Moving from intention to behaviour: a randomised controlled trial protocol for an app-based physical activity intervention (i2be)

App-Based Physical Activity Intervention Among Women With Prior Hypertensive Pregnancy Disorder: A Randomized Clinical Trial

Importance

Insufficient moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD). Effective interventions are needed to bridge the intention-behavior gap and increase MVPA, especially among women with prior hypertensive pregnancy disorder (HPD).

Objective

To test the effectiveness of two 8-week app-based MVPA interventions (motivation and action) that were based on the integrated behavior change (IBC) model and used evidence-based behavior change techniques from behavioral sciences.

Design, Setting, and Participants

This randomized clinical trial (RCT) included women with prior HPD. A purpose-built app was tested from October 2021 to March 2022, with follow-up immediately after the intervention (week 9), 3 months later (week 21), and 12 months later (week 61). The study ended in May 2023. Data were analyzed from March 31, 2022, to June 9, 2024.

Intervention

All participants received a wearable fitness tracker and a purpose-built physical activity intervention app and were randomized to 1 of 3 groups (control, motivation, or action): The control group received information on CVD, MVPA, and HPD; the motivation group received the same information as well as motivational interviewing-based counseling; and the action group received the same information as well as behavior change techniques that targeted all processes in the IBC model (motivational, volitional, automatic): motivational interviewing-based counseling, action and coping planning, commitment, positive psychology, and mindfulness-based stress reduction.

Main Outcomes and Measures

The primary outcome was MVPA (in minutes per week). Treatment effects were estimated using available case ordinary least-squares regression.

Results

A total of 619 women participated in this study: 205 in the control group, 209 in the motivation group, and 205 in the action group. Their mean (SD) age was 38.9 (7.3) years; 386 of 577 participants (67%) had a bachelor's degree or more and 550 of 577 (95%) were living with a child or children. The mean (SD) weekly MVPA for all 3 groups went from a high baseline of 242 (190) minutes to 197 (208) minutes immediately post intervention. No significant postintervention treatment effects on MVPA were observed for the action group (week 9 treatment effect, -17 [95% CI, -58 to 23] min/wk) or the motivation group (week 9 treatment effect, -3 [95% CI, -58 to 51] min/wk), despite the action intervention positively influencing motivational and volitional processes. The app and intervention components were all evaluated positively by participants.

Conclusions and Relevance

In this clinical trial of 2 app-based MVPA interventions among 619 women with prior HPD, no treatment effects on MVPA were observed. Possible explanations include (1) the importance of automatic processes in determining MVPA and the absence of treatment effects on these processes and (2) the high baseline activity levels of control group participants, which may have given less room for the treatments to improve upon. These are important considerations for those designing future MVPA interventions and RCTs.

Trial Registration

Netherlands Trial Register Identifier: NL9329.

FUPEC study, a prospective open-cohort on severe pre-eclampsia and cardiovascular risk factors based in the Netherlands

PURPOSE

The FUPEC (Follow-Up Pre-EClampsia) study aims to investigate the presence and development of cardiovascular risk factors, cardiovascular disease, as well as cardiovascular health following a pregnancy complicated by severe pre-eclampsia.

PARTICIPANTS

The FUPEC study is an open-cohort study conducted within routine care at the FUPEC clinic at Erasmus Medical Center in the Netherlands. This clinic is specifically designed for the cardiovascular follow-up of patients who have experienced severe pre-eclampsia. Women with a history of severe pre-eclampsia are invited to the FUPEC clinic at 6 weeks, 3 months, 1 year and every 2 years thereafter postpartum until they are 50 years of age. Clinical and biochemical data are routinely collected, encompassing pregnancy characteristics and outcomes, anthropometric measurements, cardiovascular risk factors, cardiovascular health scores, carotid intima-media thickness-including vascular age and ambulatory blood pressure measurements. Additionally, blood and urine samples are collected and stored in a biobank.

FINDINGS TO DATE

The first patient was enrolled in April 2011. As of March 2024, a total number of 1268 women have been enrolled in the FUPEC study, with an annual enrolment rate of 100-150 new patients. At inclusion, women had a median age of 33.5 years (IQR 30.1-37.9). At their first FUPEC visit, women were a median of 4.9 months (1.9-29.4) after delivery. At the first visit, the median body mass index was 25.7 (IQR 23.0-29.9) kg/m2, 23.4% of participants were using antihypertensive medication and 6.4% were smoking. Preliminary analyses of 24-hour blood pressure patterns and carotid intima-media thickness have previously been conducted on a subset of the cohort, with details provided in the 'Findings to Date' section.

