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Physical ActivityNCT03299348

AgingPLUS: Promoting Physical Activity in Adults

A study testing AgingPLUS in people with Physical Activity, run by Colorado State University at 1 site 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 study examines the efficacy of a psycho-educational intervention program, AgingPLUS, with regard to increasing middle-aged and older adults' engagement in physical activity. Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 45 to 75 yearsHealthy volunteers can take part
Conditions the study is for
Physical Activity
What is being tested?
AgingPLUS
Could I receive a placebo?
Yes, some participants may receive a placebo
How many people
402 participants
Where
1 siteUnited States
Study dates
1 May 2018to 31 May 2023
Phase
Interventional
Are there results?
None posted in the registry

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 45 to 75 years
  • All sexes
  • Healthy volunteers accepted
  • Adult, Older adult

Who may be able to join

  • Adults who engage in less than 60 minutes of PA per week and who intend starting a physical exercise program.
  • English speaking.
  • Willingness to be randomized to one of two programs.
  • Willingness to take part in the physical fitness tests and wear an accelerometer.
  • Willingness to commit to follow-up testing (i.e., not moving out of the area during the study period).
  • Physician clearance to take part in a submaximal exercise test and to begin an exercise program.

Who cannot join

  • Signs of cognitive decline (defined as more than 4 errors on the Short Portable Mental Status Questionnaire).
  • Severe vision and/or hearing loss (obtained by self-report).
  • Serious problems with mobility.
  • A history of neurological, mental, or substance abuse disorders.

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country.

United States1 site

  • Colorado State University

    Fort Collins, Colorado, 80523-1570

Other trials in United States

About this study

Official title: Testing Psychological Mechanisms to Promote Physical Activity in Adults

This study examines the efficacy of a psycho-educational intervention program, AgingPLUS, with regard to increasing middle-aged and older adults' engagement in physical activity.

Read the detailed description

AgingPLUS is a multi-component intervention program that addresses negative views of aging (NVOA), low internal control beliefs, and deficient goal planning as a risk cluster that keeps adults from engaging in health-promoting behavior. The program focuses on engagement in physical activity (PA) as the health behavior of choice. Engagement in PA is widely recognized as the best non-pharmacological, non-invasive, and cost-effective method of health promotion. Yet, only 20% of the adult population meets the recommended PA guidelines. This suggests that messages about the benefits of PA alone are not effective. Rather, it is essential to address the social-cognitive and motiva-tional mechanisms that prevent adults from adopting and maintaining a regular PA regimen. NVOA, low internal control beliefs, and deficient goal planning represent such a cluster of social-cognitive and motivational mechanisms.

Given this background, the specific aims and hypotheses of the proposed research are:

Aim 1: To conduct a randomized controlled trial examining the efficacy of the AgingPLUS program.

Aim 2: To test a conceptual model of the mechanisms underlying the intervention effects.

Aim 3: To conduct a 6-month follow-up to examine the longer-term effects of AgingPLUS.

Upon completion of this project, we expect to have successfully established evidence for the efficacy of the AgingPLUS program (Stage II of the NIH Stage Mode). The long-term goal is to develop AgingPLUS into a full-fledged evidence-based program that can be implemented in community settings (e.g., senior centers), and can serve as a fairly brief and cost-effective public health tool to promote healthy and successful aging.

Being tested
AgingPLUS, Active Control Group
Keywords
Psychological Mechanisms, Social-Cognitive Mechanisms
Medical subject headings
Motor Activity

What participants receive

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

  • AgingPLUSBehavioural

    The program consists of 2-hour meetings for a total of 4 weeks (total of 8 hours) and discusses (a) how negative views on aging and negative age stereotypes undermine adults' health-promoting behaviors; (b) how adults can take control of their own aging; and (c) how personal goals can be achieved through more effective goal planning and action plans.

  • Active Control GroupBehavioural

    The program consists of 2-hour meetings for a total of 4 weeks (total of 8 hours) and discusses (a) four major health conditions that affect the lives of many middle-aged and older adults (e.g., cardiovascular disease, cancer, type 2 diabetes; clinical depression); and (b) how these conditions can be managed successfully.

