Community Walks Program for Sedentary Lifestyle

Not currently recruiting at 1 trial location

Overseen By Marislena Amezquita, BS

Age: 18+

Sex: Any

Trial Phase: Academic

Sponsor: Tufts Medical Center

Disqualifiers: Other physical activity study

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

Compensation: Varies

Number of Visits: 12

What You Need to Know Before You Apply

What is the purpose of this trial?

This trial explores ways to encourage residents of Boston's public housing to be more active. It will test an environmental change, such as adding walking trails, an individual-level eHealth phone program to boost motivation, or both. Participants will join one of these groups or a control group with no intervention. The goal is to determine which method best increases physical activity over two years. Residents who can wear a fitness tracker, speak English or Spanish, and do not plan to move soon might be a good fit.

As an unphased trial, this study offers a unique opportunity to contribute to community health improvements and discover effective ways to increase physical activity.

Will I have to stop taking my current medications?

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

Is there any evidence suggesting that this trial's interventions are likely to be safe?

Research has shown that eHealth programs, like the one in this trial, are generally safe and easy to use. A review found that mobile health tools can help people become more active without causing major side effects, allowing participants to try new ways to get moving with little risk.

Similarly, studies on environmental programs suggest they are safe as well. These programs aim to boost physical activity by changing the surroundings, such as adding walking trails. Past research found these changes helpful without causing harm.

Overall, previous studies have shown both types of programs in this trial to be safe. Participants can feel confident about the safety of these programs while exploring new ways to stay active. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

Why are researchers excited about this trial?

Researchers are excited about the Community Walks Program because it tackles sedentary lifestyles with innovative approaches. The eHealth phone program offers an automated, phone-based system that encourages physical activity, making it accessible and easy to use without needing face-to-face interaction. Meanwhile, the Environmental program focuses on altering the physical surroundings to encourage walking, which could lead to lasting community-wide changes. By combining both approaches, the program not only motivates individuals but also transforms their environment, potentially leading to more sustainable lifestyle changes than traditional exercise recommendations or gym memberships.

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

Research has shown that phone-based health programs, like the eHealth phone program in this trial, can help people become more active. Studies have found that these digital tools can reduce sitting time and improve health by lowering blood pressure and aiding weight management.

In this trial, one group will receive only the eHealth phone program intervention, while another group will experience environmental changes. Specifically, altering surroundings, such as adding walking paths or parks, has been shown to increase physical activity. Research indicates that these changes encourage more walking and exercise, especially in cities.

Additionally, this trial includes a combined group that will receive both the phone program and environmental changes, potentially boosting physical activity more than using just one approach. ^{4 6 7 8 9}

Who Is on the Research Team?

Lisa M Quintiliani, PhD

Principal Investigator

Tufts Medical Center

Are You a Good Fit for This Trial?

This trial is for English or Spanish speakers who live in Boston Public Housing or on property owned by the Boston Housing Authority, plan to stay there for at least 2 years, have phone access, and are willing to wear a physical activity tracking device during assessments. It's not for those already in another incompatible physical activity study or unable to consent.

Inclusion Criteria

No plans to move within the next 2 years

I am willing to wear a physical activity tracker.

I can speak English or Spanish.

Exclusion Criteria

I am able to understand and agree to the study's requirements.

Currently enrolled in a research study about physical activity that is incompatible with study participation

Timeline for a Trial Participant

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

2-4 weeks

Intervention

Implementation of environmental and individual-level interventions to promote physical activity

24 months

Ongoing community activities and phone program

Follow-up

Participants are monitored for changes in physical activity levels at 12 and 24 months

24 months

Assessments at 12 and 24 months

What Are the Treatments Tested in This Trial?

Interventions

• eHealth phone program
• Environment program

Trial Overview The study tests if an environmental program (creating walking trails/maps), community-led walking groups, an eHealth phone program, or both combined can increase moderate intensity physical activity among residents. Participants from different housing developments will be randomly assigned to one of these interventions or a control group with no intervention.

How Is the Trial Designed?

Group I: Individual-level eHealth phone program intervention (I only) Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

An automated telephone-based physical activity program.

Group II: Environmental group intervention (E only) Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

Changing the environment surrounding the PHDs making it more amenable to walking and advocating for changes to the built environment

Group III: Combined group (E and I interventions) Experimental Treatment 2 Interventions

Changing the environment surrounding the PHDs making it more amenable to walking and advocating for changes to the built environment and an automated telephone-based physical activity program.

Group IV: Control group (no interventions) Active Control 1 Intervention

No interventions for residents to increase activity levels.

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

Tufts Medical Center

Lead Sponsor

Trials

264

Recruited

264,000+

Boston Medical Center

Lead Sponsor

Trials

410

Recruited

890,000+

National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD)

Collaborator

Trials

473

Recruited

1,374,000+

Published Research Related to This Trial

A review of 26 studies found that interventions aimed at reducing sedentary behavior in adults were categorized as very promising (39%), quite promising (21%), and non-promising (39%), with worksite-based interventions being the most common.

