# Predictors of Reactivity to Physical Activity Measurement among Women in Midlife with Elevated CVD Risk: Examination Across 7 Studies

> **NIH NIH R03** · ROWAN UNIVERSITY · 2022 · $75,000

## Abstract

Abstract
Risks for cardiovascular disease (CVD) substantially increase for women during midlife (ages 40-60).
Increasing physical activity (PA) during midlife can mitigate these risks and there is a critical need for
research that can reduce barriers to engagement in this population. PA measurement reactivity, or a
change in PA engagement in response to the introduction of PA measurement, may bias the objective
assessment of PA that is critical to evaluating PA promotion efforts. Specifically, PA measurement
reactivity could inflate estimates of PA early in a monitoring period and lead to incorrect conclusions
about PA engagement among at-risk groups such as women in midlife. At present, however, evidence
supporting PA measurement reactivity as a key confound in PA research is mixed, including preliminary
evidence from the PI’s K23 award. The proposed study is designed to address three key limitations of
existing work: (1) emphasis on children or healthy, young adults with low risk for CVD, (2) lack of
consistency with respect to the definition of reactivity and the PA outcome(s) most likely to be affected
(e.g., steps vs. minutes of moderate-to-vigorous activity [MVPA] per day), and (3) lack of attention to the
contexts whereby reactivity may be most influential (e.g., study designs, individual differences between
participants). In the proposed R03, we will use 7 existing datasets from the PI’s K23 activities, mentors’
clinical trials, and publicly available databases to examine PA measurement reactivity among women in
midlife with elevated CVD risk (e.g., obesity, hypertension; N = 800). Using a coordinated analysis
approach, we will employ multilevel modeling techniques to achieve the following aims: (1) To
characterize midlife women’s PA measurement reactivity across four PA outcomes: steps, minutes of
light activity, minutes of MVPA, and minutes spent in sedentary behavior, (2) To determine whether the
presence or extent of measurement reactivity differ based on study characteristics such as research
design (i.e., observation only vs. PA assessment pre-intervention) and PA monitoring procedures (i.e.,
research-grade accelerometers vs. commercially available wearables), and (3) To determine whether
the presence or extent of measurement reactivity differ based on medical or psychological
characteristics, including BMI, motivation to engage in PA, and depressive symptoms. This work will
generate preliminary data to identify circumstances associated with problematic levels of PA
measurement reactivity among women in midlife and potential targets for reducing it in an at-risk group.
This R03 thus represents an innovative extension of the PI’s K23 program that will leverage institutional
resources and insights to date and contribute to the scientific rigor of research in the fields of PA
measurement and intervention. Consequently, this work will support the PI’s development as a leading
independent investigator, focused on promoting PA to reduce C...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10505489
- **Project number:** 1R03HL160602-01A1
- **Recipient organization:** ROWAN UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Danielle Arigo
- **Activity code:** R03 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $75,000
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2022-08-01 → 2024-07-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10505489

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10505489, Predictors of Reactivity to Physical Activity Measurement among Women in Midlife with Elevated CVD Risk: Examination Across 7 Studies (1R03HL160602-01A1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10505489. Licensed CC0.

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