Digital Training Program for Healthy Aging

(AAT Trial)

Overseen By Cassandra Skrotzki, MA

Age: 65+

Sex: Any

Trial Phase: Academic

Sponsor: Toronto Metropolitan University

Disqualifiers: Cognitive impairment, Physical unfitness, Mental health, others

Compensation: Varies

Number of Visits: 10

240 Participants Needed

Trial Summary

What is the purpose of this trial?

The proposed project aims to develop and validate a multi-dimensional digital active aging program integrated with resilience to promote the biopsychosocial functions of older adults aged 60, including Chinese older immigrants in Canada (Study 1) and English-speaking White Canadian older adults (Study 2). The proposed study takes a typical pretest-training-posttest design. Pretest and posttest: a battery of outcome measures on physical, psychological, and social functions will be administered to all participants. Data will also be used to identify sociodemographic risk predictors for outcome variables (i.e., biopsychosocial functions and resilience). Training: the participants will be randomly assigned to three arms to receive 4 weeks of 16 training/practice/control treatment sessions delivered via Zoom. In the "active aging with resilience (AR)" condition, participants will complete physical, cognitive, and social engagement training modules, starting with a 30-min resilience-building module. The traditional "active aging" (AA) training involves the same multi-domain active aging training without the initial resilience-building module. The "workshop training" (WT) control condition involves workshops following the same 4-week schedule on aging-related topics.

Research Team

Lixia Yang, PhD

Principal Investigator

Toronto Metropolitan University

Eligibility Criteria

This trial is for older adults aged 60 and above, including Chinese immigrants in Canada and English-speaking White Canadian seniors. It's designed to help with healthy aging, stress relief, cognitive function improvement, reducing loneliness, and enhancing social interactions.

Inclusion Criteria

I am 60 or older and in good health.

Study 1(Chinese group): Can speak, read and write Mandarin

Study 2(Canadian group): White Canadian citizen

Exclusion Criteria

Unfit for light physical exercises

Without access to a computer and internet

My memory and thinking skills test score is 6 or higher.

Timeline

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

2-4 weeks

Pretest

A battery of outcome measures on physical, psychological, and social functions will be administered to assess baseline performance

1 week

1 visit (virtual)

Intervention

Participants are randomly assigned to one of three arms to receive 4 weeks of training/control treatment sessions delivered via Zoom

4 weeks

8 sessions (virtual), 8 sessions (self-practice)

Posttest

Participants complete the same battery of outcome measures as administered at the pretest session to evaluate the efficacy of the training programs

1 week

1 visit (virtual)

Follow-up

Participants are monitored for safety and effectiveness after treatment

4 weeks

Treatment Details

Interventions

• Digital Active Aging Training Program

Trial Overview The study tests a digital active aging program with resilience training versus traditional active aging training or workshop series on topics related to aging. Participants will undergo pretest-training-posttest sessions over Zoom for four weeks.

Participant Groups

Group I: Active aging with resilience (AR) Experimental Treatment 4 Interventions

In the "active aging with resilience (AR)" condition, participants will complete physical, cognitive, and social engagement training modules, starting with a 15-min resilience-building module.

Group II: Active aging without resilience (AA) Active Control 3 Interventions

The traditional "active aging" (AA) training involves the same multi-domain active aging training without the initial resilience-building module, which will be replaced by watching 15 minutes of educational video on topics such as health, nature or travel.

Group III: Workshop training (WT) Placebo Group 1 Intervention

The "workshop training" (WT) control condition involves workshops following the same 4-week schedule on aging-related topics.

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

Toronto Metropolitan University

Lead Sponsor

Trials

95

Recruited

19,300+

Cogniciti

Collaborator

Trials

1

Recruited

240+

Cognifit

Collaborator

Trials

3

Recruited

640+

AGE-WELL and the Canadian Frailty Network

Collaborator

Trials

1

Recruited

240+

Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada

Collaborator

Trials

28

Recruited

6,100+

Aging in Cloud

Collaborator

Trials

1

Recruited

240+