Behavioural intervention to increase physical activity among patients with coronary heart disease: protocol for a randomised controlled trial

Abstract

Background: Although physical activity has significant health benefits in the treatment of patients with coronary heart disease, patients often do not follow prescribed physical activity recommendations. Behavioural strategies have been shown to be efficacious in increasing physical activity among those patients with coronary heart disease who are attending structured cardiac rehabilitation programmes. Research has also shown that tailoring consultation according to patients' needs and sending motivational reminders are successful ways of motivating patients to be physically active. However, there is a lack of evidence for the efficacy of behavioural interventions based on individualised consultation in promoting physical activity among those patients with coronary heart disease who are not attending structured physical activity programmes.

Objective: This paper outlines the study protocol for a trial which is currently underway, to examine the effect of a behavioural change intervention delivered through individualised consultation calls and motivational reminder text messages on the level of physical activity among patients with coronary heart disease.

Setting: Two large hospitals in Jordan.

Participants: Eligible patients aged between 18 and 70 years, who are clinically stable, are able to perform physical activity and who have access to a mobile telephone have been randomly allocated to control or intervention group.

Design and methods: Two-group randomised controlled trial. Behavioural intervention will be compared with usual care in increasing physical activity levels among patients with coronary heart disease. The control group (n=85) will receive advice from their doctors about physical activity as they would in usual practice. The intervention group (n=71) will receive the same advice, but will also receive behavioural change intervention (goal-setting, feed-back, self-monitoring) that will be delivered over a period of six months. Intervention will be delivered through individually tailored face-to-face and telephone consultations, supported by motivational SMS text messages to encourage and remind patients to attain these goals. The participants and the researcher delivering the intervention are not blinded to group assignment.

Results: Recruitment started in February 2012 and preliminary findings are expected in November 2012.

Conclusion: It is hypothesised that behavioural intervention delivered through tailored individualised consultation supported by motivational SMS text message reminders will help CHD patients to increase their level of PA.

Trial registration: The study is registered as a clinical trial at ISRCTN register (ISRCTN48570595).