Study groups in NCT03299348
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
Active Treatment GroupExperimentalThis group will get the AgingPLUS intervention program which addresses negative views on aging, low internal control beliefs, and deficient goal planning skills.
Receives: Behavioral: AgingPLUS
Active Control GroupPlacebo comparatorThis group will get a generic health education program, called the "10 Keys to Healthy Aging". The control program will control for the effect of social contact and will not address the intervention targets of the active treatment group. The health education program will only provide information related to some of the most important health conditions, such as cardiovascular disease, cancer, type 2 diabetes, and clinical depression, and how these conditions can be managed.
Receives: Behavioral: Active Control Group

What is being measured

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

  1. Increased physical activity

    We expect that participants significantly increase their engagement in physical activity as assessed by an accelerometer.

    Measured: This effect should be observable (1) at the Week-4 post-test, (2) the Week-8 post-test, and (3) the 6-Month post-test.

Timeline

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

  1. First posted3 Oct 2017
  2. Study start1 May 2018
  3. Primary completion31 May 2023
  4. Study completion31 May 2023

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
Basic science
Allocation
Randomised
Intervention model
Parallel groups
Model description
The study has an active treatment group and an active control group
Masking
Triple blind
Who is masked
Participant, Care provider, Outcomes assessor
Enrolment
402 participants (actual)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT03299348
Sponsor's protocol ID
3437
Other IDs
5R01AG051723-05
Status last verified
Jun 2025
First submitted
23 Sep 2017
Last updated
19 Jun 2025
Results posted
No
Data monitoring committee
Yes
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
Individual data sharing
No

Publications

  • Brothers A, Diehl M. Feasibility and Efficacy of the AgingPlus Program: Changing Views on Aging to Increase Physical Activity. J Aging Phys Act. 2017 Jul;25(3):402-411. doi: 10.1123/japa.2016-0039. Epub 2016 Dec 5.

    PubMed 27918687

  • Diehl M, Nehrkorn-Bailey A, Thompson K, Rodriguez D, Li K, Rebok GW, Roth DL, Chung SE, Bland C, Feltner S, Forsyth G, Hulett N, Klein B, Mars P, Martinez K, Mast S, Monasterio R, Moore K, Schoenberg H, Thomson E, Tseng HY. The AgingPLUS trial: Design of a randomized controlled trial to increase physical activity in middle-aged and older adults. Contemp Clin Trials. 2020 Sep;96:106105. doi: 10.1016/j.cct.2020.106105. Epub 2020 Aug 11.

    PubMed 32791322

  • Nehrkorn-Bailey AM, Rodriguez D, Forsyth G, Braun B, Burke K, Diehl M. Change in Views of Aging, Physical Activity, and Physical Health Over 8 Weeks: Results From a Randomized Study. J Aging Phys Act. 2023 Jan 28;31(4):666-678. doi: 10.1123/japa.2022-0133. Print 2023 Aug 1.

    PubMed 36708712

  • Diehl M, Tseng HY, Rebok GW, Li K, Nehrkorn-Bailey AM, Rodriguez D, Chen D, Roth DL. Testing the purported mechanisms of the AgingPLUS intervention: Effects on physical activity outcomes. Psychol Aging. 2025 Jun;40(4):355-370. doi: 10.1037/pag0000893. Epub 2025 Apr 10.

    PubMed 40208719

  • Tseng HY, Chasteen AL, Diehl M. Examining the malleability of implicit views of aging in middle-aged and older adults. Psychol Aging. 2025 Mar;40(2):147-158. doi: 10.1037/pag0000867. Epub 2024 Nov 25.

    PubMed 39585776

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A study testing AgingPLUS in people with Physical Activity, run by Colorado State University at 1 site 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 6 inclusion and 4 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 19 Jun 2025. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

Where is the study taking place?

The record lists 1 site 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. Some participants in this study may receive a placebo. 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?

The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.

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?

Increased physical activity (time frame: This effect should be observable (1) at the Week-4 post-test, (2) the Week-8 post-test, and (3) the 6-Month post-test.). 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 NCT03299348, which also lists 5 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 19 Jun 2025.

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AgingPLUS: Promoting Physical Activity in Adults | AzTrials