Habit Formation + Physical Activity Planning for Increasing Physical Activity

Age: < 18

Sex: Any

Trial Phase: Academic

Sponsor: University of Victoria

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

Compensation: Varies

Number of Visits: 6

240 Participants Needed

Trial Summary

What is the purpose of this trial?

The purpose of this study is to examine physical activity habit formation in parents and if this can increase moderate to vigorous physical activity behavior in their children over six months.The Primary Research Question is: Does the habit formation condition result in increased moderate-vigorous intensity physical activity of the child compared to the control (education) and education + planning conditions at six months? Hypothesis: Child physical activity will be higher for the habit formation condition in comparison to the more standard physical activity education and planning conditions at six months.

Do I need to stop my current medications to join the trial?

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

What data supports the effectiveness of the treatment Habit formation intervention, Physical activity planning intervention for increasing physical activity?

Research shows that developing an exercise habit can increase physical activity levels, as seen in a study where participants who focused on habit formation reported more exercise over eight weeks. Additionally, habit strength can influence how well intentions to exercise translate into actual activity, suggesting that building strong exercise habits can help maintain physical activity. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

Is the habit formation and physical activity planning intervention safe for humans?

The studies reviewed do not report any safety concerns related to habit formation and physical activity planning interventions, suggesting they are generally safe for humans. ^{1 2 6 7 8}

How does the Habit Formation and Physical Activity Planning treatment differ from other treatments for increasing physical activity?

This treatment is unique because it combines habit formation with physical activity planning, focusing on building consistent routines and intentions to increase physical activity. Unlike other treatments that may rely solely on motivation or external prompts, this approach emphasizes the development of automatic behaviors (habits) to sustain long-term physical activity. ^{4 7 9 10 11}

Research Team

Darren Warburton, PhD

Principal Investigator

University of British Columbia

Ryan Rhodes, PhD

Principal Investigator

University of Victoria

Mark Beauchamp, PhD

Principal Investigator

University of British Columbia

Chris Blanchard, PhD

Principal Investigator

Dalhousie University

Valerie Carson, PhD

Principal Investigator

University of Alberta

Benjamin Gardner, PhD

Principal Investigator

King's College

Eligibility Criteria

This study is for families in Victoria, British Columbia with at least one parent and one child aged 3-5 who isn't getting the recommended amount of physical activity (60 minutes of moderate to vigorous activity daily). It's open to all socio-economic and ethnic backgrounds.

Inclusion Criteria

Participants will be at least one parent with at least one child between the ages of 3 and 5 years

Families will reside in greater Victoria, British Columbia

Parents can be single parents or co-parents (i.e. we only require one parent and one child to participate)

Exclusion Criteria

If you are a child and you are already getting at least 60 minutes of exercise that makes you breathe harder and sweat every day.

Timeline

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

2-4 weeks

Intervention

Participants are assigned to one of three conditions: habit formation, physical activity planning, or standard education control. The intervention focuses on increasing physical activity through habit formation, planning, or education.

6 months

Regular check-ins at baseline, 6 weeks, 3 months, and 6 months

Follow-up

Participants are monitored for changes in physical activity and related outcomes after the intervention period.

4 weeks

Treatment Details

Interventions

• Habit formation intervention
• Physical activity planning intervention

Trial Overview The trial examines if helping parents form habits around physical activity can increase their children's active play. It compares a habit formation strategy against just educating parents or combining education with planning over six months.

Participant Groups

Group I: Physical activity planning intervention Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

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 exercise for children where they list physical activities that they have found fun in the past, as well as activities that they would find enjoyable to do as a family.

Group II: Habit formation intervention Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

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: Standard education control group Active Control 1 Intervention

The control group package will consist of Canada's PA guidelines recommending 180 min per week for young children, transitioning to 60 minutes of activity a day for children at five and a breakdown of ways for the parent to help their child achieve this PA (unstructured, endurance, strength, activities) commensurate with this guide. The guide also contains arguments and information about the benefits of PA.

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

University of Victoria

Lead Sponsor

Trials

59

Recruited

12,000+

University of British Columbia

Collaborator

Trials

1,506

Recruited

2,528,000+

Canadian Cancer Society (CCS)

Collaborator

Trials

84

Recruited

42,100+

References

1. England pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

"As du Coeur" study: a randomized controlled trial on physical activity maintenance in cardiovascular patients. [2022]

2. England pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Protocol of the "As du Coeur" study: a randomized controlled trial on physical activity maintenance in cardiovascular patients. [2018]

3. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Mediating Mechanisms in a Physical Activity Intervention: A Test of Habit Formation. [2022]

4. England pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Habit as moderator of the intention-physical activity relationship in older adults: a longitudinal study. [2018]

5. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Habitual exercise instigation (vs. execution) predicts healthy adults' exercise frequency. [2018]

6. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Habit strength moderates the effects of daily action planning prompts on physical activity but not sedentary behavior. [2022]

7. England pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

The impact of action plans on habit and intention strength for physical activity in a web-based intervention: is it the thought that counts? [2023]

8. England pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Feasibility of a behavioral automaticity intervention among African Americans at risk for metabolic syndrome. [2022]

9. England pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Habits and self-efficacy moderate the effects of intentions and planning on physical activity. [2022]

10. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Habits predict physical activity on days when intentions are weak. [2014]

11. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Automatic and motivational correlates of physical activity: does intensity moderate the relationship? [2010]