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Health BehaviorNCT02329262

A Skills-based RCT for Physical Activity Using Peer Mentors

A study testing Mentoring to be Active with Accelerometers and Planning to be Active with Accelerometers in people with Health Behavior and Obesity, run by Ohio State University at 20 sites in United States.

Completed

Finished. The study has ended and is not enrolling. Results may be posted on the official record.

Official record
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Trial summary

This approach will train peer mentors to deliver a culturally appropriate intervention and provide social support that is critical for facilitating and sustaining health behavior change. Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 14 to 64 yearsHealthy volunteers can take part
Conditions the study is for
Health Behavior, Obesity, Motor Activity
What is being tested?
Mentoring to be Active with Accelerometers and Planning to be Active with Accelerometers
Could I receive a placebo?
No, everyone receives an active treatment
How many people
571 participants
Where
20 sitesUnited States
Study dates
Sep 2015to 1 Nov 2018
Phase
Interventional
Are there results?
Yes, posted in the registrySummary in the doctors' view

Key requirements

Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.

  • Ages 14 to 64 years
  • All sexes
  • Healthy volunteers accepted
  • Child, Adult

Who may be able to join

  • 9th or 10th grade students as participants
  • 11th or 12th grade students as mentors
  • Classroom teachers who instruct health education or physical education to 9th and 10th grade students.
  • Not expected to move from school prior to conclusion of study
  • Speaks English

Who cannot join

  • Peer mentors with a BMI (for age and gender) above the 85th percentile or below the 5th percentile at the start of the study

Trial locations and contacts

20 sites in 1 country.

20 sites in 1 country

United States20 sites

  • River Valley High School

    Bidwell, Ohio, 45614

  • Chillicothe High School

    Chillicothe, Ohio, 45601

  • Huntington Local High School

    Chillicothe, Ohio, 45601

  • Unioto High School

    Chillicothe, Ohio, 45601

  • Zane Trace High School

    Chillicothe, Ohio, 45601

  • Dawson-Bryant High School

    Coal Grove, Ohio, 45638

  • Green High School

    Franklin Furnace, Ohio, 45629

  • Ironton High School

    Ironton, Ohio, 45638

  • Jackson High School

    Jackson, Ohio, 45640

  • Western High School

    Latham, Ohio, 45646

  • New Boston High School

    New Boston, Ohio, 45662

  • Oak Hill High School

    Oak Hill, Ohio, 45656

  • Piketon High School

    Piketon, Ohio, 45661

  • Clay Local High School

    Portsmouth, Ohio, 45662

  • West Portsmouth High School

    Portsmouth, Ohio, 45663

  • Southern Local High School

    Racine, Ohio, 45771

  • South Point High School

    South Point, Ohio, 45680

  • Federal Hocking High School

    Stewart, Ohio, 45778

  • Berne Union High School

    Sugar Grove, Ohio, 43155

  • Waverly High School

    Waverly, Ohio, 45690

Other trials in United States

About this study

This approach will train peer mentors to deliver a culturally appropriate intervention and provide social support that is critical for facilitating and sustaining health behavior change. The objective is to compare the efficacy of an innovative healthy lifestyle skills mentoring program (Mentored Planning to be Active [MBA]) to a teacher led program (PBA) for increasing physical activity in Appalachian high school teens. MBA emphasizes the social determinants of health by using a social networking approach that trains peer mentors to support targeted teens

