JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

Physical activity (PA) has significant health benefits for older adults. However, many older adults in Hong Kong remained physically inactive. Interventions tailored to one’s current stage of change (SOC) are more effective than non-SOC-tailored ones in facilitating behavioural changes. Chatbot is potentially useful to deliver SOC-tailored interventions to promote PA among older adults.

Objective:

This randomized controlled trial will compare the efficacy of a Chatbot-delivered SOC-tailored web-based intervention versus a Chatbot-delivered non-SOC-tailored web-based intervention in increasing the prevalence of meeting WHO recommended PA level six months after completion of the intervention among inactive community-dwelling individuals aged ≥65 years.

Methods:

This is a partially blinded (outcome accessors and data analysts) and parallel-group randomized controlled trial (RCT). A total of 278 inactive community-dwelling people aged 65 years or above will be randomized evenly (1:1) into either the intervention group or the control group. In the intervention group, Chatbot will measure participants’ SOC related to PA, and deliver web-based interventions tailored to their current SOC every week for 12 weeks. In the control group, Chatbot will not measure participants’ SOC. It will deliver a standard and non-SOC-tailored web-based intervention every week for 12 weeks. Participants will be interviewed at baseline (T0), after completion of intervention (T1), and six months after T1 (T2). Primary outcome is the prevalence of meeting WHO recommended PA level (i.e., at least 150 minutes moderate-intensity aerobic PA, or at least 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic PA, or an equivalent combination of MVPA every week). PA will be measured by the Chinese version of IPAQ-SF and accelerometers at T0, T1, and T2. Secondary outcomes include 1) minutes of MPVA, low-intensity PA, and sedentary time in the past week, 2) step counts in the past week, 3) SOC, perceived pros, perceived cons, and perceived self-efficacy related to PA, 4) compliance to the web-based interventions, and 5) cognitive status measured at T0, T1 and T2. Intention-to-treat analysis will be used for data analysis.

Results:

Recruitment and enrolment of participants started in November 2024.

Conclusions:

This study will generate theoretical and practical implications. The findings will extend the application of SOC and contribute to the evidence of the effectiveness of SOC-tailored and Chatbot-delivered interventions. If the Chatbot-delivered stage-tailored intervention is proven effective to increase PA level, it requires relative low resource to implement and maintain. It can be integrated into the existing WhatsApp groups operated by organizations providing services to older adults in Hong Kong, and create public health impacts. Clinical Trial: ClinicalTrial.gov: NCT06641492.