WalkingNOSTEPNCT07570303
Promoting Walking Among Older Adults Through Affective Communication and Step-Monitoring
A study testing Self-continuity prompts, Step-monitoring reminders and Water intake messages in people with Walking and Older Adults (65 Years and Older), run by Catholic University, Italy at 1 site in Italy.
Trial summary
Physical inactivity increases substantially after age 60 and represents a major public health challenge in older adults, as it is linked to increased risk of functional and cognitive decline and aging problems. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 65 to 74 yearsHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Walking, Older Adults (65 Years and Older), Messaging
- What is being tested?
- Self-continuity prompts, Step-monitoring reminders and Water intake messages
- Type of treatment
- Lifestyle or therapy programme
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 1,000 participants
- Where
- 1 siteItaly
- Study dates
- 29 Jun 2026to Oct 2026
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- Not yet: the study is under way
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 65 to 74 years
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Older adult
Who may be able to join
- Age between 65 and 74 years
- Willingness and ability to install and use the mobile applications required for study participation
- Sufficient proficiency in the Italian language to understand study materials and complete the questionnaires.
Who cannot join
- Physical disabilities or medical conditions that preclude engagement in light to moderate physical activity, specifically:
- medical advice or prescription prohibiting engagement in light to moderate physical activity, assessed via a close-ended screening question;
- positive screening on a study specific close-ended question assessing ability to perform physical activity;
- positive screening on the adapted revised Physical Activity Readiness Questionnaire (rPAR-Q), indicating that participant may be unsafe.
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.
Italy1 site, 1 recruiting
- Recruiting
Catholic University of the Sacred Heart (Milan)
Milan, Milan, 20123
Patrizia Catellani, PhD in Social Psychology, 393356741468, patrizia.catellani@unicatt.it
About this study
Official title: Self-Continuity Messages and Step-Monitoring to Promote Walking Among Older Adults: Protocol of a 4-Arm Randomised Controlled Trial
Physical inactivity increases substantially after age 60 and represents a major public health challenge in older adults, as it is linked to increased risk of functional and cognitive decline and aging problems. Walking is one of the most accessible and recommended forms of light-to-moderate physical activity for this population. However, promoting sustained engagement in walking remains difficult, as traditional informational approaches often fail to activate personally meaningful motivations.
This study tests whether persuasive affective messages can promote walking by leveraging self-continuity, meaning the use of autobiographical memory to maintain the sense of being the same person across time and contexts, connecting the past, present, and future self. Self-continuity is associated with psychological resources such as self-esteem, self-efficacy, and a sense of meaning in life. The affective mechanism that sustains self-continuity is nostalgia: both promote emotional and behavioral regulation and support goal achievement. Building on this framework, the present trial examines whether activating feelings of self-continuity and positive nostalgic memories can strengthen older adults' motivation to engage in walking behavior.
Read more
In addition, the study investigates whether combining self-continuity messaging with a self-regulation strategy (daily step monitoring) enhances intervention effectiveness. Self-monitoring is a well-established behavioral technique that supports goal pursuit by increasing awareness and feedback.
Using a 4-arm randomised controlled factorial design, the study compares the effects of self-continuity messages, step-monitoring reminders, their combination, and an active control condition on walking behaviour and its psychological determinants.
A national sample of 1,000 Italian adults aged 65-74, recruited through a certified panel provider (Ipsos) and balanced for age, gender, and geographic region, will be randomly assigned to one of the four conditions. All participants will receive one message per day through a mobile application over a 14-day period. Participants in the step-monitoring conditions will also be asked to track and report their daily step count using a pedometer application. Behavioral, psychological, and process measures will be collected at baseline, post-intervention, and follow-up.
The study therefore aims to provide experimental evidence on the role of self-continuity as a motivational driver of health behaviour change, and to clarify whether combining affective and self-regulatory strategies enhances intervention effectiveness in older adults.
