Piloting an online telecoaching community-based exercise intervention with adults living with HIV: protocol for a mixed-methods implementation science study.

INTRODUCTION: Our aim is to evaluate the implementation of an online telecoaching community-based exercise (CBE) intervention with the goal of reducing disability and enhancing physical activity and health among adults living with HIV. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: We will conduct a prospective longitudinal mixed-methods two-phased intervention study to pilot the implementation of an online CBE intervention with ~30 adults (≥18 years) living with HIV who consider themselves safe to participate in exercise. In the intervention phase (0-6 months), participants will take part in an online CBE intervention involving thrice weekly exercise (aerobic, resistance, balance and flexibility), with supervised biweekly personal training sessions with a fitness instructor, YMCA membership providing access to online exercise classes, wireless physical activity monitor to track physical activity and monthly online educational sessions on topics related to HIV, physical activity and health. In the follow-up phase (6-12 months), participants will be encouraged to continue independent exercise thrice weekly. Quantitative assessment: Bimonthly, we will assess cardiopulmonary fitness, strength, weight, body composition and flexibility, followed by administering self-reported questionnaires to assess disability, contextual factor outcomes (mastery, engagement in care, stigma, social support), implementation factors (cost, feasibility, technology), health status and self-reported physical activity. We will conduct a segmented regression analyses to describe the change in level and trend between the intervention and follow-up phases. Qualitative assessment: We will conduct online interviews with a subsample of ~10 participants and 5 CBE stakeholders at baseline (month 0), postintervention (month 6) and end of follow-up (month 12) to explore experiences, impact and implementation factors for online CBE. Interviews will be audiorecorded and analysed using content analytical techniques. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: Protocol approved by the University of Toronto Research Ethics Board (Protocol # 40410). Knowledge translation will occur in the form of presentations and publications in open-access peer-reviewed journals. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT05006391.

Examining the impact of a community-based exercise intervention on cardiorespiratory fitness, cardiovascular health, strength, flexibility and physical activity among adults living with HIV: A three-phased intervention study.

PURPOSE: Our aim was to examine the impact of a community-based exercise (CBE) intervention on cardiorespiratory fitness, cardiovascular health, strength, flexibility, and physical activity outcomes among adults living with HIV. METHODS: We conducted a longitudinal intervention study with community-dwelling adults living with HIV in Toronto, Canada. We measured cardiopulmonary fitness (V̇O2peak (primary outcome), heart rate, blood pressure), strength (grip strength, vertical jump, back extension, push-ups, curl ups), flexibility (sit and reach test), and self-reported physical activity bimonthly across three phases. Phase 1 included baseline monitoring (8 months); Phase 2 included the CBE Intervention (6 months): participants were asked to exercise (aerobic, strength, balance and flexibility training) for 90 minutes, 3 times/week, with weekly supervised coaching at a community-based fitness centre; and Phase 3 included follow-up (8 months) where participants were expected to continue with thrice weekly exercise independently. We used segmented regression (adjusted for baseline age and sex) to assess the change in trend (slope) among phases. Our main estimates of effect were the estimated change in slope, relative to baseline values, over the 6 month CBE intervention. RESULTS: Of the 108 participants who initiated Phase 1, 80 (74%) started and 67/80 (84%) completed the intervention and 52/67 (77%) completed the study. Most participants were males (87%), with median age of 51 years (interquartile range (IQR): 45, 59). Participants reported a median of 4 concurrent health conditions in addition to HIV (IQR: 2,7). Participants attended a median of 18/25 (72%) weekly supervised sessions. Change in V̇O2peak attributed to the six-month Phase 2 CBE intervention was 0.56 ml/kg/min (95% Confidence Interval (CI): -1.27, 2.39). Significant effects of the intervention were observed for systolic blood pressure (-5.18 mmHg; 95% CI: -9.66, -0.71), push-ups (2.30 additional push-ups; 95% CI: 0.69, 3.91), curl ups (2.89 additional curl ups; 95% CI: 0.61, 5.17), and sit and reach test (1.74 cm; 95% CI: 0.21, 3.28). More participants engaged in self-reported strength (p<0.001) and flexibility (p = 0.02) physical activity at the end of intervention. During Phase 3 follow-up, there was a significant reduction in trend of benefits observed during the intervention phase for systolic blood pressure (1.52 mmHg/month; 95% CI: 0.67, 2.37) and sit and reach test (-0.42 cm/month; 95% CI: -0.68, -0.16). CONCLUSION: Adults living with HIV who engaged in this six-month CBE intervention demonstrated inconclusive results in relation to V̇O2peak, and potential improvements in other outcomes of cardiovascular health, strength, flexibility and self-reported physical activity. Future research should consider features tailored to promote uptake and sustained engagement in independent exercise among adults living with HIV. CLINICALTRIALS.GOV IDENTIFIER: NCT02794415. https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/record/NCT02794415.

Construct Validity and Responsiveness of the Rapid Assessment of Physical Activity in Adults Living With HIV.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the construct validity and responsiveness of the Rapid Assessment of Physical Activity (RAPA) for measuring physical activity (PA) in adults living with HIV. DESIGN: Secondary analysis of an interrupted time-series intervention study. SETTING: Community-based fitness facility in Toronto, Canada. PARTICIPANTS: Sixty-seven adults (N=67) living with HIV (n=5 women; mean age, 51.8±11.6 years) with available baseline data to assess for construct validity of the RAPA, of which 50 (n=4 women; age, 53.2±11.4 years) had follow-up data to evaluate responsiveness. INTERVENTIONS: Two months of a community-based exercise intervention involving thrice weekly multicomponent exercises. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: We used a single-item PA questionnaire as a convergent outcome to the RAPA, while peak oxygen consumption, general health status, and number of concurrent health conditions were divergent outcomes. We tested 11 a priori hypotheses (6 construct validity, 5 responsiveness) using Spearman ρ, Wilcoxon signed-rank tests, Cohen's d, standardized effect size (SES), and standardized response mean (SRM). We considered acceptable construct validity and responsiveness if >75% of hypotheses were confirmed. RESULTS: All of the hypotheses (100%) for construct validity were confirmed. The RAPA demonstrated moderate correlations with the single-item PA questionnaire (ρ=0.61), and negligible correlations with divergent outcome measures (ρ=0.08-0.21). Two of the 5 hypotheses (40.0%) for responsiveness were confirmed. RAPA scores were significantly greater after 2 months of training (P<.001) and demonstrated a small to moderate effect size (d=0.50, SES=0.47, SRM=0.48). There was a low correlation between change in RAPA scores and change in single-item PA questionnaire scores (ρ=0.48). CONCLUSIONS: The RAPA demonstrated acceptable construct validity and poor responsiveness in adults living with HIV. Therefore, the RAPA can be used cross-sectionally but may be used in conjunction with other measures of PA for adults living with HIV.