Buddy-Up Dyadic Physical Activity Program for Persons With Dementia and Family Caregivers

NCT ID: NCT06584110

Last Updated: 2025-06-22

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

RECRUITING

Clinical Phase

NA

Total Enrollment

222 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2024-10-01

Study Completion Date

2026-12-30

Brief Summary

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The global cost of dementia is over 818 billion, and a further rise is expected in the next decade. While family caregiving is the backbone of the formal care service, promoting "living well with dementia" needs to extend to a dyadic perspective to address the needs of persons with dementia and their caregivers. Unique to dementia caregiving, imbalanced exchange in the assistance, interaction, relationship and autonomy between the partners in a care dyad always challenges their social interaction and relationships. Such eroding dyadic dynamics not only worsens the mental health of caregivers, but also compromises the quality of caregiving, fosters more dementia deterioration, and eventually complicates the caregiving process. Nevertheless, least attention is directed to dyadic dynamics in promoting living well with dementia. Partner exercise is designed in a way which requires collaboration of two members to enable the workout of each other. In addition to the benefits of exercise on dementia symptom control and caregiver's stress management, partner exercise provides a meaningful encounter to encourage reciprocity, collaboration and relationship closeness within the care dyad. This study aims to examine whether a 16-week theory-based partner exercise, named as Buddy-Up Dyadic Physical Activity (BUDPA) program, can improve dyadic dynamics and health outcomes of care dyads of mild to early-moderate dementia.

This sequential mixed-method study will recruit 111 care dyads from the elderly centers in Hong Kong. They will be randomized to receive the enhanced BUDPA program or usual care. The changes in the dyadic dynamics and health outcomes \[including symptom severity and health-related quality of life (HRQL) of persons with dementia; and affect, positive aspects of caregiving and HRQL of family caregivers\] between the two study groups from baseline (T0) to 16-weeks after baseline (T1) upon completion of the training , and at 24-weeks after baseline (T2). Data from outcome evaluation and interviews will be integrated to solicit a thorough understanding on the impact of BUDPA. This study marks the first attempt to use theory-driven dyadic intervention to enhance the dyadic dynamics and health outcomes of dementia care dyads. The project will advance the dyadic science in a dementia caregiving context and inform the development of evidence-based care model in dyadic fashion to promote living well with dementia in a caregiving context.

Detailed Description

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The global cost of dementia is over 818 billion, and a further rise is expected in the next decade. While family caregiving is the backbone of the formal care service, promoting "living well with dementia" needs to extend to a dyadic perspective to address the needs of persons with dementia and their caregivers. Unique to dementia caregiving, imbalanced exchange in the assistance, interaction, relationship and autonomy between the partners in a care dyad always challenges their social interaction and relationships. Such eroding dyadic dynamics not only worsens the mental health of caregivers, but also compromises the quality of caregiving, fosters more dementia deterioration, and eventually complicates the caregiving process. Nevertheless, least attention is directed to dyadic dynamics in promoting living well with dementia. Partner exercise is designed in a way which requires collaboration of two members to enable the workout of each other. In addition to the benefits of exercise on dementia symptom control and caregiver's stress management, partner exercise provides a meaningful encounter to encourage reciprocity, collaboration and relationship closeness within the care dyad. This study aims to examine whether a 16-week theory-based partner exercise, named as Buddy-Up Dyadic Physical Activity (BUDPA) program, can improve dyadic dynamics and health outcomes of care dyads of mild to early-moderate dementia.

This sequential mixed-method study will recruit 112 care dyads (people with Dementia (PwD) and family caregivers) from the elderly centers in Hong Kong. They will be randomized to receive the enhanced BUDPA program or usual care.

Subject:

For people with Dementia (PwD), the inclusion criteria are i) confirmed diagnosed of dementia ii) cognitive impairment as indicated by a Hong Kong-Montreal Cognitive Assessment (Hong Kong version; HK-MoCA) score of 8-19 to indicate mild to early moderate dementia will be recruited For family caregivers, the inclusion criteria are i) live together with the PwD ii) identify as the primary family caregivers of the PwD

The changes in the dyadic dynamics and health outcomes \[including symptom severity and health-related quality of life (HRQL) of persons with dementia; and affect, positive aspects of caregiving and HRQL of family caregivers\] between the two study groups from baseline (T0) to 16-weeks after baseline (T1) upon completion of the training , and at 24-weeks after baseline (T2).

1. For Pwd, 4 scales will be used, Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale -Cognitive Subscale (ADAS-Cog), Color-Trails Test , Quality of Life-Alzheimer's Disease(QoL-AD), and The Dyadic Relationship Scale.
2. For family caregivers, measures the The Zarit Burden Interview (ZBI-C), The Neuro-psychiatric Inventory (NPI), The International Positive and Negative Affect Schedule - Short-Form (PANAS-SF 20 affect state), Medical Outcomes Study Short Form Health Survey (SF-12), The Dyadic Relationship Scale, and Positive Aspect of Caregiving Scale (PAC).

BUDPA program is an overall 16-week training which comprises three phases: the conditioning, consolidating and habituating phases.

i) Conditioning Phase (1st - 4th week) is the preparatory phase to introduce exercise movements in group training.

ii) Consolidating Phase (5th -12th week) is the training phase for group-based exercise. Each exercise training session will be followed by a 20-min debriefing and goal-setting session. Self-practice will be recorded on a simple logbook.

iii) habituating phase (13th-16th week) aims at supporting the care dyad to integrate the partner exercises into their daily lifestyle. A video call meeting with the care dyad in week 13 and week 15 will be scheduled to offer the support.