- Conditions
- Walking, Older Adults (65 Years and Older), Messaging, Mobile Applications, Psychosocial Factors, Health Behaviour
- Being tested
- Self-continuity prompts, Step-monitoring reminders, Water intake messages
- Keywords
- health behaviour change, physical activity, walking, older adults, persuasive communication, messages, self-monitoring, self-continuity
- Medical subject headings
- Motor Activity
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Self-continuity promptsBehavioural
The Day 1 introductory message presents a daily walking goal consistent with WHO recommendations and informs participants that subsequent messages describe the benefits of walking. Participants will be encouraged to pursue the physical activity goal according to their individual capabilities. Messages delivered from Day 2 to Day 13 aim to activate different positive nostalgic experiences related to walking and movement, including past memories, emotions, bodily sensations, personal values, and self-concepts. The messages link walking behaviour to such positive experiences using counterfactual formulations (e.g., "If you walk a little more today, you may reconnect with sensations your body knows well."). Message openings vary and include exclamatory statements, memory prompts, or rhetorical questions. The Day 14 message concludes the intervention.
Step-monitoring remindersBehavioural
The Day 1 introductory message presents a daily walking goal consistent with WHO recommendations and informs participants that subsequent messages prompt them to monitor their daily step count. Participants will be encouraged to pursue the physical activity goal according to their individual capabilities. Messages delivered from Day 2 to Day 13 provide reminders to monitor step counts throughout the day using the pedometer app and to record the total number of daily steps in PsyMe at the end of the day (e.g., "During the day, monitor your step count using the pedometer app. This evening, record the total number of steps in the app."). The Day 14 message concludes the intervention.
Water intake messagesBehavioural
The Day 1 introductory message presents a daily water-intake goal consistent with standard recommendations and informs participants that subsequent messages describe the benefits of adequate hydration. Participants will be encouraged to pursue the goal according to their individual capabilities. Messages delivered from Day 2 to Day 13 provide brief information about different beneficial effects of adequate water intake and link hydration to each outcome using counterfactual formulations (e.g., "If you drink the recommended amount of water today, you may support your energy levels and help prevent lapses in concentration"). Message openings vary and include exclamatory statements, memory prompts, or rhetorical questions. The Day 14 message concludes the intervention.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Control | Other | Participants assigned to this arm will receive daily messages about the benefits of recommended daily water intake via the PsyMe app over 14 days. Receives: Behavioral: Water intake messages |
| Self-continuity | Experimental | Participants assigned to this arm will receive daily messages via the PsyMe app over 14 days. These messages are designed to prompt recall of personally relevant past experiences and to promote walking behavior. Receives: Behavioral: Self-continuity prompts |
| Step-monitoring | Active comparator | Participants assigned to this arm will receive daily reminders to monitor and record their step count through a step-tracking application via the PsyMe app over 14 days. Receives: Behavioral: Step-monitoring reminders |
| Self-continuity + Step-monitoring | Experimental | Participants assigned to this arm will receive daily messages via the PsyMe app over 14 days. These messages combine prompts recalling relevant past experiences and promoting walking behavior with reminders to monitor and record their daily step count. Receives: Behavioral: Self-continuity prompts; Behavioral: Step-monitoring reminders |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Change from Baseline in Self-Reported Walking Frequency and Duration at 2-Week Post-Intervention and 4-Week Follow-up
Assessed by International Physical Activity Questionnaire - Short Version (IPAQ). Higher scores (mean daily time spent in walking activities, number of days per week with walking activity, and mean time spent in walking activities multiplied by the number of days per week with walking activity) indicate greater self-reported walking activity over the past week and in a usual week.
Measured: Baseline and 2 weeks and 4 weeks
Change from Baseline in Self-Reported Walking Intensity at 2-Week Post-Intervention and 4-Week Follow-up
Assessed by International Physical Activity Questionnaire - Short Version (IPAQ). Higher scores indicate greater self-reported walking intensity over the past week and in a usual week, with 3 ordinal response options: slow, moderate, and vigorous intensity.
Measured: Baseline and 2 weeks and 4 weeks
Change from Baseline in Daily Step Count at 2-Week Post-Intervention as Measured Via Pedometer App
Higher self-reported step counts indicate greater walking activity over the past week and in a usual week.
Measured: Baseline and 2 weeks
Secondary outcomes (13)
Change from Baseline in Self-Reported Sedentary Behaviour Duration at 2-Week Post-Intervention and 4-Week Follow-up
Assessed by International Physical Activity Questionnaire - Short Version (IPAQ). Higher self-reported minutes spent in sedentary activities indicate greater sedentary behaviour in a usual week.
