OAIC Supported Studies
Cooperative Lifestyle Intervention Program (CLIP)
Contact: | Phone: |
Jack Rejeski, PhD | 336-758-5391 |
There is a rapid expansion of the older adult population in the United States, and serious problems for public health are mobility disability and the accompanying sequel that occurs with obesity, the metabolic syndrome, and cardiovascular disease (CVD). These problems are most serious in rural America. Increasing physical activity and promoting weight loss among overweight/obese older adults who either have CVD or the metabolic syndrome offers a promising preventive/rehabilitative measure to address this health threat. Furthermore, innovative community-based interventions are needed to address this problem.
The goals of this research project are to: (1) to test the effectiveness of a physical activity intervention in the treatment of older, overweight and obese adults who have evidence of cardiovascular disease (CVD) or the metabolic syndrome on mobility disability; and (2) to evaluate the added benefit of treating overweight/obesity as well as sedentary behavior in this population on mobility disability. The study is designed as a three arm randomized controlled trial (RCT) of older, overweight/obese adults who have evidence of mobility disability and either documented (CVD) or evidence of the metabolic syndrome. The three treatments include a successful aging control condition, a group treatment program for physical activity (PA), and a lifestyle intervention to address both sedentary behavior and weight loss (PA+WL). The primary aim of the trial is to compare the effects of the three treatment arms on 18-month change in mobility disability, as defined by a fast paced 400-m walk. The secondary aims include: (1) a comparison of the effects of the three interventions on 18-month change in (a) variables related to adiposity (body composition and dietary intake), (b) physical activity, (c) CVD risk factors (glucose and insulin; blood pressure; high-sensitivity C-reactive protein; lipid profiles), and (d) disease specific and generic health-related quality of life (HRQL); and (2) investigation of whether changes in mobility disability are mediated by constructs from social cognitive theory including: (a) changes in barriers self-efficacy, (b) change in fatigue and body pain, (c) change in self-regulatory efficacy, and/or (d) change in the desire for physical competence, and satisfaction with appearance and body function.
We began recruitment in January of 2006 and currently have 36 participants (~70% woman and ~22% African Americans) over the age of 60 actively involved in the intervention that, at this time, is being conducted at the Forsyth Cooperative Extension Center in Winston-Salem, NC. In addition, we have recruited an additional 40 participants that will begin treatment in late June of 2006. To date, we have not had any adverse or serious adverse events that have been directed related to the study interventions. We received funding for the 2006-07 fiscal year in May of 2006.