FUTURE PLANS

The FUPEC cohort serves as a robust clinical data source and biobank that can be used for future studies and collaborative research answering, for example, questions on the aetiology, risk factors and short-term and long-term complications of pregnancies complicated by severe pre-eclampsia. Since the FUPEC cohort is integrated with routine care, there is no strict completion of data collection, allowing for flexible data acquisition.

A Longitudinal Theory-Based Investigation of How Environmental Aesthetics Predicts Home-Based Exercise

INTRODUCTION

Environmental aesthetics is a recognized macro environmental correlate of physical activity participation. Extrapolating this effect, we hypothesize this variable to also function as a determinant of exercise participation in the microenvironment , such as the home. Specifically, we predict that the environmental aesthetics of the location of cardio and resistance training equipment will predict determinants of exercise participation within the integrated behavior change model.

METHODS

Adult owners of exercise equipment ( N = 231) completed measures on the environmental aesthetics of their cardio and resistance training equipment, exercise time, and constructs from the integrated behavior change model across three consecutive monthly surveys. Study hypotheses were tested using multilevel structural equation modeling with participants (level 2) nested within time (level 1).

RESULTS

The model revealed predictive effects of intention, habit, and planning on exercise participation over time. The findings indicated a total effect of autonomous motivation on intention and habit. In addition, environmental aesthetics of cardio and strength training equipment predicted autonomous motivation, along with habit and intention when accounting for indirect effects. Finally, planning moderated the intention-behavior relationship, indicating that participants who scored higher on planning were more likely to translate their intentions to behavior.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings provide informative notes for designing effective home-based exercise programs, which have increased in popularity over the past recent years. Specifically, experimental studies that provide exercise equipment should ensure that the location of the equipment is appealing to the participant to increase the likelihood equipment use and exercise engagement.

Needs and preferences of women with prior severe preeclampsia regarding app-based cardiovascular health promotion

BACKGROUND

Women with prior severe preeclampsia are at an increased risk for cardiovascular diseases later in life compared to women who had a normotensive pregnancy. The objective of this study was to assess their needs and preferences regarding app-based cardiovascular health promotion.

METHODS

Patients (n = 35) of the Follow-Up PreEClampsia Outpatient Clinic (FUPEC), Erasmus MC, the Netherlands, participated in an anonymous online survey. The main outcomes under study were women's needs for health behavior promotion, and their preferences with respect to intervention delivery. Descriptive statistics were used to evaluate needs, and thematic analysis was used to analyze preferences.

RESULTS

Women's primary need for health behavior promotion pertained to their fat and sugar intake and physical activity; for some, to their mental health (practices), fruit and vegetable intake, salt intake, and water intake; and for a few, to their alcohol and tobacco use. Most women preferred an app-based intervention to include, in descending order: the tracking of health-related metrics, an interactive platform, the use of behavior change strategies, the provision of information, and personalization.

CONCLUSION

Cardiovascular health promotion targeting women with prior severe preeclampsia should feel relevant to its audience. App-based interventions are likely to be well received if they target fat and sugar intake and physical activity. These interventions should preferably track health-related metrics, be interactive, contain behavior change strategies, provide information, and be personalized. Adopting these findings during intervention design could potentially increase uptake, behavior change, and behavior change maintenance in this population.

Perceived determinants of physical activity among women with prior severe preeclampsia: a qualitative assessment

BACKGROUND

The objective of this study was to (1) qualitatively identify the perceived determinants of physical activity among women who have experienced severe preeclampsia, and (2) examine whether these determinants are consistent with the overarching processes outlined in the integrated behavior change (IBC) model, a novel model that describes physical activity as being a result of motivational, volitional, and automatic processes.

METHODS

Patients (n = 35) of the Follow-Up PreEClampsia (FUPEC) Outpatient Clinic, Erasmus MC, the Netherlands, participated in an anonymous online survey. The main outcomes under study were their perceived determinants of physical activity. Responses were analyzed using thematic analysis.

RESULTS

Thirteen themes emerged from the analysis. Six themes corresponded with motivational processes (future health, perceived ability, attitude, future reward or regret, physical appearance, and doing it for others), two with volitional processes (scheduling and planning), and two with automatic processes (affect and stress). Three themes were classified as environmental factors (time constraint, social support, and physical environment).

CONCLUSIONS

A range of facilitating and hindering factors were described by women with prior severe preeclampsia as the determinants of their physical activity. These factors corresponded well with the overarching motivational, volitional, and automatic processes described in the IBC model. In addition, motivational and environmental factors beyond the IBC model were described. Addressing these perceived determinants could enhance the efficacy of physical activity interventions in this population.

TWEETABLE ABSTRACT

Motivational, volitional, automatic, and environmental factors drive physical activity in women with prior severe preeclampsia.