Measured: Baseline and 2 weeks and 4 weeks
Change from Baseline in Self-Reported Light Physical Activity Frequency and Duration at 2-Week Post-Intervention and 4-Week Follow-up
Adapted from the International Physical Activity Questionnaire - Short Version (IPAQ), specifically for light physical activity. Higher scores (mean daily time spent in light physical activities, number of days per week with light physical activity, and mean daily time multiplied by the number of days per week with light physical activity) indicate greater self-reported light physical activity in a usual week.
Measured: Baseline and 2 weeks and 4 weeks
Change from Baseline in Self-Reported Moderate Physical Activity Frequency and Duration at 2-Week Post-Intervention and 4-Week Follow-up
Assessed by International Physical Activity Questionnaire - Short Version (IPAQ). Higher scores (mean daily time spent in moderate physical activities, number of days per week with moderate physical activity, and mean daily time multiplied by the number of days per week with moderate physical activity) indicate greater self-reported moderate physical activity in a usual week.
Measured: Baseline and 2 weeks and 4 weeks
Change from Baseline in Self-Reported Vigorous Physical Activity Frequency and Duration at 2-Week Post-Intervention and 4-Week Follow-up
Assessed by International Physical Activity Questionnaire - Short Version (IPAQ). Higher scores (mean daily time spent in vigorous physical activities, number of days per week with vigorous physical activity, and mean daily time multiplied by the number of days per week with vigorous physical activity) indicate greater self-reported vigorous physical activity in a usual week.
Measured: Baseline and 2 weeks and 4 weeks
Change from Baseline in Pedometer Usage and Usage Frequency (Past Week) at 2-Week Post-Intervention and 4-Week Follow-up
Measured using a study-specific single item with 5 ordinal response options. Higher scores indicate more frequent mean daily use of the pedometer app/device.
Measured: Baseline and 2 weeks and 4 weeks
Change from Baseline in Attitude toward Walking at 2-Week Post-Intervention and 4-Week Follow-up
Measured using an ad-hoc 7-point semantic differential scale assessing anticipated attitude toward walking in the next two weeks, across six bipolar adjective pairs. Higher scores are associated with more positive attitudes toward walking.
Measured: Baseline and 2 weeks and 4 weeks
Change from Baseline in Intention to Walk at 2-Week Post-Intervention and 4-Week Follow-up
Measured using an ad hoc 7-point Likert scale comprising 3 items and assessing intention to walk as much as possible over the next two weeks. Responses range from 1 (completely disagree) to 7 (completely agree), with higher values indicating stronger intention to walk.
Measured: Baseline and 2 weeks and 4 weeks
Change from Baseline in Self-Efficacy to Walk at 2-Week Post-Intervention and 4-Week Follow-up
Measured using a 12-item scale adapted from the Self-efficacy to Regulate Exercise scale (Carfora et al., 2022) to assess confidence in being able to walk as much as possible over the next two weeks under a variety of challenging circumstances. Responses are given on a 7-point Likert scale ranging from 1 (completely disagree) to 7 (completely agree), with higher scores indicating greater self-efficacy to walk.
Measured: Baseline and 2 weeks and 4 weeks
Change from Baseline in Anticipated Positive Emotions Toward Walking at 2-Week Post-Intervention and 4-Week Follow-up
Evaluated using an ad-hoc 6-item scale assessing anticipated positive emotions associated with walking as much as possible over the next two weeks. Responses are given on a 7-point Likert scale ranging from 1 (completely disagree) to 7 (completely agree), with higher scores indicating stronger anticipated positive emotions toward walking.
Measured: Baseline and 2 weeks and 4 weeks
Change from Baseline in Anticipated Negative Emotions Toward Walking at 2-Week Post-Intervention and 4-Week Follow-up
Evaluated using an ad-hoc 6-item scale assessing anticipated negative emotions associated with not walking as much as possible over the next two weeks. Responses are given on a 7-point Likert scale ranging from 1 (completely disagree) to 7 (completely agree), with higher scores indicating stronger anticipated negative emotions toward not walking.
Measured: Baseline and 2 weeks and 4 weeks
Change from Baseline in Self-Reported Daily Water Intake at 2-Week Post-Intervention
Measured using an ad-hoc close-ended single-item measure assessing usual number of glasses of water consumed in an ordinary day.
