Programmes to encourage exercise and active lifestyles in kidney disease (PEArL)
What is the purpose of the study?
People with kidney problems often suffer from a poor quality of life and many health problems. Research has shown that taking part in regular exercise can be very beneficial for their health and wellbeing, however we also know that few people with chronic kidney disease are being active enough. We want patients to start being more active, at home or in their community. It has been demonstrated that using a self-directed approach, which includes education, goal setting and problem solving, with the support of a health-care professional, has helped people to start exercising regularly.
Two theory-driven behaviour change interventions have been tested as part of this project:
PACT – a group intervention based on Social Cognitive Theory
SPARK – an individual intervention underpinned by the Theory of Planned Behaviour
What does it involve and what do we hope to find out?
This project involves feasibility testing of interventions to help people with Chronic Kidney Disease be more active, both PACT and SPARK have been co-developed with patients. We will invite kidney patients to take part in a self-directed physical activity programme, to increase their daily activity to a level which is suitable for them. At the beginning and the end of the study we will ask the participant to complete some fitness tests and some questionnaires. This study involves four visits that are flexible and scheduled at their own convenience.
At visit 1, participants are asked to complete some simple fitness tests and fill in some questionnaires.
Visit 2 is a motivational counselling and education session, either delivered as a group or to an individual. We talk about kidney disease and the participant’s health, exercise and physical activity including how these can be used to improve health and wellbeing, and how participants might incorporate exercise and physical activity into their own lifestyle.
After visit 2, participants are asked to gradually increase how much physical activity or exercise they do for the next 6-12 weeks. They are given a pedometer to wear and are asked to record how much physical activity and how many steps they do each day, and how hard it is.Visit 3 takes place at the end of the study period above. Participants are asked to repeat the same fitness tests and questionnaires from visit 1.
Visit 4 is either on focus group or individual interview, to hear how each participant got on throughout the study period and how we could improve it.
We hope that the results of this study will help us design improved treatments for other kidney patients in the future.
What’s next?
This project aims to develop a self-directed intervention for kidney patients, in order to encourage patients to start being more active, at home or in their community. We want to ask patients to try it and tell us what they think, after this study we aim to update the design of the intervention based on what people tell us does or doesn’t work. If you are interested in finding out more information about this study please contact us.
