FrailtyMoving_MoreNCT06894914
Supporting Uptake of Evidence for Physical Activity in Older Adults With Complex Health Care Needs
A study testing 24-hour Activity Counselling in people with Frailty, run by University of British Columbia at 1 site in Canada.
Trial summary
Physically frail older adults often have chronic conditions that contribute to a higher chance of them being limited in daily activities and becoming dependent. Physical activity can help to better manage chronic conditions and prevent frailty. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages Up to 99 years
- Conditions the study is for
- Frailty
- What is being tested?
- 24-hour Activity Counselling
- Type of treatment
- Lifestyle or therapy programme
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 20 participants
- Where
- 1 siteCanada
- Study dates
- 30 Jan 2026to 30 Dec 2027
- 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 Up to 99 years
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Child, Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- Eligible PTs are those who self-report at least 40% of their caseload is working with older adults and practice in the in the Greater Vancouver Area. In addition, they are willing to:
- participate in online training for the assigned physical activity counselling strategy
- be randomised to one of the counselling groups.
- are age > 65 years
- live in the community
- have 1 or 2 of the deficits in the CHS index
Show all 13Show fewer
- have > 1 chronic conditions
- are able to walk 3 metres with or without an assistive device
- have a Mini-Mental State Examination score > 24/30
- do not have a diagnosed psychiatric condition (e.g., depression)
- understand, speak and read English proficiently
- are willing to have their physiotherapy sessions audio-recorded
- are able to provide written informed consent.
Who cannot join
- Those who do not meet the Inclusion Criteria
- Older adults:
- Those who do not meet the Inclusion Criteria
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.
Canada1 site, 1 recruiting
- Recruiting
Arthritis Research Canada
Vancouver, British Columbia, V5Y 3P2
Stephanie Therrien, BA, 604-207-4053, stherrien@arthritisresearch.ca
Shireen Divecha, 604-207-4041, sdivecha@arthritisresearch.ca
About this study
Official title: Moving More: Supporting Uptake of Evidence for Physical Activity in Older Adults With Complex Health Care Needs
Physically frail older adults often have chronic conditions that contribute to a higher chance of them being limited in daily activities and becoming dependent. Physical activity can help to better manage chronic conditions and prevent frailty. In this project, the counselling approach using the new Canadian 24-hour Movement Guidelines will be adapted for older adults at an early state of frailty. This new approach will be tested against the one in current use by physiotherapists. This ethics application will address the pilot implementation evaluation, including interviews and focus groups, conducted to refine the new approach.
Read the detailed description
Rationale:
Physical activity is effective in preventing the progression of frailty and further disability in community-dwelling frail older adults. It is also effective in mitigating the progression of chronic conditions associated with physical frailty. Despite the benefits, many older adults in the early state of frailty and with chronic conditions are not sufficiently active. Current delivery of physical activity recommendations can be improved by applying the new Canadian 24-hour Movement Guidelines. These guidelines promote a balance of activity, rest and sleep as they play an important role for better overall health and quality of life regardless of health conditions. With advanced training in complex chronic conditions and physical activity promotion, physiotherapists (PTs) are well-suited to adapt and integrate activity counselling, based on the 24-hour Movement Guidelines, in their clinical practice.
Aim:
to assess implementation context, feasibility, and preliminary effect of the 24-hour Approach against a current goal-oriented counselling approach (i.e., focus on achieving 150 minutes/week of MVPA).
Previous Work:
A PT-led goal-oriented counselling program was previously evaluated for older adults with osteoarthritis. In 2 randomized controlled trials (RCTs), compared to controls, this program was shown to improve time spent in Moderate/Vigorous Physical Activity (MVPA) in participants after 8 weeks (n=61; 25.6 mins/day; 95% CI. 9) and 13 weeks (n=51; 13.1 mins/day; 95% CI. 5). This current approach has been modified for remote delivery during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Research Design \& Data Analysis:
This is a multi-method study. PTs and their patients across Canada who have participated in the co-development of the 24-hour Approach will be invited to participate. The 24-hour Approach will be assessed in a randomized pilot study with 20 PTs and their patients (each PT will treat 4 older adult patients) who will be assigned to one of the groups:
- Current Approach (focus on achieving 150 min/week of MVPA).