Measured: Baseline and 2 weeks
Change from Baseline in Attitude toward Water Intake at 2-Week Post-Intervention
Measured using an ad-hoc 7-point semantic differential scale assessing anticipated attitude toward drinking at least 2 liters of water per day over the next two weeks, across six bipolar adjective pairs. Higher scores are associated with more positive attitudes toward drinking water.
Measured: Baseline and 2 weeks
Change from Baseline in Intention to Drink Water at 2-Week Post-Intervention
Measured using an ad hoc 7-point Likert scale comprising 3 items and assessing intention to drink at least 2 liters of water per day over the next two weeks. Responses range from 1 (completely disagree) to 7 (completely agree), with higher values indicating stronger intention to drink water.
Measured: Baseline and 2 weeks
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted6 May 2026
- Study start29 Jun 2026
- Primary completionOct 2026 (estimated)
- Study completionOct 2026 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Publications (30)Papers the sponsor has linked to this study.
- Other trials for WalkingStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
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
- Factorial
- Model description
- The study is a randomized controlled trial with four parallel arms and allocation ratio 1:1:1:1. Participants will be recruited through a certified panel provider on the basis of eligibility criteria, and randomly assigned to one of four conditions: control, self-continuity, step-monitoring, or self-continuity + step-monitoring. Randomization will be implemented by the panel provider after informed consent is obtained through the delivery of access codes that direct participants to an arm-specific version of PsyMe. The intervention will last 14 days with one message delivered via the PsyMe app every day at the same hour. The content of the messages varies depending on the condition. Self-report data will be collected via questionnaires uploaded on Qualtrics and administered through the PsyMe app at three time points: baseline (T1, before the start of messaging intervention), post-intervention (T2, immediately after the 14-day messaging period), and follow-up (2 weeks after T2).
- Masking
- Single blind
- Who is masked
- Participant
- Enrolment
- 1,000 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Catholic University, Italy
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- IPSOS
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Patrizia Catellani, Catholic University, Italy
- Investigators
- Patrizia Catellani, Social Psychology, Principal investigator, Catholic University, Italy
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07570303
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- 6069838_48_26
- Acronym
- NOSTEP
- Status last verified
- Jun 2026
- First submitted
- 30 Apr 2026
- Last updated
- 17 Sep 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- Yes
Publications
Bluck, S., Alea, N., Habermas, T., & Rubin, D.C. (2005). A tale of three functions: The self-reported uses of autobiographical memory. Social Cognition, 23(1). pp. 91-117.
Sedikides, C., & Wildschut, T. (2018). Finding Meaning in Nostalgia. Review of General Psychology, 22(1), 48-61.
Craig CL, Marshall AL, Sjostrom M, Bauman AE, Booth ML, Ainsworth BE, Pratt M, Ekelund U, Yngve A, Sallis JF, Oja P. International physical activity questionnaire: 12-country reliability and validity. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2003 Aug;35(8):1381-95. doi: 10.1249/01.MSS.0000078924.61453.FB.
PubMed 12900694Soraci P, Bevan N, Griffiths MD, Pisanti R, Servidio R, Ferrari A, Di Bernardo C, Pakpour AH. The Short Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale (SWEMWBS): an Italian validation using confirmatory factor analysis and Rasch analysis. BMC Psychol. 2024 Nov 21;12(1):680. doi: 10.1186/s40359-024-02177-8.
PubMed 39574182Wurm S, Diehl M, Kornadt AE, Westerhof GJ, Wahl HW. How do views on aging affect health outcomes in adulthood and late life? Explanations for an established connection. Dev Rev. 2017 Dec;46:27-43. doi: 10.1016/j.dr.2017.08.002. Epub 2017 Sep 14.
PubMed 33927468Namikawa T. [Individual difference in making temporal comparisons: development of Temporal Comparison Orientation Scale]. Shinrigaku Kenkyu. 2011 Feb;81(6):593-601. doi: 10.4992/jjpsy.81.593. Japanese.
PubMed 21400863Sedikides C., Wildschut T., Routledge C., and Arndt J. (2015) Nostalgia counteracts self-discontinuity and restores self-continuity, Eur. J. Soc. Psychol., 45, 52-61, doi: 10.1002/ejsp.2073.
