Wake Forest University researchers have received a $5.7 million grant to conduct a study on a mobile intervention that aims to reduce weight and ease chronic pain without drugs in older adults who are living with obesity.
The Mobile Intervention to Reduce Pain and Improve Health-III (MORPH-III) study will give participants in the treatment arm of the study six months of coaching on physical activity and nutrition to see how it affects their weight and chronic pain.
Chronic pain affects about 65% of older adults over the age of 65, according to the National Institutes of Health.
“Older adults can manage their pain and feel more lively and engaged in their life,” Jason Fanning, assistant professor of health and exercise science at Wake Forest University and co-principal investigator, said in a statement.
“Many older adults are susceptible to the side effects of pain medications, both non-opioid and opioid, because of coexisting chronic conditions like kidney disease,” said Amber Brooks, co-principal investigator and associate professor of anesthesiology at Wake Forest University School of Medicine.
The team has conducted other studies to try and lower sedentary behavior and encourage movement using the MORPH mHealth app and activity monitor.
The upcoming study will include 200 older adults living with obesity who live mostly in North Carolina and southern Virginia. Researchers will start recruiting study participants in 2025. Participants must have knee or hip osteoarthritis and live independently to be considered. All of the intervention programs will be delivered remotely, including group sessions and individual coaching.
Participants will attend one weekly group session and receive individual coaching for six months. They will try to increase activity through short bursts of movement throughout the day. They will use an activity monitor and use the app to track daily step counts and other activity, view feedback and set goals. They also will also try to lose weight by reducing calories and healthy eating.
Another group will use an activity monitor and wireless weight scale but will not use the app or receive any coaching. Researchers will follow up on participants after 18 months of the intervention.