Read the detailed description

The goal of this study is to positively impact the physical activity patterns to improve health outcomes including the high rates of obesity in Appalachian teens. The approach will train peer mentors to deliver the culturally appropriate intervention and provide social support that is critical for facilitating and sustaining health behavior change. The primary objective is to compare the efficacy of an innovative healthy lifestyle skills mentoring program (Mentored Planning to be Active [MBA]) to a teacher led program (PBA) for increasing physical activity in Appalachian high school teens. MBA emphasizes the social determinants of health by using a social networking approach that trains peer mentors to support targeted teens. Refined over the course of 3 studies,2-4 PBA is a ten-lesson unit delivered over 10 weeks and designed to teach self-regulation of physical activity among teens. Expanding PBA to mentors via MBA has the potential to promote and sustain adoption of daily regular physical activity through self-regulation of physical activity in discretionary time. With MBA delivery, physical activity is tailored to personal interests, talents, and neighborhood environment. MBA empowers students to plan and evaluate their own personal activity plan. It is predicted that by serving as role models, peer mentors will improve their own lifestyle behaviors, providing a double-edged intervention. It is also predicted that providing intense and structured social support to teens via peer mentors will result in better health outcomes compared to teacher-based support alone (usual care). The plan is to conduct a group randomized controlled trial to evaluate the effects of a culturally and theoretically based behavioral intervention delivered by peer mentors (MBA) on adolescent healthy behaviors (daily physical activity, regular exercise, and sedentary behaviors) and physical health outcomes (BMI, body fat) compared to PBA delivered in a classroom setting by a teacher.

Being tested
Mentoring to be Active with Accelerometers, Planning to be Active with Accelerometers
Keywords
exercise, mentors, health education, obesity
Medical subject headings
Health Behavior, Obesity, Motor Activity, Health Education

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

  • Mentoring to be Active with AccelerometersBehavioural

    Also called peer mentoring

    Trained high school mentors will deliver a 10 session curriculum targeting physical activity to younger teens.

  • Planning to be Active with AccelerometersBehavioural

    Also called Teacher PBA

    Health education teachers will deliver the 10 session curriculum targeting physical activity to high school students enrolled in health courses.

Study groups in NCT02329262
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
Mentoring to be ActiveExperimentalTrained teen mentors will deliver the physical activity curriculum to high school students in a school setting. Physical activity will be measured with accelerometers.
Receives: Behavioral: Mentoring to be Active with Accelerometers
Planning to be ActiveActive comparatorHigh school teachers will deliver the physical activity curriculum (usual care) to high school students enrolled in health education courses. Physical activity will be measured with accelerometers.
Receives: Behavioral: Planning to be Active with Accelerometers
Peer MentorsNo intervention11 and 12 grade-level trained mentors who lead the Mentoring to be Active (MBA) experimental group as peer mentors.
High School TeachersNo interventionHigh School teachers who taught the usual care healh classes for the Planning to be Active (PBA) active comparator group.

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

  1. Change in Body Mass Index From T1 to T3

    Body mass index is caculated as weight in kilograms divided by the square of height in meters.

    The measure is the change in BMI from baseline to 9 months post-baseline.

    Measured: T1 (Baseline) to T3 (9 months-post baseline)

  2. Change in Total Body Weight From T1 to T3

    Change in total body weight from baseline to 9 months post-baseline.

    Measured: T1 (baseline) to T3 (9-month post baseline)

  3. Change in Pounds of Body Fat From T1 to T3

    Body fat in pounds measured by Tanita Body Composition Analyzer.

    This equipment provides estimated values for each measured value of body fat percentage, fat mass, fat free mass, muscle mass and bone mass by the DXA method, estimated value for the total body water measured value by the dilution method and estimated value for the visceral fat rating by MRI method using the Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis (BIA method). The Tanita Body Composition Analyzer measures body composition using a constant current source with a high frequency current (6.25kHz, 50kHz, 90μA). The 4 electrodes are positioned so that electric current is supplied from the electrodes on the tips of the toes of both feet, and voltage is measured on the heel of both feet. Body weight measured with shoes and socks removed. Calculated to the nearest 0.2 pounds.

    Measured: T1 ( Baseline) to T3 (9-months post baseline)

Secondary outcomes (6)

  1. Moderate Physical Activity (Daily)

    Percentage of participants engaging in daily moderate physical activity. Measured by accelerometers; subjects to wear devices for 7 days at each data collection time point

    Measured: 9 months

  2. Outcome Expectancies Scale

    21 item, 6 -point Likert Summative Scale focusing on psychological determinants of physical activity. Higher values indicate higher (more positive) outcome expectancies. Range of scores are from 21-126 with a score of 63 or higher indicating more positive expectancy from engaging in physical activity.