Wildschut T, Sedikides C, Arndt J, Routledge C. Nostalgia: content, triggers, functions. J Pers Soc Psychol. 2006 Nov;91(5):975-993. doi: 10.1037/0022-3514.91.5.975.
PubMed 17059314Hallford DJ, Mellor D, Cummins RA. Adaptive autobiographical memory in younger and older adults: the indirect association of integrative and instrumental reminiscence with depressive symptoms. Memory. 2013;21(4):444-57. doi: 10.1080/09658211.2012.736523. Epub 2012 Nov 8.
PubMed 23134457Adler JM, Lodi-Smith J, Philippe FL, Houle I. The Incremental Validity of Narrative Identity in Predicting Well-Being: A Review of the Field and Recommendations for the Future. Pers Soc Psychol Rev. 2016 May;20(2):142-75. doi: 10.1177/1088868315585068. Epub 2015 May 12.
PubMed 25968138Hallford DJ, Ricarte JJ, Hermans D. Perceived Autobiographical Coherence Predicts Depressive Symptoms Over Time Through Positive Self-Concept. Front Psychol. 2021 Mar 18;12:625429. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.625429. eCollection 2021.
PubMed 33868092Williams DM, Evans DR. Current Emotion Research in Health Behavior Science. Emot Rev. 2014 Jul;6(3):277-287. doi: 10.1177/1754073914523052. Epub 2014 Jun 17.
PubMed 41815188Larsen RT, Christensen J, Juhl CB, Andersen HB, Langberg H. Physical activity monitors to enhance amount of physical activity in older adults - a systematic review and meta-analysis. Eur Rev Aging Phys Act. 2019 May 4;16:7. doi: 10.1186/s11556-019-0213-6. eCollection 2019.
PubMed 31073341Withall J, Stathi A, Davis M, Coulson J, Thompson JL, Fox KR. Objective indicators of physical activity and sedentary time and associations with subjective well-being in adults aged 70 and over. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2014 Jan 2;11(1):643-56. doi: 10.3390/ijerph110100643.
PubMed 24452258Williamson C, Baker G, Mutrie N, Niven A, Kelly P. Get the message? A scoping review of physical activity messaging. Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act. 2020 Apr 15;17(1):51. doi: 10.1186/s12966-020-00954-3.
PubMed 32295613
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 17 Sep 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Self-Continuity Messages and Step-Monitoring to Promote Walking Among Older Adults: Protocol of a 4-Arm Randomised Controlled Trial
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07570303
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- NOSTEP / 6069838_48_26
- Conditions
- Walking, Older Adults (65 Years and Older), Messaging, Mobile Applications, Psychosocial Factors, Health Behaviour
- Keywords
- health behaviour change, physical activity, walking, older adults, persuasive communication, messages, self-monitoring, self-continuity
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Recruiting
- Enrolment
- 1,000 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- Catholic University, ItalyUniversity, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- IPSOS
- Study start
- 29 Jun 2026 (actual)
- Primary completion
- Oct 2026 (estimated)
- Study completion
- Oct 2026 (estimated)
- First posted
- 6 May 2026 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
Physical inactivity increases substantially after age 60 and represents a major public health challenge in older adults, as it is linked to increased risk of functional and cognitive decline and aging problems. Walking is one of the most accessible and recommended forms of light-to-moderate physical activity for this population. However, promoting sustained engagement in walking remains difficult, as traditional informational approaches often fail to activate personally meaningful motivations.
This study tests whether persuasive affective messages can promote walking by leveraging self-continuity, meaning the use of autobiographical memory to maintain the sense of being the same person across time and contexts, connecting the past, present, and future self. Self-continuity is associated with psychological resources such as self-esteem, self-efficacy, and a sense of meaning in life. The affective mechanism that sustains self-continuity is nostalgia: both promote emotional and behavioral regulation and support goal achievement. Building on this framework, the present trial examines whether activating feelings of self-continuity and positive nostalgic memories can strengthen older adults' motivation to engage in walking behavior.
In addition, the study investigates whether combining self-continuity messaging with a self-regulation strategy (daily step monitoring) enhances intervention effectiveness. Self-monitoring is a well-established behavioral technique that supports goal pursuit by increasing awareness and feedback.
Using a 4-arm randomised controlled factorial design, the study compares the effects of self-continuity messages, step-monitoring reminders, their combination, and an active control condition on walking behaviour and its psychological determinants.
