Mindfulness-based Lifestyle Modification Programme for Caregivers of People With Neurodegenerative Disorders: A Pilot Randomised Controlled Trial

NCT ID: NCT06583018

Last Updated: 2025-12-18

Study Results

Results pending

The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.

Basic Information

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Recruitment Status

ACTIVE_NOT_RECRUITING

Clinical Phase

NA

Total Enrollment

84 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2024-09-06

Study Completion Date

2026-07-31

Brief Summary

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Over 80% of caregivers for individuals with neurodegenerative diseases (ND) engage in significant risk behaviors, particularly physical inactivity, which increases the risk of cardiometabolic diseases (CMD) by 30% and reduces life expectancy by 4-8 years. Despite the health benefits of maintaining healthy behaviors, awareness of behavioral risk management among healthcare professionals and the public is low, and research on this topic for ND caregivers is limited. Given that physical activity (PA) is the most prevalent modifiable risk factor, timely intervention is essential.

International guidelines prioritize PA as a key strategy for caregiver health. However, existing PA interventions often struggle with low compliance due to the physical and emotional challenges caregivers face. Our research group actively explores the health-regulating and enhancing effects of integrative mind-body modalities, particularly mindfulness, which may promote and sustain healthy behaviors by improving attentional regulation and psychological flexibility. Mindfulness-based lifestyle modification might help caregivers better manage physical discomfort, stress, and self-limiting beliefs, thereby supporting sustained PA.

The World Health Organization advocates for non-communicable disease (NCD) prevention through brief lifestyle interventions, such as ecological momentary interventions (EMI), which use mobile messaging (e.g., WhatsApp) to deliver personalized health content. This method is particularly valuable for caregivers who find it difficult to access traditional services due to their responsibilities.

This pilot randomized clinical trial aims to evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of an EMI-enhanced "Brief and Blended Mindfulness-based Lifestyle Counselling Programme" (B-Mindful-Life) compared to brief lifestyle education for increasing PA among Chinese ND caregivers. The primary outcome will be the feasibility (rates of recruitment, eligibility, refusal, and retention at 2 and 5 months), and acceptability measures (adherence, incidence of adverse events, and satisfaction with intervention).

Detailed Description

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Conditions

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Caregiver

Keywords

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caregivers behavioral risk physical activity mindfulness ecological momentary neurodegenerative diseases lifestyle

Study Design

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Allocation Method

RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

PARALLEL

Primary Study Purpose

SUPPORTIVE_CARE

Blinding Strategy

SINGLE

Outcome Assessors

Study Groups

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Brief and Blended Mindfulness-based Lifestyle counselling programme (B-Mindful-Life)

(i) In-Person Mindfulness-based Group Sessions: Two 3-hour group-based session in week 1 and week 5 focused on experiential mindfulness practices. Participants will enhance their self-awareness of positive, neutral, and negative body sensations, feelings, and thoughts while engaging in healthy behaviors, particularly physical activity.

(ii) Ecological Momentary Interventions (EMI): Personalized mindfulness-based lifestyle counseling delivered through instant messages, with chat-based support throughout the 8-week intervention period.

(iii) Activity Monitoring: All participants will wear an accelerometer-based wristband activity tracker to monitor their physical activity in daily life.

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

No interventions assigned to this group

Brief lifestyle education

(i) In-person Lifestyle Education Session: A 3-hour group-based session in week 1 focused on general education on lifestyle modification.

(ii) Activity Monitoring: All participants will wear an accelerometer-based wristband activity tracker to monitor their physical activity in daily life.

Group Type ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

In-person Lifestyle Education Session

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

A 3-hour group-based session in week 1 focused on general education on lifestyle modification based on the HEARTS technical package as recommended by the WHO, and will only receive reminder messages for the two assessment follow-ups. No chat-based support will be provided.

Activity Monitoring

Intervention Type DEVICE

All participants will wear an accelerometer-based wristband activity tracker to monitor their physical activity in daily life.

Interventions

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In-Person Mindfulness-based Group Sessions

The 3-hour group-based session in week 1 focuses on experiential mindfulness practices, and a booster session in week 5 further consolidates these mindfulness techniques, reinforces mindful, healthy lifestyle, and provides peer support. Participants will enhance their self-awareness of positive, neutral, and negative body sensations, feelings, and thoughts while engaging in healthy behaviors, particularly physical activity.

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Ecological Momentary Interventions (EMI)

Participants will receive personalized instant messages with chat-based support throughout the 8-week intervention period. The message content is guided by existing international lifestyle modification guidelines and the Integrated Body-Mind-Spirit Model. The pre-set frequency of regular message delivery is five times per week. The schedule of message delivery will be personalized according to the participants' on-going needs/preferences over the intervention period. Chat-based support will be provided by trained research assistants, who will utilize motivational interviewing techniques to enhance participant compliance and effectiveness.

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

In-person Lifestyle Education Session

A 3-hour group-based session in week 1 focused on general education on lifestyle modification based on the HEARTS technical package as recommended by the WHO, and will only receive reminder messages for the two assessment follow-ups. No chat-based support will be provided.

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Activity Monitoring

All participants will wear an accelerometer-based wristband activity tracker to monitor their physical activity in daily life.

Intervention Type DEVICE

Eligibility Criteria

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Inclusion Criteria

* adults who self-identify as the primary caregivers of ND patients for ≥3 months,
* experience of at least moderate stress as indicated by a PSS score ≥14,
* have a mobile device (e.g., smartphone, tablet, and laptop) with Internet access, and
* able to read and communicate in Chinese and give written consent

Exclusion Criteria

* a self-reported exercise regimen of great than 150 minutes/week of MVPA (according to the American College of Sports Medicine guidelines),
* have received (within the past 6 months) or are receiving other physical and/or psychosocial interventions,
* pregnancy or within 6 months of postpartum,
* contraindications (e.g., current diagnosis of psychiatric illness according to the DSM IV-TR, DSM-V, or ICD-10) or severe comorbidities (e.g., severe hearing/vision/cognitive impairment) that might limit full participation.
Minimum Eligible Age

18 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sponsors

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health bureau, hong kong

UNKNOWN

Sponsor Role collaborator

The University of Hong Kong

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

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Kwok Yan Yan

Assistant Professor

Responsibility Role PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

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Jojo Yan Yan Kwok, BNurs, MPH, PhD

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

The University of Hong Kong

Locations

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School of Nursing, LKS Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong

Pokfulam, , Hong Kong

Site Status

Countries

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Hong Kong

Other Identifiers

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08220157

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id