    Measured: 9 months

  3. Exercise Self-Efficacy Scale

    14 item scale that asks participants to rank their own confidence in performing an exercise behavior from 0% confidence to 100 % confidence. Higher percentages indicate higher levels of self-efficacy to engage in physical activity. Each item may range from 0% to 100%. An item score of 51% indicates "positive" confidence. Eight or more items with at least 51% for each indicates overall" positive self-efficacy" to engage in exercise. The total scale may range from 0 (no confidence)-1400 (100% confidence on each item). A score of 408 or higher (at least 51% on a minimum of 8/14 items) indicates "positive" self-efficacy to engage in exercise.

    Measured: 9 months

  4. Outcome Expectations Scale

    40 item, 6-point Likert type scale that asks participants to rank their expectations of what physical activity will do their own health outcomes. Scores range from 40-240. Scores of 101 or above indicate more positive expectation of what physical activity can do to health outcomes (more positive health outcomes expected)

    Measured: 9 months

  5. Social Support From Family and Friends to Exercise

    12 item, 5 point Likert measure asking participants to rate each question twice: Once for family members and once for friends. Questions ask about the perceived social support to engage in physical activity within the past 3 months. Higher values indicate more social support to engage in physical activity. Values range from 12-60 for the Family Social Support and 12-60 for Friends Social Support. A total social support score is created by summing the scores for family and friends combined. A total score of 25 or above for indicates higher or more positive social support.

    Measured: 9 months

  6. Vigorous Physical Activity

    Percentage of participants engaging in vigorous physical activity during the data collection period measured by accelerometers.

    Measured: 9 months

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

  1. First posted31 Dec 2014 (estimated)
  2. Study startSep 2015
  3. Primary completion1 Nov 2018
  4. Study completion1 Nov 2018

Resources

More details

For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.

Study design
Study type
Interventional
Phase
Phase N/A
Primary purpose
Prevention
Allocation
Randomised
Intervention model
Parallel groups
Masking
Single blind
Who is masked
Outcomes assessor
Enrolment
571 participants (actual)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT02329262
Sponsor's protocol ID
2014B0094
Status last verified
May 2026
First submitted
17 Dec 2014
Last updated
12 May 2026
Data monitoring committee
No

Publications

  • Smith LH, Petosa RL. A Structured Peer-Mentoring Method for Physical Activity Behavior Change Among Adolescents. J Sch Nurs. 2016 Oct;32(5):315-23. doi: 10.1177/1059840516644955. Epub 2016 May 4.

    PubMed 27257081

  • Smith LH, Petosa RL. Effective Practices to Improve Recruitment, Retention, and Partnerships in School-Based Studies. J Pediatr Health Care. 2016 Sep-Oct;30(5):495-8. doi: 10.1016/j.pedhc.2016.05.004. Epub 2016 Jun 16. No abstract available.

    PubMed 27321677

  • Smith LH, Petosa RL, Shoben A. Peer mentor versus teacher delivery of a physical activity program on the effects of BMI and daily activity: protocol of a school-based group randomized controlled trial in Appalachia. BMC Public Health. 2018 May 16;18(1):633. doi: 10.1186/s12889-018-5537-z.

    PubMed 29769106

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A study testing Mentoring to be Active with Accelerometers and Planning to be Active with Accelerometers in people with Health Behavior and Obesity, run by Ohio State University at 20 sites in United States.

The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.

Who may be eligible to take part?

The sponsor lists 5 inclusion and 1 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.

Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?

The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 12 May 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

Where is the study taking place?

The record lists 20 sites in United States. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.

What are the possible benefits and risks?

They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.

Are results available for this study?

Yes. Results are posted in the registry (first posted 5 Mar 2025). A summary is in the For doctors view, and the full results are on ClinicalTrials.gov.

How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?

The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

Change in Body Mass Index From T1 to T3 (time frame: T1 (Baseline) to T3 (9 months-post baseline)). The study lists 3 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?

On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT02329262, which also lists 3 linked publications.

Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?

No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.

How often is this information updated?

AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 12 May 2026.

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