This is an application for a K23 award for Dr. Yoshimi Fukuoka in the Department of Physiological Nursing at the University of California, San Francisco. Dr. Fukuoka is establishing herself as a young investigator in patient-oriented clinical research of physical activity program that involves innovative cell phone technologies. This K23 award will provide Dr. Fukuoka with the support necessary to accomplish the following goals: (1) to conduct clinical investigations of a novel cell phone-based intervention to increase physical activity in men and women, (2) to implement advanced biostatistical methods in randomized controlled clinical trials, (3) to develop and apply mobile persuasion (captology) to health promotion and disease prevention research, (4) to implement focus groups in clinical studies, and (5) to develop an independent clinical research career. To achieve these goals, Dr. Fukuoka has assembled a mentoring team comprised of a primary mentor, Dr. Kathleen Dracup, Professor and Dean of the School of Nursing at UCSF, who is a clinical trialist;a co-mentor, Dr. William Haskell, who is an internationally recognized expert in physical activity and health who focuses on community-based physical activity;and 3 scientific advisors: Dr. Eric Vittinghoff, an expert in study design and current state-of-the-art biostatistical analysis;Dr. Teri Lindgren, who has expertise in qualitative research;and Dr. Holger Assenmacher, who has expertise in the development of mobile applications. Regular physical activity reduces the risk of being overweight, thereby reducing the risk of heart disease, stroke, hypertension, diabetes, certain cancers, and premature mortality. Yet, more than half of the U.S. adults are physically inactive. Dr. Fukuoka will conduct focus groups to explore the acceptability of using cell phones to deliver a physical activity intervention in sedentary men and women (Aim 1). Dr. Fukuoka will then conduct a pilot randomized, controlled, clinical trial to assess preliminary estimates of efficacy and long-term adherence of a cell phone-based physical activity intervention in sedentary men and women (Aim 2). The results from these studies will form the basis for a randomized controlled clinical trail to test efficacy of the cell phone-based physical activity program in sedentary adults. An NIH R01 grant application will be submitted before the end of the K award.
Despite the health benefits of regular physical activity, approximately half of adult adults in the United States engage in recommended levels of physical activity. To reach a larger population of sedentary adults, we will apply cell phone technologies as a means to deliver a physical activity program and to motivate participants so that their physical activity goals can be achieved.
