Remote weight-loss and daily-movement program to ease pain for older adults
Official title: A Mobile Health Behavior Intervention to Reduce Pain and Improve Health-III (MORPH-III)
Funded at Wake Forest University · NIH-11191576 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A remote group program combining modest calorie reduction and frequent walking to help older adults with knee or hip osteoarthritis and obesity walk more and lessen how much pain disrupts their daily life.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Wake Forest University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Winston-Salem, United States) |
| Project start | September 15, 2024 |
| Project end | August 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $1,191,952 |
| NIH project number | 5R01AG082777-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11191576 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are low-active adults aged 65 or older who have chronic knee or hip osteoarthritic pain and meet criteria for obesity.
✕Less likely to help
People younger than 65, without knee or hip osteoarthritis, not overweight, already highly active, or unable/unwilling to use remote technology or wear an activity monitor may not get benefit from this program.
What this research studies
You would join a remotely delivered group program that teaches a modest calorie-reduction plan plus ways to build more steps throughout each day (short, frequent walking bouts) rather than one long exercise session. The 6-month program is group-mediated and based on social-cognitive and self-determination approaches, with participants randomized to the intervention arm. Activity is tracked with wearable devices (accelerometers) and outcomes include daily steps, pain interference, weight, pain intensity, quality of life, and related behavior-change measures. The study also follows participants for up to 12 months after the program to see if changes last.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the program could help older adults with knee or hip osteoarthritis and obesity increase daily walking, lose weight, and reduce how much pain interferes with daily activities.
How similar studies have gone: Earlier small pilot trials showed the remote group approach is feasible, acceptable, and showed promising benefits, but a larger randomized trial is needed to confirm results.
Where this research is happening
-
Wake Forest University
Winston-Salem, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Fanning, Jason — Wake Forest University
- Study coordinator: Fanning, Jason
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.