material. This material will include workbook on how to plan for family physical activity; brainstorming exercises for parents \& children where they list physical activities that they have found fun in the past, as well as some new activities they would like to try \& skill training content to help with goal setting \& tracking of physical activity.

Group II: Family Physical Activity Habit Formation Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

Behavioural: Family Physical Activity Habit formation. The Habit formation intervention condition will receive the same content as the education control condition and the physical activity planning condition but with additional material on creating physical activity support habits. The material includes a brief discussion of what habits are with some very straightforward examples such as preparing for sleep routines or initiating to drive a car to work. A key component of the habit section will be based on planning for context-dependent repetition, with pointers on how to maintain repetition as habit forms.

Group III: Control Active Control 1 Intervention

The control group package will consist of the Canadian 24 Hour Movement Guidelines recommending 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity per day for children. The guide also contains arguments \& information about the benefits of physical activity.

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

University of Victoria

Lead Sponsor

Trials

59

Recruited

12,000+

King's College London

Collaborator

Trials

772

Recruited

26,130,000+

University of British Columbia

Collaborator

Trials

1,506

Recruited

2,528,000+

Dalhousie University

Collaborator

Trials

177

Recruited

402,000+

University of Alberta

Collaborator

Trials

957

Recruited

437,000+

Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada

Collaborator

Trials

131

Recruited

72,600+

Published Research Related to This Trial

A study involving 421 girls in South Carolina showed that perceived family support is crucial for maintaining physical activity levels as they age, with lower family support linked to faster declines in activity.

The research indicates that enhancing family support can significantly impact physical activity, accounting for about one-third of a standard deviation change in activity levels, regardless of the girls' self-efficacy or perceived control over their behavior.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Family support for physical activity in girls from 8th to 12th grade in South Carolina. Dowda, M., Dishman, RK., Pfeiffer, KA., et al.[2018]

This study investigates a theory-based intervention aimed at preventing declines in physical activity among new parents over a 6-month period, involving 152 couples, making it the first dyad-based initiative in this area.

If successful, the intervention could provide a valuable strategy for maintaining physical activity levels during parenthood, potentially influencing public health practices and materials.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Evaluation of a physical activity intervention for new parents: protocol paper for a randomized trial. Quinlan, A., Rhodes, RE., Beauchamp, MR., et al.[2018]

The adaptation of the Familias Unidas intervention for obesity prevention in Hispanic adolescents involved input from experts and families, leading to a program that emphasizes improved family health, nutrition education, and physical activity engagement.

Pilot testing showed that parents were enthusiastic about hands-on nutrition training, and adolescents expressed a desire for more joint physical activities with their parents, highlighting the importance of family involvement in obesity prevention efforts.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Familias Unidas for Health and Wellness: Adapting an Evidence-Based Substance Use and Sexual Risk Behavior Intervention for Obesity Prevention in Hispanic Adolescents. St George, SM., Messiah, SE., Sardinas, KM., et al.[2023]

Family physical activity interventions can enhance family cohesion, especially in families with children aged 5-12, indicating that engaging in physical activities together can strengthen family bonds.

High-quality studies suggest that these interventions also improve family organization, particularly when tailored to specific family dynamics or characteristics, such as low-income families or particular parent-child relationships.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Family-based physical activity interventions and family functioning: A systematic review. Rhodes, RE., Hollman, H., Sui, W.[2023]

Citations

1. clinicaltrials.gov clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT03145688

NCT03145688 | Family Habit Physical Activity Study The purpose of this study is to examine physical activity habit formation in parents and if this can increase moderate to vigorous physical activity ...

2. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7200035/

Family-based habit intervention to promote parent support ... This randomised trial will build on family-based physical activity (PA) research evaluating whether building parent support habit for child PA is an effective ...

3. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10498635/

Effects of habit formation interventions on physical activity ... Our findings reveal that habit formation interventions are effective in fostering PA habit. Future studies could leverage the insights form this study.

4. clinicaltrial.be clinicaltrial.be/en/details/71484?per_page=20&only_recruiting=0&only_eligible=0&only_active=0

Family Habit Physical Activity Study - Clinical Trial Dis... Does the habit formation condition improve child health-related quality of life, and health-related fitness outcomes compared to the control and ...

5. withpower.com withpower.com/trial/phase-1-2017-78b75

Family Physical Activity for Increasing Physical Activity The purpose of this study is to examine physical activity habit formation in parents and if this can increase moderate to vigorous physical activity ...

6. sciencedirect.com sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666337625000691

Parent-child association of sedentary behavior according ... This study aimed to investigate the parent-child association of SB according to parental physical activity level.

7. iaap-journals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com iaap-journals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/aphw.70009

Changes in identity and habit formation during 3 months of ... The results of the original pre-registered research questions showed that team sport participation resulted in improvements in mental health and ...

8. ijbnpa.biomedcentral.com ijbnpa.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12966-025-01778-9

a systematic review and qualitative evidence synthesis Children and adolescents are at increased risk of adverse health consequences linked to physical inactivity. Parental support is positively ...