- 24-hour Approach (focus on increasing MVPA with a balance of activity, rest and sleep in a day).
Guided by the RE-AIM framework, Reach will be assessed by comparing characteristics of older adult participants with those who are eligible yet decline to participate. Effect (Preliminary) will be evaluated at the older adult level. Adoption will be assessed by comparing the demographic and practice characteristics between the participating PTs and those who are eligible but have not enrolled. Implementation will be assessed by PT interviews when they complete their sessions with all 4 older adult patients. To assess Maintenance, PTs will be interviewed at 12 months about if/how they continue using their assigned counselling strategy after the study. Results will inform a full RCT and future scale-up.
Significance:
Results will provide necessary knowledge to inform how to improve uptake of physical activity recommendations in ways that are sensitive to the health needs of older adults and their life context.
- Conditions
- Frailty
- Being tested
- 24-hour Activity Counselling
- Keywords
- Physiotherapy, Physical activity, Sleep, Counselling
- Medical subject headings
- Frailty, Motor Activity
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
24-hour Activity CounsellingBehavioural
Physiotherapists will participate in the self-paced brief action planning (BAP) online training (2-4 hours long), followed by 2-3 hours of practice and feedback over the phone with an experienced BAP instructor. In addition, they will attend a 2-hour session with the research team on training around on prescribing physical activity while balancing with rest and sleep.
Once training is complete the PT can start implementing the counselling approach with the older adult patients.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| 24-hour Activity Counselling | Experimental | Participating physiotherapists will be trained to deliver counselling that focuses on increasing moderate-to-vigorous physical activity, with a balance of activity, rest and sleep in a 24-hour day.
Patients (n=4) of these physiotherapists will receive the 24-hour Activitiy Counselling Receives: Behavioral: 24-hour Activity Counselling |
| Current Physical Activity Counselling | Active comparator | Participating physiotherapists will continue delivering counselling that focuses on achieving 150 minutes/week of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity, which is the current practice.
Patients (n=4) of these physiotherapists will receive the Current Physical Activitiy Counselling Receives: Behavioral: 24-hour Activity Counselling |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Patient's daily time in moderate/vigorous physical activity (minutes/day)
Minutes spent in moderate/vigorous physical activity per day
Measured: 6 months
Secondary outcomes (19)
Patient's daily time in moderate/vigorous physical activity (minutes/day)
Minutes spent in moderate/vigorous physical activity per day
Measured: 12 months
Patient's daily time in light physical activity (minutes/day)
Minutes spent in light physical activity per day
Measured: 6 months
Patient's daily time in light physical activity (minutes/day)
Minutes spent in light physical activity per day
Measured: 12 months
Patient's daily time in sedentary behaviour (minutes/day)
Minutes spent in sedentary behaviour per day
Measured: 6 months
Patient's daily time in sedentary behaviour (minutes/day)
Minutes spent in sedentary behaviour per day
Measured: 12 months
Patient's daily time sleeping (minutes/day)
Minutes spent sleeping per day
Measured: 6 months
Patient's daily time sleeping (minutes/day)
Minutes spent sleeping per day
Measured: 12 months
The score of cardiovascular Health Study (CHS) index (Patient outcome)
multidimensional measure of physical frailty (0-5 points; lower = better)
- Weight Loss: Lost > 10 pounds unintentionally in last year
- Exhaustion Self-report of either of:
- felt that everything I did was an effort in the last week ii. could not get going in the last week
- Weakness Grip strength: Lowest 20% adjusted for sex and body mass index
- Low Physical Activity Women: Kcal < 270 on activity scale (18 items)§ Men: Kcal < 383 on activity scale (18 items)§
- Slowness Walking time: Slowest 20% adjusted by sex and height
"Yes" to each of the above is 1 point.
