Tailored Counselling and Digital Prompts to Reduce Sitting Time in Long-term Cardiac Rehabilitation
Tests tailored counselling and digital prompts to reduce sitting in people attending cardiac rehabilitation.
Plain-language title generated from the registry record
Registry title: Impact of a Tailored Digital Intervention on Sedentary Behaviour and Physical Health in Long-term Cardiac Rehabilitation Patients
Key facts
- Where
- Lisbon, PortugalSee the site
Where in Portugal
- Faculty of Medicine of the University of LisbonLisbon, PortugalTaking people
Questions to ask the study team
- How often do I need to come in, and for how long each time?
- Are travel costs paid?
- Can I keep my own doctor?
- What happens if I want to stop?
Trial details
- Who runs it
- University of Lisbon
- Trial code
- NCT07910812
- Record updated
- 2 November 2026
- Original description
Sedentary behaviour (SB) is an independent cardiovascular risk factor that remains highly prevalent among individuals attending long-term cardiac rehabilitation (CR) programs, despite participation in regular supervised exercise. Although CR provides an ideal setting for promoting healthy lifestyle behaviours, evidence on tailored interventions specifically targeting SB in long-term CR programs remains limited.Read full original descriptionShow less
Effects of a Tailored Intervention With Digital Health Tools on Sedentary Behaviour and Health-related Physical Outcomes in Long-term Cardiac Rehabilitation Patients: a Randomized Controlled Trial
Sedentary behaviour (SB) is an independent cardiovascular risk factor that remains highly prevalent among individuals attending long-term cardiac rehabilitation (CR) programs, despite participation in regular supervised exercise. Although CR provides an ideal setting for promoting healthy lifestyle behaviours, evidence on tailored interventions specifically targeting SB in long-term CR programs remains limited.
This randomized controlled trial aims to evaluate the effectiveness of a 6-month tailored behavioural intervention, supported by digital health tools, in reducing SB among adults attending a long-term phase CR program. Participants will be randomly allocated to either an intervention group (IG), receiving standard CR plus individualized behavioural counselling, digital prompts, and educational resources, or a standard care group (SCG) receiving usual CR and educational resources only.
The primary outcome is objectively measured daily sedentary time assessed using activPAL4 (h/day). Secondary outcomes include objectively measured physical activity (PA), body composition, cardiorespiratory fitness, muscular strength, health-related quality of life and other behavioural outcomes. Outcomes will be assessed at baseline, 3, 6, and 12 months, according to the specific assessment schedule. The study aims to determine whether integrating a tailored behavioural intervention into routine long-term CR leads to sustained improvements in SB and related health outcomes.
Inclusion: Adults aged 18 years or older; Clinically stable; Documented cardiovascular disease (CVD), including angiographically documented coronary artery disease involving at least one major epicardial vessel, previous myocardial infarction, previous coronary revascularization (percutaneous coronary intervention or coronary artery bypass grafting), heart failure (including cardiac transplantation), heart valve surgery or prosthetic valve/clip implantation, left ventricular assist devices, cardiac resynchronization therapy devices, implantable cardioverter-defibrillators, pacemakers, or congenital heart disease; Enrolled in a long-term (phase III) cardiac rehabilitation (CR) programme for at least 6 months; More than 8 hours per day of sedentary behaviour (SB), objectively assessed using activPAL4 during the baseline assessment.
Exclusion: Unable or unwilling to provide written informed consent; Do not own a smartphone compatible with the study digital health tools.