Data from outcome evaluation and interviews will be integrated to solicit a thorough understanding on the impact of BUDPA. This study marks the first attempt to use theory-driven dyadic intervention to enhance the dyadic dynamics and health outcomes of dementia care dyads. The project will advance the dyadic science in a dementia caregiving context and inform the development of evidence-based care model in dyadic fashion to promote living well with dementia in a caregiving context.

Conditions

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Cognitive Impairment, Mild Dementia, Mild

Study Design

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Allocation Method

RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

PARALLEL

BUDPA program is an overall 16-week training which comprises three phases: the conditioning, consolidating and habituating phases.

i) Conditioning Phase (1st - 4th week) is the preparatory phase to introduce exercise movements in group training.

ii) Consolidating Phase (5th -12th week) is the training phase for group-based exercise. Each exercise training session will be followed by a 20-minutes debriefing and goal-setting session. Self-practice will be recorded on a simple logbook.

iii) Habituating phase (13th-16th week) aims at supporting the care dyad to integrate the partner exercises into their daily lifestyle. A video call meeting with the care dyad in week 13 and week 15 will be scheduled to offer the support.
Primary Study Purpose

TREATMENT

Blinding Strategy

SINGLE

Participants
Participants will be randomized into intervention group and wait-list control group.

Study Groups

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BUDPA program

BUDPA program is an overall 16-week training which comprises three phases: the conditioning, consolidating and habituating phases.

i) Conditioning Phase (1st - 4th week) is the preparatory phase to introduce exercise movements in group training.

ii) Consolidating Phase (5th -12th week) is the training phase for group-based exercise. Each exercise training session will be followed by a 20-min debriefing and goal-setting session. Self-practice will be recorded on a simple logbook.

iii) Habituating phase (13th-16th week) aims at supporting the care dyad to integrate the partner exercises into their daily lifestyle. A video call meeting with the care dyad in week 13 and week 15 will be scheduled to offer the support.

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

Buddy-Up Dyadic Physical Activity (BUDPA) program

Intervention Type OTHER

BUDPA program is an overall 16-week training which comprises three phases: the conditioning, consolidating and habituating phases.

i) Conditioning Phase (1st - 4th week) is the preparatory phase to introduce exercise movements in group training.

ii) Consolidating Phase (5th -12th week) is the training phase for group-based exercise. Each exercise training session will be followed by a 20-min debriefing and goal-setting session. Self-practice will be recorded on a simple logbook.

iii) Habituating phase (13th-16th week) aims at supporting the care dyad to integrate the partner exercises into their daily lifestyle. A video call meeting with the care dyad in week 13 and week 15 will be scheduled to offer the support.

Usual care

Usual care will be provided in the elderly centres. Usual care group will be put on a waiting list to receive the intervention (BUDPA program) after 24-weeks (T2) the second evaluation timepoint.

Group Type PLACEBO_COMPARATOR

Usual care with waiting list

Intervention Type OTHER

Usual care group will be put on a waiting list to receive the intervention (BUDPA program) after 24-weeks (T2) the second evaluation timepoint.

Interventions

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Buddy-Up Dyadic Physical Activity (BUDPA) program

BUDPA program is an overall 16-week training which comprises three phases: the conditioning, consolidating and habituating phases.

i) Conditioning Phase (1st - 4th week) is the preparatory phase to introduce exercise movements in group training.

ii) Consolidating Phase (5th -12th week) is the training phase for group-based exercise. Each exercise training session will be followed by a 20-min debriefing and goal-setting session. Self-practice will be recorded on a simple logbook.

iii) Habituating phase (13th-16th week) aims at supporting the care dyad to integrate the partner exercises into their daily lifestyle. A video call meeting with the care dyad in week 13 and week 15 will be scheduled to offer the support.

Intervention Type OTHER

Usual care with waiting list

Usual care group will be put on a waiting list to receive the intervention (BUDPA program) after 24-weeks (T2) the second evaluation timepoint.

Intervention Type OTHER

Other Intervention Names

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BUDPA

Eligibility Criteria

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Inclusion Criteria

* confirmed diagnosis of dementia
* HK-MoCA score of 8-19 to indicate mild to early moderate dementia


* live with the PwD in the same household
* self-identified as the primary family caregiver of the PwD


* not self-identified as the primary family caregiver of the PwD

Exclusion Criteria

* engaging in \> 60 minutes per week of moderate or more vigorous exercise in the previous six months
* acute muscular-skeletal problems, stroke or cardio-respiratory disease
Minimum Eligible Age

18 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sponsors

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The University of Hong Kong

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

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Responsibility Role SPONSOR

Locations

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The University of Hong Kong

Hong Kong, , Hong Kong

Site Status RECRUITING

Countries

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Hong Kong

Central Contacts

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SAU FUNG DORIS YU, PhD

Role: CONTACT

852-39176319

Facility Contacts

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Doris Sau Fung Yu, PhD

Role: primary

+852 3917 6319

References

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Other Identifiers

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BUDPA-RCT

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id

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