# Targeting Physical Health in Schizophrenia: Physical Activity Can Enhance life (PACE-life)

> **NIH NIH R34** · UNIV OF NORTH CAROLINA CHAPEL HILL · 2020 · $237,040

## Abstract

Project Summary
 The presence of chronic physical and medical illnesses contributes significantly to premature mortality
in individuals with schizophrenia spectrum disorders (SSDs). Physical inactivity, a modifiable risk factor that
impacts all-cause mortality, has been identified as a critical target to improving health and quality of life.
Further, cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF), an important health indicator linked with lowered risk of all-cause
mortality, is reduced in individuals with SSDs. Despite the well-known benefits of exercise and the known
sedentary lifestyle of this population, established and scalable interventions for this population are limited.
Given that the majority of exercise interventions developed for individuals with SSDs require access to gym
equipment and/or supervision from a trainer, it is unlikely that exercise adoption will occur upon study
completion. As a result, our objective is to develop and test the feasibility of an accessible and scalable
exercise intervention integrating home-based and group-based walking procedures, activity tracking, goal
setting, and stepwise intensity progressions to improve CRF and associated health indicators.
 The central hypothesis is that an intervention that increases physical activity (PA) as measured by
minutes spent walking (at the prescribed intensity) and steps/day will result in improved health and lowered risk
for premature mortality as evidenced by superior CRF (primary outcome), and on a variety of secondary
outcomes (e.g. blood pressure). Guided by strong preliminary data and grounded in Self-Determination Theory
(SDT), this hypothesis will be tested via three specific aims: 1) To develop a manual-based walking
intervention for individuals with SSDs: Physical Activity Can Enhance Life (PACE-Life). The manual will
include guidelines for goal setting and translating intentions into behaviors (i.e., “if-then” plans), instructions for
the group-based walking activity and home-based walking activity (which includes Fitbits), and increasing
exercise intensity in a step-wise manner. 2) To examine the feasibility of implementing PACE-life at a
community mental health clinic in an open trial of 14 individuals with SSDs. We will also examine the impact of
PACE-life on intermediate targets (autonomous motivation and SDT needs), proximal outcomes (minutes
spent walking and steps/day), the primary outcome of CRF, and secondary outcomes. And, 3) To conduct an
initial RCT of PACE-life compared to Fitbit Alone (FA) among 56 patients with SSDs receiving treatment in a
community mental health center. We hypothesize that, compared to FA, PACE-life will be associated with: a)
Improved proximal and primary outcomes including greater minutes/week spent walking and steps/day and
increased CRF at mid-treatment (3 months), post-test (6 months), and one-month follow-up; b) Decreases in
secondary outcomes including loneliness, SSD symptoms, resting heart rate, and blood pressure at mid-
treatment...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9917841
- **Project number:** 5R34MH111852-03
- **Recipient organization:** UNIV OF NORTH CAROLINA CHAPEL HILL
- **Principal Investigator:** Claudio Battaglini
- **Activity code:** R34 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $237,040
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2018-07-15 → 2022-04-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9917841

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9917841, Targeting Physical Health in Schizophrenia: Physical Activity Can Enhance life (PACE-life) (5R34MH111852-03). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9917841. Licensed CC0.

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