Measured: 6 months
The Cardiovascular Health Study (CHS) index score (Patient outcome)
multidimensional measure of physical frailty (0-5 points; lower = better)
- Weight Loss: Lost > 10 pounds unintentionally in last year
- Exhaustion Self-report of either of:
- felt that everything I did was an effort in the last week ii. could not get going in the last week
- Weakness Grip strength: Lowest 20% adjusted for sex and body mass index
- Low Physical Activity Women: Kcal < 270 on activity scale (18 items)§ Men: Kcal < 383 on activity scale (18 items)§
- Slowness Walking time: Slowest 20% adjusted by sex and height
"Yes" to each of the above is 1 point.
Measured: 12 months
Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB; 0-12; higher = better; Patient outcome)
Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB) is a standardized measure of lower extremity physical performance that includes walking, balance, and strength tasks, and has been used in a broad range of RCTs and epidemiological studies of aging. A low SPPB score is a strong risk factor for institutionalization, morbidity, mortality, and disability in initially non-disabled older persons. Participants are assessed on performances of standing balance, 4-m walking, and sit-to-stand. Each component is rated out of 4 points, for a maximum of 12 points.
Measured: 6 months
Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB; 0-12; higher = better; Patient outcome)
Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB) is a standardized measure of lower extremity physical performance that includes walking, balance, and strength tasks, and has been used in a broad range of RCTs and epidemiological studies of aging. A low SPPB score is a strong risk factor for institutionalization, morbidity, mortality, and disability in initially non-disabled older persons. Participants are assessed on performances of standing balance, 4-m walking, and sit-to-stand. Each component is rated out of 4 points, for a maximum of 12 points.
Measured: 12 months
Gait speed (meters/second; Patient outcome)
Gait speed will be calculated by dividing the 4-meter walk with the time to complete the walk
Measured: 6 months
Gait speed (meters/second; Patient outcome)
Gait speed will be calculated by dividing the 4-meter walk with the time to complete the walk
Measured: 12 months
Grip strength (in kg) of the dominant hand (Patient outcome)
Grip strength (in kg) of the dominant hand will be measured using a digital Jamar isometric hand dynamometer; three measures will be acquired and averaged.
Measured: 6 months
Grip strength (in kg) of the dominant hand (Patient outcome)
Grip strength (in kg) of the dominant hand will be measured using a digital Jamar isometric hand dynamometer; three measures will be acquired and averaged.
Measured: 12 months
EuroQol-5D-5 Level version (EQ-5D-5L; Patient outcome)
measure Health-Related Quality of Life. EQ-5D-5L is a generic preference-based utility measure composed of 5 domains of health (mobility, self-care, usual activities, pain, and anxiety/depression). Each domain contains 5 levels ('1' indicating no problem; '5' indicating major problem).
Measured: 6 months
EuroQol-5D-5 Level version (EQ-5D-5L; Patient outcome)
measure Health-Related Quality of Life. EQ-5D-5L is a generic preference-based utility measure composed of 5 domains of health (mobility, self-care, usual activities, pain, and anxiety/depression). Each domain contains 5 levels ('1' indicating no problem; '5' indicating major problem).
Measured: 12 months
Self-Reported Habit Index (Patient outcome)
A multi-item measure rated on a 7-point Likert scale that evaluates characteristics of habitual behavior
Measured: 6 months
Self-Reported Habit Index (Patient outcome)
A multi-item measure rated on a 7-point Likert scale that evaluates characteristics of habitual behavior
Measured: 12 months
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted25 Mar 2025
- Study start30 Jan 2026
- Primary completion30 Jan 2027 (estimated)
- Study completion30 Dec 2027 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for FrailtyStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- More trials run by University of British ColumbiaThe sponsor's other registered studies.
- 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
- Health services research
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Single blind
- Who is masked
- Outcomes assessor
- Enrolment
- 20 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- University of British Columbia
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), Arthritis Research Centre of Canada
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Linda Li, University of British Columbia
- Investigators
- Linda Li, PhD, Principal investigator, University of British Columbia
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT06894914
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- H25-03073
- Acronym
- Moving_More
- Status last verified
- Feb 2026
- First submitted
- 23 Feb 2025
- Last updated
- 20 Feb 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- Yes: The investigators plan to share individual participant data from this clinical trial, including demographics, baseline characteristics, primary outcome measures, and key secondary outcomes, with qualified researchers upon request after the study results have been published.
