Developing a Positive Psychology Intervention to Promote Health Behaviors in Metabolic Syndrome: RCT

Specific Aim #1 (Feasibility; primary aim): To assess the feasibility of the PP-MI group-based physical activity intervention and outcome assessments in patients with MetS. Hypothesis: The PP exercises and MI-based goal-setting sessions will be feasible: most (≥50%) of participants will complete 6/9 exercises/sessions. Furthermore, the investigators will be able to obtain objective physical activity measurement follow-up data from at least 80% of enrolled participants at the end of the intervention and 24 weeks later. Specific Aim #2 (Acceptability): To assess whether the intervention is acceptable to participants, as measured by ratings provided after each PP-MI session. Hypothesis: The intervention will be acceptable: participants will rate the PP-MI exercises with a mean score of at least 7 out of 10 on ease of completion and helpfulness. Specific Aim #3 (Outcomes): To assess whether this preliminary intervention appears to result in improvement of physical activity, related health behaviors (sedentary time, diet quality), psychological well-being (optimism, positive affect, anxiety, depression), and the exploratory outcomes of MetS-relevant physiological markers (e.g., blood pressure, weight, chart-reviewed lipids and HbA1C). Hypothesis a: The intervention will lead to improvements in physical activity, related health behaviors, optimism and positive affect, reductions in depression and anxiety at 9 weeks and 24 weeks compared to baseline (or the start of the intervention, for the WLC group). Hypothesis b: The hypothesis is that there will be improvements in the exploratory outcomes of the physiological markers, even if they do not reach significance.