Mobile Health Biometrics to Enhance Exercise and Physical Activity Adherence in Type 2 Diabetes (MOTIVATE-T2D): protocol for a feasibility randomised controlled trial

Abstract

IntroductionExercise and physical activity (PA) are fundamental to the treatment of type 2 diabetes. Current exercise and PA strategies for newly diagnosed individuals with type 2 diabetes are either clinically effective but unsuitable in routine practice (supervised exercise) or suitable in routine practice but clinically ineffective (PA advice). Mobile health (mHealth) technologies, offering biometric data to patients and healthcare professionals, may bridge the gap between supervised exercise and PA advice, enabling patients to engage in regular long-term physically active lifestyles. This feasibility randomised controlled trial (RCT) will evaluate the use of mHealth technology when incorporated into a structured home-based exercise and PA intervention, in those recently diagnosed with type 2 diabetes.Methods and analysisThis feasibility multicentre, parallel group RCT will recruit 120 individuals with type 2 diabetes (diagnosis within 5–24 months, aged 40–75 years) in the UK (n=60) and Canada (n=60). Participants will undertake a 6-month structured exercise and PA intervention and be supported by an exercise specialist (active control). The intervention group will receive additional support from a smartwatch and phone app, providing real-time feedback and enabling improved communication between the exercise specialist and participant. Primary outcomes are recruitment rate, adherence to exercise and loss to follow-up. Secondary outcomes include a qualitative process evaluation and piloting of potential clinical outcome measures for a future RCT.Ethics and disseminationThe trial was approved in the UK by the South East Scotland Research Ethics Committee 01 (20/SS/0101) and in Canada by the Clinical Research Ethics Board of the University of British Columbia (H20-01936), and is being conducted in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki and Good Clinical Practice. Results will be published in peer-reviewed journals and presented at national and international scientific meetings.Trial registration numbersISRCTN14335124; ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT04653532.