Abstract 13572: Feasibility and Preliminary Efficacy of a Novel YouTube Based Physical Activity Intervention in Adults With Overweight/Obesity

Abstract

Background: Only 14% of adults with obesity attain the national recommended guidelines for physical activity (PA). Yet, there is a paucity of interventions designed to address individuals’ barriers to PA. We designed a web-based Physical Activity for The Heart (PATH) intervention to address this gap. Purpose: To test the feasibility and preliminary efficacy of PATH in promoting PA and reducing cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk in adults with overweight/obesity. Methods: In a randomized controlled trial (RCT) with 12-week follow-up, participants were randomized to PATH (n=41) or wait-list control (n=41) groups. The PATH group received access to the PATH website and met twice/month with a remote coach. The control group received a self-help PA guide and twice/month newsletters on general health. Moderate-to-vigorous intensity PA (MVPA) was assessed via waist-worn Actigraph GT3X, steps via Fitbit Charge 2™, weight via smart scale, blood pressure (BP) via Omron BP machine, and lipids and HbA1C via dry blood spot. Generalized linear mixed modeling was applied to examine between- and within-group differences in PA, adherence to PA, and CVD risk factors. Results: The sample (N=82) was on average 55.9 ±8.2 years old; 57.3% white; 80.5% female; 79% obese (BMI 35.5 ±6.2 kg/m 2 ;) and 62.2% had ≥4yr of college. Recruitment lasted 6 months, and retention was 96.3%. Nearly all intervention participants accessed the PATH website ≥twice/week (92.1%), spent ≥10 min/visit (89.5%), and reported that the site was very appealing (68.4%), navigable (97.4%) and culturally appropriate (79%). At 12 weeks, the PATH group had greater mean changes in weekly MVPA (+59.2 min vs. +1.1 min, p=.024) and daily steps (+1,243.9 steps vs. -61.1 steps, p=.002) compared to the control group. While no between-group differences were detected for meeting the national PA guidelines or CVD risk factors over time, the PATH group showed modest but significant improvements in weight, BMI, body fat, waist circumference, and systolic BP (all p<.05). Conclusion: This pilot RCT demonstrated that the PATH intervention is feasible and acceptable and provided preliminary efficacy in promoting PA among adults with overweight/obesity. Work is in progress to test the PATH intervention in a larger scale RCT.