A national sample of 1,000 Italian adults aged 65-74, recruited through a certified panel provider (Ipsos) and balanced for age, gender, and geographic region, will be randomly assigned to one of the four conditions. All participants will receive one message per day through a mobile application over a 14-day period. Participants in the step-monitoring conditions will also be asked to track and report their daily step count using a pedometer application. Behavioral, psychological, and process measures will be collected at baseline, post-intervention, and follow-up.
The study therefore aims to provide experimental evidence on the role of self-continuity as a motivational driver of health behaviour change, and to clarify whether combining affective and self-regulatory strategies enhances intervention effectiveness in older adults.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Prevention
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Factorial
- Masking
- Single blind (participant)
- Number of arms
- 4
- Model description
- The study is a randomized controlled trial with four parallel arms and allocation ratio 1:1:1:1. Participants will be recruited through a certified panel provider on the basis of eligibility criteria, and randomly assigned to one of four conditions: control, self-continuity, step-monitoring, or self-continuity + step-monitoring. Randomization will be implemented by the panel provider after informed consent is obtained through the delivery of access codes that direct participants to an arm-specific version of PsyMe. The intervention will last 14 days with one message delivered via the PsyMe app every day at the same hour. The content of the messages varies depending on the condition. Self-report data will be collected via questionnaires uploaded on Qualtrics and administered through the PsyMe app at three time points: baseline (T1, before the start of messaging intervention), post-intervention (T2, immediately after the 14-day messaging period), and follow-up (2 weeks after T2).
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Control | Other | Behavioral: Water intake messagesParticipants assigned to this arm will receive daily messages about the benefits of recommended daily water intake via the PsyMe app over 14 days. |
| Self-continuity | Experimental | Behavioral: Self-continuity promptsParticipants assigned to this arm will receive daily messages via the PsyMe app over 14 days. These messages are designed to prompt recall of personally relevant past experiences and to promote walking behavior. |
| Step-monitoring | Active comparator | Behavioral: Step-monitoring remindersParticipants assigned to this arm will receive daily reminders to monitor and record their step count through a step-tracking application via the PsyMe app over 14 days. |
| Self-continuity + Step-monitoring | Experimental | Behavioral: Self-continuity prompts, Behavioral: Step-monitoring remindersParticipants assigned to this arm will receive daily messages via the PsyMe app over 14 days. These messages combine prompts recalling relevant past experiences and promoting walking behavior with reminders to monitor and record their daily step count. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 65 to 74 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (3 listed)
- Age between 65 and 74 years
- Willingness and ability to install and use the mobile applications required for study participation
- Sufficient proficiency in the Italian language to understand study materials and complete the questionnaires.
Key exclusion criteria (4 listed)
- Physical disabilities or medical conditions that preclude engagement in light to moderate physical activity, specifically:
- medical advice or prescription prohibiting engagement in light to moderate physical activity, assessed via a close-ended screening question;
- positive screening on a study specific close-ended question assessing ability to perform physical activity;
- positive screening on the adapted revised Physical Activity Readiness Questionnaire (rPAR-Q), indicating that participant may be unsafe.
