Peer-Led Diet and Exercise Intervention

NCT ID: NCT04994938

Last Updated: 2026-02-17

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: COMPLETED
• Clinical Phase: NA
• Total Enrollment: 30 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2023-08-01
• Study Completion Date: 2025-01-02

Brief Summary

The majority of older Veterans do not meet the minimum healthy diet or physical activity recommendations, despite known benefits. Identifying novel ways to increase adherence to rehabilitation programs that improve dietary quality and physical activity may reduce the risk of disability in older Veterans. Peer-based interventions may be one method to facilitate lasting behavioral change since peers often share a common culture and knowledge about the problems that their community experiences. The investigators propose to develop and evaluate a novel peer-led diet and exercise intervention that targets older Veterans with multiple chronic health conditions. Successful development and pilot of this intervention will provide the preliminary data for a larger multisite trial focused on the use of peer-led interventions to improve long-term compliance to lifestyle interventions in older Veterans.

Detailed Description

Over the next ten years the share of Veterans age 65+ years will increase to over 50% of the total Veteran population. The ability to safely maintain mobility with aging is critical. Older Veterans with multiple chronic health conditions are more likely to experience mobility decline and report reduced physical activity levels and poor dietary quality. While a multitude of interventions have attempted to address poor diet and physical inactivity in older adults; most have utilized resource-intensive professionally led diet OR exercise interventions, and few have focused on the unique needs of older Veterans. Peer support offers a potentially low-cost, easily scalable approach to encourage long-term dietary and physical activity change.

In this proposal the investigators seek to develop and pilot a 12-week peer-led lifestyle intervention that targets older Veterans with multiple chronic health conditions and dysmobility, in two diverse urban areas with a high percentage of underrepresented minority Veteran populations (Baltimore, MD and San Antonio, TX). The investigators will develop a theory-driven, peer-led nutrition and exercise intervention tailored for older Veterans with dysmobility. The investigators will also determine the feasibility and acceptability of the peer-led intervention as well as the estimated magnitude and potential impact on selected outcomes (i.e diet quality and mobility) in older Veterans with dysmobility and multiple chronic health conditions.

Conditions

Physical Activity; Peer Leaders; Diet Quality

Study Design

• Allocation Method: NA
• Intervention Model: SINGLE_GROUP
• Primary Study Purpose: TREATMENT
• Blinding Strategy: NONE

Study Groups

Peer led diet and exercise intervention

participation in two-times per week diet and exercise peer led interventions.

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Diet Intervention

Intervention Type: OTHER

Participants will engage in discussions about healthy eating one time per week led by a trained peer leader for 12-weeks.

Exercise Intervention

Intervention Type: OTHER

Participants will participate in a group exercise session led by a trained peer leader 2-times per week for 12-weeks.

Interventions

Diet Intervention

Participants will engage in discussions about healthy eating one time per week led by a trained peer leader for 12-weeks.

Intervention Type: OTHER

Exercise Intervention

Participants will participate in a group exercise session led by a trained peer leader 2-times per week for 12-weeks.

Intervention Type: OTHER

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

• Self-reported difficulty in at least one of the following activities: Walking quickly across the street, walking one mile, ascending one flight of stairs, rising from a chair without using arms
• Self-reports at least two chronic medical conditions such as hypertension, diabetes, hyperlipidemia, or coronary artery disease
• Speaks English

Exclusion Criteria

• high cardiovascular risk
• using home oxygen
• contraindications to an exercise intervention
• dementia
• regular exercise participation
• current participation in a weight loss intervention
• acute psychosis, major depression, or behavior that preventions group interaction

• Minimum Eligible Age: 55 Years
• Eligible Sex: ALL
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Sponsors

VA Office of Research and Development

FED

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Responsibility Role: SPONSOR

Principal Investigators

Odessa R. Addison, PhD DPT

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Baltimore VA Medical Center VA Maryland Health Care System, Baltimore, MD

Locations

Baltimore VA Medical Center VA Maryland Health Care System, Baltimore, MD

Baltimore, Maryland, United States

South Texas Health Care System, San Antonio, TX

San Antonio, Texas, United States

Countries

United States

References

Robbins RN, Serra MC, Kilpela LS, Parker EA, Jiwani R, Addison O. Intervention in Older Urban-Dwelling Veterans With Dysmobility: Protocol for a Pilot Feasibility Clinical Trial. JMIR Res Protoc. 2022 Jul 13;11(7):e39192. doi: 10.2196/39192.

Reference Type: DERIVED

PMID: 35830251 (View on PubMed)

Provided Documents

Document Type: Study Protocol and Statistical Analysis Plan

View Document

Document Type: Informed Consent Form

View Document

Other Identifiers

RX003739-01A1

Identifier Type: OTHER_GRANT

Identifier Source: secondary_id

E3739-P

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id