BackgroundPrevious qualitative studies have found that exercise may facilitate symptomatic and functional recovery in people with long-term schizophrenia. This study examined the perceived effects of exercise as experienced by people in the early stages of psychosis, and explored which aspects of an exercise intervention facilitated or hindered their engagement.MethodsNineteen semi-structured interviews were conducted with early intervention service users who had participated in a 10-week exercise intervention. Interviews discussed people’s incentives and barriers to exercise, short- and long-term effects, and opinions on optimal interventions. A thematic analysis was applied to determine the prevailing themes.ResultsThe intervention was perceived as beneficial and engaging for participants. The main themes were (a) exercise alleviating psychiatric symptoms, (b) improved self-perceptions following exercise, and (c) factors determining exercise participation, with three respective sub-themes for each.ConclusionsParticipants explained how exercise had improved their mental health, improved their confidence and given them a sense of achievement. Autonomy and social support were identified as critical factors for effectively engaging people with first-episode psychosis in moderate-to-vigorous exercise. Implementing such programs in early intervention services may lead to better physical health, symptom management and social functioning among service users.Trial registrationCurrent Controlled Trials ISRCTN09150095. Registered 10 December 2013.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12888-016-0751-7) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Objective To quantify the effects of a series of text messages (safetxt) delivered in the community on incidence of chlamydia and gonorrhoea reinfection at one year in people aged 16-24 years. Design Parallel group randomised controlled trial. Setting 92 sexual health clinics in the United Kingdom. Participants People aged 16-24 years with a diagnosis of, or treatment for, chlamydia, gonorrhoea, or non-specific urethritis in the past two weeks who owned a mobile phone. Interventions 3123 participants assigned to the safetxt intervention received a series of text messages to improve sex behaviours: four texts daily for days 1-3, one or two daily for days 4-28, two or three weekly for month 2, and 2-5 monthly for months 3-12. 3125 control participants received a monthly text message for one year asking for any change to postal or email address. It was hypothesised that safetxt would reduce the risk of chlamydia and gonorrhoea reinfection at one year by improving three key safer sex behaviours: partner notification at one month, condom use, and sexually transmitted infection testing before unprotected sex with a new partner. Care providers and outcome assessors were blind to allocation. Main outcome measures The primary outcome was the cumulative incidence of chlamydia or gonorrhoea reinfection at one year, assessed by nucleic acid amplification tests. Safety outcomes were self-reported road traffic incidents and partner violence. All analyses were by intention to treat. Results 6248 of 20 476 people assessed for eligibility between 1 April 2016 and 23 November 2018 were randomised. Primary outcome data were available for 4675/6248 (74.8%). At one year, the cumulative incidence of chlamydia or gonorrhoea reinfection was 22.2% (693/3123) in the safetxt arm versus 20.3% (633/3125) in the control arm (odds ratio 1.13, 95% confidence interval 0.98 to 1.31). The number needed to harm was 64 (95% confidence interval number needed to benefit 334 to ∞ to number needed to harm 24) The risk of road traffic incidents and partner violence was similar between the groups. Conclusions The safetxt intervention did not reduce chlamydia and gonorrhoea reinfections at one year in people aged 16-24 years. More reinfections occurred in the safetxt group. The results highlight the need for rigorous evaluation of health communication interventions. Trial registration ISRCTN registry ISRCTN64390461 .