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 20 Feb 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Moving More: Supporting Uptake of Evidence for Physical Activity in Older Adults With Complex Health Care Needs
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT06894914
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- Moving_More / H25-03073
- Conditions
- Frailty
- Keywords
- Physiotherapy, Physical activity, Sleep, Counselling
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Recruiting
- Enrolment
- 20 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- University of British ColumbiaUniversity, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), Arthritis Research Centre of Canada
- Study start
- 30 Jan 2026 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 30 Jan 2027 (estimated)
- Study completion
- 30 Dec 2027 (estimated)
- First posted
- 25 Mar 2025 (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.
Physically frail older adults often have chronic conditions that contribute to a higher chance of them being limited in daily activities and becoming dependent. Physical activity can help to better manage chronic conditions and prevent frailty. In this project, the counselling approach using the new Canadian 24-hour Movement Guidelines will be adapted for older adults at an early state of frailty. This new approach will be tested against the one in current use by physiotherapists. This ethics application will address the pilot implementation evaluation, including interviews and focus groups, conducted to refine the new approach.
Detailed description
Rationale:
Physical activity is effective in preventing the progression of frailty and further disability in community-dwelling frail older adults. It is also effective in mitigating the progression of chronic conditions associated with physical frailty. Despite the benefits, many older adults in the early state of frailty and with chronic conditions are not sufficiently active. Current delivery of physical activity recommendations can be improved by applying the new Canadian 24-hour Movement Guidelines. These guidelines promote a balance of activity, rest and sleep as they play an important role for better overall health and quality of life regardless of health conditions. With advanced training in complex chronic conditions and physical activity promotion, physiotherapists (PTs) are well-suited to adapt and integrate activity counselling, based on the 24-hour Movement Guidelines, in their clinical practice.
Aim:
to assess implementation context, feasibility, and preliminary effect of the 24-hour Approach against a current goal-oriented counselling approach (i.e., focus on achieving 150 minutes/week of MVPA).
Previous Work:
A PT-led goal-oriented counselling program was previously evaluated for older adults with osteoarthritis. In 2 randomized controlled trials (RCTs), compared to controls, this program was shown to improve time spent in Moderate/Vigorous Physical Activity (MVPA) in participants after 8 weeks (n=61; 25.6 mins/day; 95% CI. 9) and 13 weeks (n=51; 13.1 mins/day; 95% CI. 5). This current approach has been modified for remote delivery during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Research Design \& Data Analysis:
This is a multi-method study. PTs and their patients across Canada who have participated in the co-development of the 24-hour Approach will be invited to participate. The 24-hour Approach will be assessed in a randomized pilot study with 20 PTs and their patients (each PT will treat 4 older adult patients) who will be assigned to one of the groups:
- Current Approach (focus on achieving 150 min/week of MVPA).
- 24-hour Approach (focus on increasing MVPA with a balance of activity, rest and sleep in a day).
Guided by the RE-AIM framework, Reach will be assessed by comparing characteristics of older adult participants with those who are eligible yet decline to participate. Effect (Preliminary) will be evaluated at the older adult level. Adoption will be assessed by comparing the demographic and practice characteristics between the participating PTs and those who are eligible but have not enrolled. Implementation will be assessed by PT interviews when they complete their sessions with all 4 older adult patients. To assess Maintenance, PTs will be interviewed at 12 months about if/how they continue using their assigned counselling strategy after the study. Results will inform a full RCT and future scale-up.