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| Self-continuity promptsThe Day 1 introductory message presents a daily walking goal consistent with WHO recommendations and informs participants that subsequent messages describe the benefits of walking. Participants will be encouraged to pursue the physical activity goal according to their individual capabilities. Messages delivered from Day 2 to Day 13 aim to activate different positive nostalgic experiences related to walking and movement, including past memories, emotions, bodily sensations, personal values, and self-concepts. The messages link walking behaviour to such positive experiences using counterfactual formulations (e.g., "If you walk a little more today, you may reconnect with sensations your body knows well."). Message openings vary and include exclamatory statements, memory prompts, or rhetorical questions. The Day 14 message concludes the intervention. | Behavioural | Self-continuity, Self-continuity + Step-monitoring |
| Step-monitoring remindersThe Day 1 introductory message presents a daily walking goal consistent with WHO recommendations and informs participants that subsequent messages prompt them to monitor their daily step count. Participants will be encouraged to pursue the physical activity goal according to their individual capabilities. Messages delivered from Day 2 to Day 13 provide reminders to monitor step counts throughout the day using the pedometer app and to record the total number of daily steps in PsyMe at the end of the day (e.g., "During the day, monitor your step count using the pedometer app. This evening, record the total number of steps in the app."). The Day 14 message concludes the intervention. | Behavioural | Self-continuity + Step-monitoring, Step-monitoring |
| Water intake messagesThe Day 1 introductory message presents a daily water-intake goal consistent with standard recommendations and informs participants that subsequent messages describe the benefits of adequate hydration. Participants will be encouraged to pursue the goal according to their individual capabilities. Messages delivered from Day 2 to Day 13 provide brief information about different beneficial effects of adequate water intake and link hydration to each outcome using counterfactual formulations (e.g., "If you drink the recommended amount of water today, you may support your energy levels and help prevent lapses in concentration"). Message openings vary and include exclamatory statements, memory prompts, or rhetorical questions. The Day 14 message concludes the intervention. | Behavioural | Control |
Primary outcome
Change from Baseline in Self-Reported Walking Frequency and Duration at 2-Week Post-Intervention and 4-Week Follow-up
Time frame: Baseline and 2 weeks and 4 weeks
Assessed by International Physical Activity Questionnaire - Short Version (IPAQ). Higher scores (mean daily time spent in walking activities, number of days per week with walking activity, and mean time spent in walking activities multiplied by the number of days per week with walking activity) indicate greater self-reported walking activity over the past week and in a usual week.
Change from Baseline in Self-Reported Walking Intensity at 2-Week Post-Intervention and 4-Week Follow-up
Time frame: Baseline and 2 weeks and 4 weeks
Assessed by International Physical Activity Questionnaire - Short Version (IPAQ). Higher scores indicate greater self-reported walking intensity over the past week and in a usual week, with 3 ordinal response options: slow, moderate, and vigorous intensity.
Change from Baseline in Daily Step Count at 2-Week Post-Intervention as Measured Via Pedometer App
Time frame: Baseline and 2 weeks
Higher self-reported step counts indicate greater walking activity over the past week and in a usual week.
13 secondary outcomes
Change from Baseline in Self-Reported Sedentary Behaviour Duration at 2-Week Post-Intervention and 4-Week Follow-up
Time frame: Baseline and 2 weeks and 4 weeks
Change from Baseline in Self-Reported Light Physical Activity Frequency and Duration at 2-Week Post-Intervention and 4-Week Follow-up
Time frame: Baseline and 2 weeks and 4 weeks
Change from Baseline in Self-Reported Moderate Physical Activity Frequency and Duration at 2-Week Post-Intervention and 4-Week Follow-up
Time frame: Baseline and 2 weeks and 4 weeks
Change from Baseline in Self-Reported Vigorous Physical Activity Frequency and Duration at 2-Week Post-Intervention and 4-Week Follow-up
Time frame: Baseline and 2 weeks and 4 weeks
Change from Baseline in Pedometer Usage and Usage Frequency (Past Week) at 2-Week Post-Intervention and 4-Week Follow-up
Time frame: Baseline and 2 weeks and 4 weeks
Change from Baseline in Attitude toward Walking at 2-Week Post-Intervention and 4-Week Follow-up
Time frame: Baseline and 2 weeks and 4 weeks
Change from Baseline in Intention to Walk at 2-Week Post-Intervention and 4-Week Follow-up
Time frame: Baseline and 2 weeks and 4 weeks
Change from Baseline in Self-Efficacy to Walk at 2-Week Post-Intervention and 4-Week Follow-up
Time frame: Baseline and 2 weeks and 4 weeks
Change from Baseline in Anticipated Positive Emotions Toward Walking at 2-Week Post-Intervention and 4-Week Follow-up
Time frame: Baseline and 2 weeks and 4 weeks
Change from Baseline in Anticipated Negative Emotions Toward Walking at 2-Week Post-Intervention and 4-Week Follow-up
Time frame: Baseline and 2 weeks and 4 weeks
Change from Baseline in Self-Reported Daily Water Intake at 2-Week Post-Intervention
Time frame: Baseline and 2 weeks
Change from Baseline in Attitude toward Water Intake at 2-Week Post-Intervention
Time frame: Baseline and 2 weeks
Change from Baseline in Intention to Drink Water at 2-Week Post-Intervention
Time frame: Baseline and 2 weeks
Results and safety
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 17 Sep 2026.
