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Active Start Active Future: Feasibility of a Behaviour-Change Intervention to Reduce Sedentary Behaviour and Promote
Sarah E Reedman1, Gaela M Kilgour1, Sjaan Gomersall2,3
1Queensland Cerebral Palsy and Rehabilitation Research Centre, Child Health Research Centre, Faculty of Health, Medicine and Behavioural Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia.
Insights
This study found that the Active Start Active Future intervention was feasible and acceptable for young children with cerebral palsy (CP). It showed preliminary evidence of improving physical activity (PA) participation and confidence in children with CP.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Rehabilitation Medicine
- Behavioral Science
Background:
- Children with cerebral palsy (CP) often exhibit low physical activity (PA) levels and high sedentary behavior, impacting their overall health and development.
- Targeted interventions are needed to promote active lifestyles in this population.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary effectiveness of a participation-focused behavior-change intervention, "Active Start Active Future," designed to increase PA and decrease sedentary behavior in young children with CP.
Main Methods:
- A pre-post feasibility trial involving 12 children with CP (mean age 5 years 6 months), with 8 completing the 8-week intervention.
- Intervention focused on individualized PA participation goals.
- Outcomes included implementation (attendance, enjoyment), effectiveness (Canadian Occupational Performance Measure [COPM], PA, goal confidence, quality of life), and acceptability (caregiver interviews).
Main Results:
- The intervention demonstrated high feasibility with over 90% session attendance and 89.5% enjoyment.
- Significant improvements were observed in COPM goal performance (p=0.02), satisfaction with performance (p=0.002), and confidence (p=0.02).
- No significant changes were noted in other measured outcomes.
Conclusions:
- The "Active Start Active Future" program is a feasible and acceptable intervention for young children with CP.
- Preliminary findings suggest the intervention can positively impact PA participation and confidence in this population.
Aims:
Children with cerebral palsy (CP) have low physical activity (PA) and high sedentary behavior. The aim was to trial a participation-focused behavior-change intervention to increase PA and decrease sedentary behavior.
Methods:
Twelve children with CP were recruited (mean age 5 years 6 months ± 1 year 2 months, Gross Motor Function Classification System [GMFCS] levels I = 1, II = 1, III = 1, IV = 4, V = 5); eight with complete post-intervention data (mean 5 years 10 months ± 1 year 4 months, GMFCS I = 1, III = 1, IV = 4, V = 2). Children received 8 weekly sessions targeting individualized PA participation goals in a pre-post feasibility trial. Outcomes included: implementation, effectiveness (Canadian Occupational Performance Measure [COPM]), device-measured PA, goal confidence, quality of life, and barriers to PA participation. Semi-structured interviews explored acceptability and were analyzed thematically.
Results:
Implementation was feasible with ≥90% sessions attended and high enjoyment (89.5%). After 8 wk, COPM goal performance (mean difference [MD] = 2.9, 95% CI 0.7, 5.0; p = 0.02), satisfaction with performance (MD = 3.0, 95% CI 1.6, 4.4; p = 0.002), and confidence (MD = 1.4, 95% CI 0.4, 2.5; p = 0.02) significantly increased with no change in other outcomes. All six caregivers interviewed reported the intervention to be acceptable.
Conclusions:
Active Start Active Future was feasible to conduct, acceptable and showed preliminary evidence to improve PA in young children with CP.