The most effective strategies included environmental restructuring and self-monitoring techniques, suggesting that future interventions should focus on modifying environments and enhancing self-regulatory skills to reduce sedentary behavior.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

How to reduce sitting time? A review of behaviour change strategies used in sedentary behaviour reduction interventions among adults. Gardner, B., Smith, L., Lorencatto, F., et al.[2023]

The eHealth intervention was delivered with high fidelity, with 93% of participants receiving initial training and 98.45% of expected follow-ups conducted, indicating strong program adherence.

Despite high engagement from 40.4% of users over 12 months, increased usage did not lead to significant improvements in clinical outcomes or lifestyle changes, suggesting that simply using the intervention more frequently does not guarantee better health results.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

An Internet-Based Intervention for Cardiovascular Disease Management Integrated With Primary Care Electronic Health Records: Mixed Methods Evaluation of Implementation Fidelity and User Engagement. Coorey, G., Peiris, D., Scaria, A., et al.[2021]

Cell phone interventions for individuals with diabetes or obesity have been shown to significantly improve health outcomes, particularly in reducing hemoglobin A1c levels, with 9 out of 10 studies reporting positive results.

These interventions also enhance communication between patients and healthcare providers, leading to greater satisfaction with care and increased self-management skills among patients.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Diabetes self-management care via cell phone: a systematic review. Krishna, S., Boren, SA.[2022]

Interventions using wearable activity trackers during hospitalization significantly increased overall physical activity levels and reduced sedentary behavior among 1911 participants across various medical conditions, showing a standardized mean difference of 0.35 for activity and a reduction of 35.46 minutes per day in sedentary time.

Patients using these trackers also experienced improvements in physical function, with a standardized mean difference of 0.27, indicating that these devices can enhance recovery during hospital stays, although they did not significantly affect pain, mental health, length of stay, or readmission rates.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Interventions Using Wearable Activity Trackers to Improve Patient Physical Activity and Other Outcomes in Adults Who Are Hospitalized: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. Szeto, K., Arnold, J., Singh, B., et al.[2023]

A 6-month mobile health (mHealth)-based disease management program significantly reduced both systolic and diastolic blood pressure in 125 participants with hypertension, diabetes, and dyslipidemia, indicating its efficacy for managing vascular disease risk.

The program was found to be safe, with no serious adverse events reported, suggesting it can be a reliable intervention for individuals with multiple lifestyle-related diseases.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

A Mobile Health-Based Disease Management Program Improves Blood Pressure in People With Multiple Lifestyle-Related Diseases at Risk of Developing Vascular Disease - A Retrospective Observational Study. Kanai, M., Toda, T., Yamamoto, K., et al.[2022]

In a low-intensity, employer-sponsored weight loss program involving 3 counseling calls and a comprehensive website, one third of participants lost at least 5% of their body weight after six months, indicating the program's efficacy.

Utilization of both counseling and the website, particularly the weight tracking tool, was linked to successful weight loss, along with positive health behavior changes like increased fruit and vegetable intake and physical activity.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Outcomes and utilization of a low intensity workplace weight loss program. Carpenter, KM., Lovejoy, JC., Lange, JM., et al.[2021]

Citations

1. ijbnpa.biomedcentral.com ijbnpa.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12966-022-01399-6

The impact of interventions in the built environment on ... We found positive effects of urban interventions on physical activity regarding park renovations, adding exercise equipment, introducing a (new) pocket park, ...

2. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9424102/

Built environment interventions and physical activity levels We conducted a systematic review of interventions targeting modifications to the built environment changes in urban areas.

3. sciencedirect.com sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2213398425002465

The moderating impact of community-built environments on ... The purpose of this study is to verify if the benefits obtained in behavioral variables by intervention participants of the “Active Life Improving Health” ...

4. nature.com nature.com/articles/s41586-025-09321-3

Countrywide natural experiment links built environment to ... Our findings suggest that designing built environments to be more activity-friendly could have significant effects on the physical activity of ...

5. journals.humankinetics.com journals.humankinetics.com/view/journals/jpah/22/7/article-p772.xml

Effort Minimization and the Built Environment We explore how characteristics of the contemporary environment contribute to low levels of physical inactivity and high levels of sedentary behavior.

6. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10078830/

Impact of environmental interventions based on social ... The 24 reviewed studies suggest innovative proposals for social programs that seek to increase PA and promote healthy lifestyles.

7. uwm.edu uwm.edu/publichealth/innovative-intervention-aims-to-improve-physical-activity-and-function-in-older-adults/

Innovative intervention aims to improve physical activity ... This 12-week, randomized controlled trial is comparing the Active Sitting intervention to a standard of care approach in low-functioning adults.

8. sciencedirect.com sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2468266725000386

Effects of workplace interventions on sedentary behaviour ... In conclusion, this study provides a comprehensive evidence synthesis on workplace interventions targeting sedentary behaviour and physical activity.

9. digitalcommons.library.tmc.edu digitalcommons.library.tmc.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1044&context=uthsph_dissertsopen

Assessing The Impact Of Environmental Factors On Sedentary ... Sedentary behavior (which is independent of physical activity) could be one factor contributing to the prevalence of non-communicable disease in the Mexican ...