Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Randomized Controlled Trial
. 2014 Nov 29:14:172.
doi: 10.1186/1471-2261-14-172.

Study of adherence to exercise in heart failure: the HEART camp trial protocol

Bunny J Pozehl  1 , Kathleen Duncan, Melody Hertzog, Rita McGuire, Joseph F Norman, Nancy T Artinian, Steven J Keteyian
Affiliations
Randomized Controlled Trial

Study of adherence to exercise in heart failure: the HEART camp trial protocol

Bunny J Pozehl et al. BMC Cardiovasc Disord. .

Abstract

Background: Adherence to the Heart Failure Society of America (HFSA) 2010 guidelines recommending 30 minutes of supervised moderate intensity exercise five days per week is difficult for patients with heart failure (HF). Innovative programs are needed to assist HF patients to adhere to long-term exercise. The objective of this prospective randomized two-group repeated measures experimental design is to determine the efficacy of a behavioral exercise training intervention on long-term adherence to exercise at 18 months in patients with heart failure.

Methods/design: A sample size of 246 subjects with heart failure will be recruited over a 3 year period. All subjects receive a cardiopulmonary exercise test and 9 supervised exercise training sessions during a 3 week run-in period prior to randomization. Subjects completing at least 6 of 9 training sessions are randomized to the HEART Camp Intervention group (HC) or to a standard care (SC) exercise group. The HC intervention group receives cognitive-behavioral strategies that address the intervention components of knowledge, attitudes, self-efficacy, behavioral self-management skills and social support. The SC group is provided access to the exercise facility and regular facility staff for the 18 month study period. The primary aim is to evaluate the effect of HEART Camp on adherence to exercise, with our central hypothesis that the HC group will have significantly better adherence to exercise at 18 months. Secondary aims include evaluating which components of the HEART Camp intervention mediate the effects of the intervention on adherence; evaluating the effect of HEART Camp on specific health outcomes; exploring selected demographic variables (race, gender, age) as potential moderators of the effect of the HEART Camp intervention on adherence; and exploring the perceptions and experiences that contextualize exercise adherence.

Discussion: The HEART Camp intervention is the first to test a multi-component intervention designed to improve long-term adherence to exercise behavior in patients with HF. Improving long-term adherence to exercise is the logical first step to ensure the required dose of exercise that is necessary to realize beneficial health outcomes and reduce costs in this burdensome chronic illness.

Trial registration: Clincaltrials.gov NCT01658670.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Study model.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Lindenfeld J, Albert NM, Boehmer JP, Collins SP, Ezekowitz JA, Givertz MM, Katz SD, Klapholz M, Moser DK, Rogers JG, Starling RC, Stevenson WG, Tang WH, Teerlink JR, Walsh MN, Heart Failure Society of America HFSA 2010 comprehensive heart failure practice guideline. J Card Fail. 2010;16(6):e1–e194. doi: 10.1016/j.cardfail.2010.04.004. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Evangelista LS, Kagawa-Singer M, Dracup K. Gender differences in health perceptions and meaning in persons living with heart failure. Heart Lung. 2001;30(3):167–176. doi: 10.1067/mhl.2001.114893. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Gary R. Exercise self-efficacy in older women with diastolic heart failure: results of a walking program and education intervention. J Gerontol Nurs. 2006;32(7):31–39. - PubMed
    1. van der Wal MH, van Veldhuisen DJ, Veeger NJ, Rutten FH, Jaarsma T. Compliance with non-pharmacological recommendations and outcome in heart failure patients. Eur Heart J. 2010;31(12):1486–1493. doi: 10.1093/eurheartj/ehq091. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Piepoli MF, Conraads V, Corra U, Dickstein K, Francis DP, Jaarsma T, McMurray J, Pieske B, Piotrowicz E, Schmid JP, Anker SD, Solal AC, Filippatos GS, Hoes AW, Gielen S, Giannuzzi P, Ponikowski PP. Exercise training in heart failure: from theory to practice. A consensus document of the heart failure association and the European association for cardiovascular prevention and rehabilitation. Eur J Heart Fail. 2011;13(4):347–357. doi: 10.1093/eurjhf/hfr017. - DOI - PubMed
Pre-publication history
    1. The pre-publication history for this paper can be accessed here: http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2261/14/172/prepub

Publication types

Associated data