Promoting Walking for Older Adults with Friendly Messages and Step Reminders
Official title: Self-Continuity Messages and Step-Monitoring to Promote Walking Among Older Adults: Protocol of a 4-Arm Randomised Controlled Trial
Run by Catholic University, Italy · NCT07570303 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study tests whether friendly affective messages and step-tracking reminders can help adults aged 65–74 walk more, by linking memories of their past selves to their present and future actions.
Quick facts
| Study type | Interventional |
|---|---|
| Ages | 65 Years to 74 Years |
| Sex | All |
| Enrollment | 1000 (estimated) |
| Sponsor | Catholic University, Italy Academic / other |
| Locations | 1 site (Milan, Milan) |
| Status | Recruiting |
| Started | June 29, 2026 |
| Main results expected | October 2026 |
| Study ends | October 2026 |
| Registry record updated | September 17, 2026 |
| Trial ID | NCT07570303 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
Is this trial a fit for you?
✓Likely a good fit
Ideal candidates are 65–74 years old, willing to install and use the study mobile apps, and proficient in Italian.
✕Probably not a fit
Participants who do not respond to affective prompts or have barriers to using the apps may see no added benefit.
A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.
What this trial studies
The trial targets older adults who are 65–74 and aims to see if persuasive, emotionally positive messages that evoke self-continuity can increase daily walking. Participants will use mobile apps to receive self-continuity prompts, step-monitoring reminders, and hydration messages. The study analyzes whether these prompts improve walking activity over time compared with baseline measures, using accessible, light-to-moderate physical activity as the target. The approach draws on nostalgia and self-efficacy to sustain engagement in walking, a key behavior for maintaining health in later life.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, participants may walk more regularly, potentially supporting better physical and cognitive health in older age.
How similar studies have gone: Previous work in behavior change suggests affective and nostalgic prompts can influence health behaviors, though this exact self-continuity approach with walking is relatively novel.
Who can join: the full rules
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: * Age between 65 and 74 years * Willingness and ability to install and use the mobile applications required for study participation * Sufficient proficiency in the Italian language to understand study materials and complete the questionnaires. Exclusion Criteria: \- Physical disabilities or medical conditions that preclude engagement in light to moderate physical activity, specifically: 1. medical advice or prescription prohibiting engagement in light to moderate physical activity, assessed via a close-ended screening question; 2. positive screening on a study specific close-ended question assessing ability to perform physical activity; 3. positive screening on the adapted revised Physical Activity Readiness Questionnaire (rPAR-Q), indicating that participant may be unsafe.
Where it's running
-
Catholic University of the Sacred Heart (Milan)
Milan, Milan, Italy Recruiting
Study contacts
- Principal investigator: Patrizia Catellani, Social Psychology — Catholic University, Italy
- Study coordinator: Patrizia Catellani, PhD in Social Psychology
- Email: patrizia.catellani@unicatt.it
- Phone: 393356741468
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How to take part
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Check the official listing on ClinicalTrials.gov for the latest contact details and recruitment status.
- Contact the study coordinator or principal investigator to ask for pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.