Step It Up+: helping adults with intellectual disability be more active
Official title: A Stage 1 Pilot Test for Feasibility and Efficacy of a Multi-Level Intervention To Increase Physical Activity in Adults with Intellectual Disability: Step it Up +
Funded at Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill · NIH-11308675 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This 16-week program helps adults with intellectual disability use goal-setting, a web dashboard, and a support coach to increase daily steps and aerobic and strength activity.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Chapel Hill, United States) |
| Project start | April 1, 2023 |
| Project end | January 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $693,787 |
| NIH project number | 5R01AG076678-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11308675 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults aged 21 or older with intellectual disability who can participate in walking and guided exercise and who can work with a support coach are ideal candidates.
✕Less likely to help
People with severe mobility limitations, unstable medical conditions, or behaviors that prevent participation in group or coached activities may not benefit from this program.
What this research studies
You would join a 16-week program that uses goal-setting, self-monitoring, visual supports, and an interactive web dashboard to make exercise easier to follow. You will work with a support coach to increase daily step counts and do individualized aerobic and strength exercises, and you can take part in a weekly inclusive group fitness class. The team will adapt the program to individual needs, check how acceptable and doable it is, and measure how closely people follow the plan. Findings will be used to prepare a larger study to see whether the program improves fitness and lowers dementia risk in adults with intellectual disability.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, participants could increase daily activity, improve fitness, and potentially reduce risk factors linked to dementia.
How similar studies have gone: Physical activity programs have helped fitness in adults with intellectual disability, but multi-level, web-supported interventions like this are relatively new and not yet proven at scale.
Where this research is happening
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Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Tomaszewski, Brianne — Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill
- Study coordinator: Tomaszewski, Brianne
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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.