- BackgroundBluck, S., Alea, N., Habermas, T., & Rubin, D.C. (2005). A tale of three functions: The self-reported uses of autobiographical memory. Social Cognition, 23(1). pp. 91-117.
- BackgroundSedikides, C., & Wildschut, T. (2018). Finding Meaning in Nostalgia. Review of General Psychology, 22(1), 48-61.
- Background: PubMed 12900694Craig CL, Marshall AL, Sjostrom M, Bauman AE, Booth ML, Ainsworth BE, Pratt M, Ekelund U, Yngve A, Sallis JF, Oja P. International physical activity questionnaire: 12-country reliability and validity. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2003 Aug;35(8):1381-95. doi: 10.1249/01.MSS.0000078924.61453.FB.
- Background: PubMed 39574182Soraci P, Bevan N, Griffiths MD, Pisanti R, Servidio R, Ferrari A, Di Bernardo C, Pakpour AH. The Short Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale (SWEMWBS): an Italian validation using confirmatory factor analysis and Rasch analysis. BMC Psychol. 2024 Nov 21;12(1):680. doi: 10.1186/s40359-024-02177-8.
- Background: PubMed 33927468Wurm S, Diehl M, Kornadt AE, Westerhof GJ, Wahl HW. How do views on aging affect health outcomes in adulthood and late life? Explanations for an established connection. Dev Rev. 2017 Dec;46:27-43. doi: 10.1016/j.dr.2017.08.002. Epub 2017 Sep 14.
- Background: PubMed 21400863Namikawa T. [Individual difference in making temporal comparisons: development of Temporal Comparison Orientation Scale]. Shinrigaku Kenkyu. 2011 Feb;81(6):593-601. doi: 10.4992/jjpsy.81.593. Japanese.
- BackgroundSedikides C., Wildschut T., Routledge C., and Arndt J. (2015) Nostalgia counteracts self-discontinuity and restores self-continuity, Eur. J. Soc. Psychol., 45, 52-61, doi: 10.1002/ejsp.2073.
- Background: PubMed 17059314Wildschut T, Sedikides C, Arndt J, Routledge C. Nostalgia: content, triggers, functions. J Pers Soc Psychol. 2006 Nov;91(5):975-993. doi: 10.1037/0022-3514.91.5.975.
- Background: PubMed 23134457Hallford DJ, Mellor D, Cummins RA. Adaptive autobiographical memory in younger and older adults: the indirect association of integrative and instrumental reminiscence with depressive symptoms. Memory. 2013;21(4):444-57. doi: 10.1080/09658211.2012.736523. Epub 2012 Nov 8.
- Background: PubMed 25968138Adler JM, Lodi-Smith J, Philippe FL, Houle I. The Incremental Validity of Narrative Identity in Predicting Well-Being: A Review of the Field and Recommendations for the Future. Pers Soc Psychol Rev. 2016 May;20(2):142-75. doi: 10.1177/1088868315585068. Epub 2015 May 12.
- Background: PubMed 33868092Hallford DJ, Ricarte JJ, Hermans D. Perceived Autobiographical Coherence Predicts Depressive Symptoms Over Time Through Positive Self-Concept. Front Psychol. 2021 Mar 18;12:625429. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.625429. eCollection 2021.
- Background: PubMed 41815188Williams DM, Evans DR. Current Emotion Research in Health Behavior Science. Emot Rev. 2014 Jul;6(3):277-287. doi: 10.1177/1754073914523052. Epub 2014 Jun 17.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: Yes
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part.
Patrizia Catellani, Social Psychology principal investigator
Catholic University, Italy
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Self-continuity prompts, Step-monitoring reminders and Water intake messages in people with Walking and Older Adults (65 Years and Older), run by Catholic University, Italy at 1 site in Italy.
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 3 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: looking for participants now, as of the sponsor's last update on 17 Sep 2026. 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 Italy. 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?
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
Contact Patrizia Catellani, PhD in Social Psychology (393356741468, patrizia.catellani@unicatt.it), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Change from Baseline in Self-Reported Walking Frequency and Duration at 2-Week Post-Intervention and 4-Week Follow-up (time frame: Baseline and 2 weeks and 4 weeks). 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 NCT07570303, which also lists 30 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 17 Sep 2026.