Remotely delivered support to promote physical activity behaviour change for women aged 50 years and over: study protocol for the Active Women over 50 hybrid type I effectiveness-implementation randomised controlled trial

@article{wallbank2026remotely,
  title = {{Remotely delivered support to promote physical activity behaviour change for women aged 50 years and over: study protocol for the Active Women over 50 hybrid type I effectiveness-implementation randomised controlled trial}},
  author = {Geraldine Kit-Bing Wallbank and Courtney Anne West and Abby Haynes and Heidi Gilchrist and Marina B. Pinheiro and Karen Lee and Leanne Hassett and Dominika Kwasnicka and Jennifer N. Cartwright and Betty Ramsay and Giane Caon Camara and Susan Bowman and Kadja Benício and Samuel Wallbank and Michelle Zeng and Jo Dawson and Trish Starling and Rosanna Tran and Riya Agrawal and Ruby Tiedemann and Juliana S. Oliveira and Nehmat Houssami and Georgina Luscombe and Grace McKeon and Catherine Sherrington and Philayrath Phongsavan and Raaj Kishore Biswas and Trish Stabback and Adrian Bauman and Kirsten Howard and Simon Rosenbaum and Anne Tiedemann},
  journal = {BMC Public Health},
  year = {2026},
  month = oct,
  doi = {10.1186/s12889-026-29265-1},
  url = {https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12889-026-29265-1},
  note = {CC BY 4.0},
}

TY  - JOUR
TI  - Remotely delivered support to promote physical activity behaviour change for women aged 50 years and over: study protocol for the Active Women over 50 hybrid type I effectiveness-implementation randomised controlled trial
AU  - Geraldine Kit-Bing Wallbank
AU  - Courtney Anne West
AU  - Abby Haynes
AU  - Heidi Gilchrist
AU  - Marina B. Pinheiro
AU  - Karen Lee
AU  - Leanne Hassett
AU  - Dominika Kwasnicka
AU  - Jennifer N. Cartwright
AU  - Betty Ramsay
AU  - Giane Caon Camara
AU  - Susan Bowman
AU  - Kadja Benício
AU  - Samuel Wallbank
AU  - Michelle Zeng
AU  - Jo Dawson
AU  - Trish Starling
AU  - Rosanna Tran
AU  - Riya Agrawal
AU  - Ruby Tiedemann
AU  - Juliana S. Oliveira
AU  - Nehmat Houssami
AU  - Georgina Luscombe
AU  - Grace McKeon
AU  - Catherine Sherrington
AU  - Philayrath Phongsavan
AU  - Raaj Kishore Biswas
AU  - Trish Stabback
AU  - Adrian Bauman
AU  - Kirsten Howard
AU  - Simon Rosenbaum
AU  - Anne Tiedemann
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/10/28
JO  - BMC Public Health
DO  - 10.1186/s12889-026-29265-1
UR  - https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12889-026-29265-1
AB  - Background: Physical activity has health benefits but women in midlife years often face complex challenges to regular participation and could benefit from targeted support. The pilot-tested Active Women over 50 behaviour change program, was acceptable and feasible for supporting choice-based physical activity among women aged 50 years and over. This trial aims to establish the impact of the remotely-delivered Active Women over 50 program on physical activity among women aged 50 years and over compared with a waitlist control group.  Methods: This hybrid type I effectiveness-implementation randomised controlled trial ( n = 1000) will be conducted among community-dwelling women aged 50 years and over across NSW Australia, half living in rural/regional areas. Participants will set two physical activity SMART goals with a health coach and then be randomised to receive the Active Women over 50 program, or to a waitlist control group. The Active Women over 50 program will include (1) two empowerment-focused telephone health coaching sessions; (2) behaviour-change messages delivered by email or SMS text as preferred; (3) program-specific website containing information, tips and strategies and inspirational peer stories; and (4) private moderated Facebook group. The control group will be waitlisted to receive the Active Women over 50 program 6 months post-randomisation. The primary outcome will be average daily steps measured with the ActiGraph accelerometer at baseline and 6-months post-randomisation. Secondary outcomes include device-measured and self-reported physical activity, falls, quality of life, action and coping planning, process and implementation and scalability measures, and health utilisation. All analyses will be pre-planned and conducted while blinded to group allocation and will consider participant and geographical characteristics. An economic analysis will estimate cost-effectiveness and cost-utility of the intervention compared to no intervention.  Discussion: This hybrid type 1 effectiveness-implementation trial testing a flexible, remotely-delivered behaviour change intervention designed with consumer input will establish the impact on physical activity among women aged 50 + years living across diverse geographical settings. The trial design will also collect secondary implementation, scalability and cost outcomes to provide important information to stakeholder groups such as community groups, professionals, policymakers, funding bodies.  Trial registration: Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry, ACTRN12624000026527, https://anzctr.org.au/Trial/Registration/TrialReview.aspx?ACTRN=12624000026527 . Prospective registration date: 12 January 2024.
SN  - 1471-2458
ER  -