Clinical trials

Body dissatisfaction is common among adolescents and is a well-established risk factor for the development of eating disorders. Young athletes may be particularly vulnerable because they are exposed to appearance-related pressures from both society and sport environments. Despite the high prevalence of body dissatisfaction and eating disorders among young athletes, there is a lack of evidence-based, large scale prevention programs specifically designed for young athletes. The Young Athlete Body Project is an age- and sport-adapted version of the evidence-based Body Project, a cognitive dissonance-based prevention program that has been shown to reduce body dissatisfaction, internalization of appearance ideals, and eating disorder risk in adolescents and adults from diverse population groups. A pilot study of the Young Athlete Body Project among adolescent athletes demonstrated that the program was acceptable and perceived as beneficial by participants. The findings also indicated promising improvements in the internalization of the thin body ideal and increased awareness of appearance-related pressures, supporting the need for further evaluation in a larger randomized controlled trial. The aim of the present study is to evaluate the effectiveness of the Young Athlete Body Project among adolescent athletes attending sports-specialized lower and upper secondary schools in Norway. The program aims to promote positive body image and body acceptance, reduce the internalization of appearance ideals, strengthen resistance to appearance-related pressures, and prevent body dissatisfaction and eating disorders among adolescent athletes. The intervention program will contribute with new evidence-based knowledge on the effect of a prevention program targeting body dissatisfaction and eating disorders among adolescents athletes.

The purpose of this study is to evaluate whether a digital intervention can improve body image and psychological well-being among adolescent boys who attend fitness clubs. Fitness club environments and social media often promote appearance ideals related to muscularity and leanness, which may contribute to body appearance pressure, body dissatisfaction, and psychological distress among boys. In this cluster-randomized controlled trial, approximately 260 boys aged 15 to 18 years will be recruited from fitness clubs in Oslo, Norway. Participants from fitness clubs assigned to the intervention group will receive access to a 12-week website-based program consisting of four interactive modules focusing on body image, psychological well-being, critical social media literacy, and attitudes toward food and sports supplements. Participants in the control group will continue their usual activities. The study will examine whether the intervention reduces internalization of appearance ideals and body appearance pressure and improves body appreciation, health-related quality of life, psychological well-being, social media-related behaviors, and attitudes toward food and sports supplements. Outcomes will be assessed at baseline, immediately after the intervention, and at a 6-month follow-up.

Many older women live alone and may experience loneliness, reduced social participation, and declining physical health. Regular physical activity can improve health and independence, but it is not known whether exercising in a supervised group setting provides additional social and psychological benefits compared with exercising independently. The ALIVE study is a 16-week randomized controlled trial that will investigate the effects of fitness club participation on loneliness, social connectedness, quality of life, mental health, physical activity, and physical fitness in women aged 75 years and older who live alone and are insufficiently physically active. Participants will be randomly assigned to one of three groups: (1) supervised group exercise at a fitness club combined with opportunities for social interaction, (2) fitness club membership with independent exercise, or (3) a control group continuing their usual daily activities. A total of 213 women will be recruited from Oslo, Norway. Outcomes will be assessed before and after the intervention using questionnaires, physical performance tests, body composition measurements, cardiovascular risk assessments, and device-based measurement of physical activity. In addition, qualitative interviews will be conducted to explore participants' experiences, barriers, facilitators, and perceptions of social connection and belonging. The study aims to determine whether supervised group exercise in fitness clubs can reduce loneliness and improve health and well-being among older women, while generating knowledge about practical community-based strategies to support healthy and socially connected ageing.

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn whether the PEERHOMEcare intervention is a feasible and acceptable methodology that may have the potential to improve recovery for adults who are recovering from stroke and receiving rehabilitation at home. PEERHOMEcare adapts research on enriched environments to support brain recovery by creating stimulating and supportive home rehabilitation settings and by involving healthcare professionals and family members. The main questions it aims to answer are whether the PEERHOMEcare approach is feasible to implement in home-based stroke rehabilitation in Norway, Sweden, and Latvia, and whether it improves patient engagement and participation in rehabilitation during the first six months after stroke. Researchers will assess the delivery of the PEERHOMEcare approach to see if the intervention is feasible and acceptable and if the educational material can be used to improve engagement and recovery. Participants will receive home-based stroke rehabilitation, work with project therapists and family members to adapt their home environment to support rehabilitation activities, and complete assessments and follow-up visits to measure engagement, upper limb motor recovery, and feasibility of the intervention.

This study aims to compare the effects of aerobic exercise with or without addition of resistance exercise to usual care in individuals treated with anthracyclines for lymphomas and to compare exercise effects to age- and sex-matched individuals with no prior history of malignant diseases.