Clinical trial
COMPASS 65+ - Community-based Physical Activity Snacks for Healthy Aging in Overweight and Obese Aged Adults
Opening soon · Not applicable · 1 countries · Registry ID NCT07289529
What this study is about
This study will explore a new way for older adults to become more physically active. As people get older, it's common to gain weight and lose muscle strength. This combination can make it harder to do daily activities, increase the risk of falls, and impact overall quality of life. While we know that regular exercise is very beneficial, many older adults find it difficult to stick to traditional exercise programs due to lack of time, motivation, or energy. This research project, called COMPASS 65+, will test an innovative approach called "snack exercise." Instead of one long workout, "snack exercise" involves doing several short bouts of activity, a few minutes at a time, throughout the day. The main idea is that these short, frequent bouts of activity might be easier to fit into a daily routine and less tiring than longer exercise sessions. The purpose of this study is to see if a "snack exercise" program is a feasible and enjoyable way for adults aged 65 and over, who are overweight or obese, to improve their health. The study will be conducted in two main parts. First, the research team will talk with older adults to understand what helps or hinders them from being active to co-design the program. Second, volunteers will be randomly assigned to either a "snack exercise" group or a control group. Participants in the "snack exercise" group will attend sessions that combine theory and practice to learn how to perform these exercises and will receive individualized prescriptions to perform the "snacks" (short bouts) at home. The control group will receive a brief educational counselling session on physical activity. Participants' health status, body composition, and physical fitness will be assessed at baseline, after the 12 weeks intervention, and again 6 weeks post-intervention to evaluate the maintenance of any improvements. These outcomes will help determine whether short bouts of 'exercise snacking' constitute a feasible and effective strategy to promote functional capacity, metabolic health, and long-term adherence to physical activity.
Basic eligibility
Full registry criteria
Treatments and study arms
Group-based "Snack Exercise" Training and Prescription
This programme consists of supervised, group-based sessions (2-3 per week, \~45 minutes each) combining concise theoretical instruction with guided practical execution of the snack-exercise protocol. Sessions are delivered by a qualified exercise professional and focus on teaching correct technique, safety, and progression of the prescribed short exercise bouts ("exercise snacks"). At the end of each session, participants receive an individualized home-based exercise prescription, tailored to their functional capacity and progression markers. Exercise intensity during supervised and home practice is monitored using the OMNI-BORG perceived exertion scale, progressing from light to moderate intensity, in accordance with World Health Organization recommendations.
Brief educational counseling session
A standardized brief educational counseling session delivered by trained research personnel during the baseline assessment. This session will provide foundational information on the benefits of physical activity for healthy aging and offer practical strategies for incorporating short "physical activity snacks" into daily routines. This ensures a consistent educational baseline for both study arms.
Primary outcomes
The percentage of eligible individuals who consent to participate in the study out of all individuals invited. This will be a measure of the reach and appeal of the intervention and study design.
The percentage of scheduled "snack exercise" sessions attended by participants in the intervention group. Adherence will be calculated as (number of sessions attended / total number of scheduled sessions) x 100. This measures the effectiveness of the program in engaging participants.
The degree to which the "snack exercise" program is delivered as intended by the study protocol. This will be assessed by a checklist monitoring staff adherence to the protocol, including session content, duration, and intensity monitoring procedures. It will be measured as a percentage of protocol items successfully delivered.
The percentage of enrolled participants who complete all study assessments at all time points (T0, T1, and T2). This measures the overall acceptability of the study procedures and the ability to retain participants over the full duration.
Assessed via a self-report questionnaire administered at the final follow-up visit, evaluating participants' intention and confidence to continue with "snack exercise" or other forms of physical activity independently after the study concludes.
Study locations
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