A Sedentary Behaviour Reduction Programme in Patients With Peripheral Arterial Disease: A Mixed-Method Feasibility...

People with peripheral arterial disease (PAD) have high levels of sedentary behaviour (SB), which contributes to declining mobility, poorer quality of life and increased cardiovascular risk; however, few studies have targeted reducing SB in this population.

The study is aimed at evaluating the feasibility and acceptability of delivering and evaluating a 12-week remotely delivered intervention designed to reduce sedentary time in people with PAD.

This was a single-arm, single-centre feasibility study in participants with PAD. The intervention combined online education, a wearable physical activity tracker and weekly coaching calls. At baseline and 12 weeks, SB and physical activity were measured with activPAL, functional capacity was assessed remotely using the Timed Walk app for the 6-min walk test and semistructured interviews were conducted at 12 weeks to evaluate acceptability.

Thirty participants provided consent (77% recruitment rate) and took part in the study, with 21 (70%) attending follow-up. Valid activPAL data at baseline and follow-up was provided by 18 participants (60% of those consented). At baseline, participants spent 63% of their waking day sitting (9.58 h/day), which was slightly lower at 12 weeks (60%). Qualitative analysis identified four themes covering awareness, motivation, engagement and barriers. Participants valued weekly calls and feedback on physical activity from the wearable.

Overall, the intervention was feasible and acceptable, and data suggest that it may reduce sedentary time. Methods to enhance retention and compliance with the activPAL would be needed for a larger trial.

ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT05961943.