Significance:
Results will provide necessary knowledge to inform how to improve uptake of physical activity recommendations in ways that are sensitive to the health needs of older adults and their life context.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Health services research
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Single blind (outcomes assessor)
- Number of arms
- 2
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| 24-hour Activity Counselling | Experimental | Behavioral: 24-hour Activity CounsellingParticipating physiotherapists will be trained to deliver counselling that focuses on increasing moderate-to-vigorous physical activity, with a balance of activity, rest and sleep in a 24-hour day. Patients (n=4) of these physiotherapists will receive the 24-hour Activitiy Counselling |
| Current Physical Activity Counselling | Active comparator | Behavioral: 24-hour Activity CounsellingParticipating physiotherapists will continue delivering counselling that focuses on achieving 150 minutes/week of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity, which is the current practice. Patients (n=4) of these physiotherapists will receive the Current Physical Activitiy Counselling |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- Up to 99 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Child, Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (13 listed)
- Eligible PTs are those who self-report at least 40% of their caseload is working with older adults and practice in the in the Greater Vancouver Area. In addition, they are willing to:
- are age > 65 years
- live in the community
- have 1 or 2 of the deficits in the CHS index
- have > 1 chronic conditions
Key exclusion criteria (3 listed)
- Those who do not meet the Inclusion Criteria
- Those who do not meet the Inclusion Criteria
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 |
|---|---|---|
| 24-hour Activity CounsellingPhysiotherapists will participate in the self-paced brief action planning (BAP) online training (2-4 hours long), followed by 2-3 hours of practice and feedback over the phone with an experienced BAP instructor. In addition, they will attend a 2-hour session with the research team on training around on prescribing physical activity while balancing with rest and sleep. Once training is complete the PT can start implementing the counselling approach with the older adult patients. | Behavioural | 24-hour Activity Counselling, Current Physical Activity Counselling |
Primary outcome
Patient's daily time in moderate/vigorous physical activity (minutes/day)
Time frame: 6 months
Minutes spent in moderate/vigorous physical activity per day
19 secondary outcomes
Patient's daily time in moderate/vigorous physical activity (minutes/day)
Time frame: 12 months
Patient's daily time in light physical activity (minutes/day)
Time frame: 6 months
Patient's daily time in light physical activity (minutes/day)
Time frame: 12 months
Patient's daily time in sedentary behaviour (minutes/day)
Time frame: 6 months
Patient's daily time in sedentary behaviour (minutes/day)
Time frame: 12 months
Patient's daily time sleeping (minutes/day)
Time frame: 6 months
Patient's daily time sleeping (minutes/day)
Time frame: 12 months
The score of cardiovascular Health Study (CHS) index (Patient outcome)
Time frame: 6 months
The Cardiovascular Health Study (CHS) index score (Patient outcome)
Time frame: 12 months
Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB; 0-12; higher = better; Patient outcome)
Time frame: 6 months
Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB; 0-12; higher = better; Patient outcome)
Time frame: 12 months
Gait speed (meters/second; Patient outcome)
Time frame: 6 months
Gait speed (meters/second; Patient outcome)
Time frame: 12 months
Grip strength (in kg) of the dominant hand (Patient outcome)
Time frame: 6 months
Grip strength (in kg) of the dominant hand (Patient outcome)
Time frame: 12 months
EuroQol-5D-5 Level version (EQ-5D-5L; Patient outcome)
Time frame: 6 months
EuroQol-5D-5 Level version (EQ-5D-5L; Patient outcome)
Time frame: 12 months
Self-Reported Habit Index (Patient outcome)
Time frame: 6 months
Self-Reported Habit Index (Patient outcome)
Time frame: 12 months
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 20 Feb 2026.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: Yes. The investigators plan to share individual participant data from this clinical trial, including demographics, baseline characteristics, primary outcome measures, and key secondary outcomes, with qualified researchers upon request after the study results have been published.
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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.
Linda Li, PhD principal investigator
University of British Columbia
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing 24-hour Activity Counselling in people with Frailty, run by University of British Columbia at 1 site in Canada.
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 13 inclusion and 3 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 20 Feb 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 Canada. 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 Linda Li, PhD (604-207-4020, lli@arthritisresearch.ca), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Patient's daily time in moderate/vigorous physical activity (minutes/day) (time frame: 6 months). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
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 20 Feb 2026.