Background The prevalence of genital chlamydia and gonorrhoea is higher in the 16–24 years age group than those in other age group. With users, we developed the theory-based safetxt intervention to reduce sexually transmitted infections. Objectives To establish the effect of the safetxt intervention on the incidence of chlamydia/gonorrhoea infection at 1  year. Design A parallel-group, individual-level, randomised superiority trial in which care providers and outcome assessors were blinded to allocation. Setting Recruitment was from 92 UK sexual health clinics. Participants Inclusion criteria were a positive chlamydia or gonorrhoea test result, diagnosis of non-specific urethritis or treatment started for chlamydia/gonorrhoea/non-specific urethritis in the last 2 weeks; owning a personal mobile phone; and being aged 16–24 years. Allocation Remote computer-based randomisation with an automated link to the messaging system delivering intervention or control group messages. Intervention The safetxt intervention was designed to reduce sexually transmitted infection by increasing partner notification, condom use and sexually transmitted infection testing before sex with new partners. It employed educational, enabling and incentivising content delivered by 42–79 text messages over 1 year, tailored according to type of infection, gender and sexuality. Comparator A monthly message regarding trial participation. Main outcomes The primary outcome was the incidence of chlamydia and gonorrhoea infection at 12 months, assessed using nucleic acid amplification tests. Secondary outcomes at 1 and 12 months included self-reported partner notification, condom use and sexually transmitted infection testing prior to sex with new partner(s). Results Between 1 April 2016 and 23 November 2018, we assessed 20,476 people for eligibility and consented and randomised 6248 participants, allocating 3123 to the safetxt intervention and 3125 to the control. Primary outcome data were available for 4675 (74.8%) participants. The incidence of chlamydia/gonorrhoea infection was 22.2% (693/3123) in the intervention group and 20.3% (633/3125) in the control group (odds ratio 1.13, 95% confidence interval 0.98 to 1.31). There was no evidence of heterogeneity in any of the prespecified subgroups. Partner notification was 85.6% in the intervention group and 84.0% in the control group (odds ratio 1.14, 95% confidence interval 0.99 to 1.33). At 12 months, condom use at last sex was 33.8% in the intervention group and 31.2% in the control group (odds ratio 1.14, 95% confidence interval 1.01 to 1.28) and condom use at first sex with most recent new partner was 54.4% in the intervention group and 48.7% in the control group (odds ratio 1.27, 95% confidence interval 1.11 to 1.45). Testing before sex with a new partner was 39.5% in the intervention group and 40.9% in the control group (odds ratio 0.95, 95% confidence interval 0.82 to 1.10). Having two or more partners since joining the trial was 56.9% in the intervention group and 54.8% in the control group (odds ratio 1.11, 95% confidence interval 1.00 to 1.24) and having sex with someone new since joining the trial was 69.7% in the intervention group and 67.4% in the control group (odds ratio 1.13, 95% confidence interval 1.00 to 1.28). There were no differences in safety outcomes. Additional sensitivity and per-protocol analyses showed similar results. Limitations Our understanding of the mechanism of action for the unanticipated effects is limited. Conclusions The safetxt intervention did not reduce chlamydia and gonorrhoea infections, with slightly more infections in the intervention group. The intervention increased condom use but also increased the number of partners and new partners. Randomised controlled trials are essential for evaluating health communication interventions, which can have unanticipated effects. Future work Randomised controlled trials evaluating novel interventions in this complex area are needed. Trial registration This trial is registered as ISRCTN64390461. Funding This project was funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Public Health Research programme and will be published in full in Public Health Research; Vol. 11, No. 1. See the NIHR Journals Library website for further project information.

Background/Aims: Recruiting to target in randomised controlled trials is crucial for providing reliable results, yet many trials struggle to achieve their target sample size. Many trials do not report sufficient, if any, details of their recruitment strategy for others to adapt for their own trials. Furthermore, much of the available evidence describes strategies to improve recruitment aimed at participants, as opposed to strategies aimed at engaging and motivating recruiting staff who are deemed essential for recruitment success. The safetxt trial aimed to recruit 6250 participants, aged 16–24 years, who had either tested positive, or received treatment, for chlamydia/gonorrhoea/non-specific urethritis in the last 2 weeks, from across the United Kingdom into a randomised controlled trial investigating a text message intervention to improve sexual health outcomes. In this article, we describe in detail the recruitment strategies we employed that were primarily aimed at recruiters. Methods: Recruitment began in April 2016. We built on our recruitment methods established in the pilot trial and developed several strategies to increase recruitment as the trial progressed including optimising site set-up, monitoring recruitment progress and identifying issues, facilitating shared learning, tailored recruitment materials, sustaining motivation, and communication. We describe these strategies in detail and provide practical examples for each. Results: We combine our strategies for increasing recruitment into one cyclical approach whereby progress is continuously monitored, and interventions to improve recruitment are implemented. The site initiation visits were used to develop a clear recruitment plan and establish good relationships with local site staff. Screening logs were particularly helpful for monitoring recruitment challenges. We facilitated shared learning by organising meetings with recruiting sites and conducting site visits. Tailored recruitment materials helped to promote the trial in clinic environments, and rewards and goals helped sustain motivation among recruiting staff. Finally, at the centre of the approach is good communication which ensured we maintained good relationships with local site staff. Conclusion: We conducted a large, multi-centre trial and successfully recruited to target. Our dynamic collaborative approach to recruitment described in this paper builds upon previous research by combining suggested good practice into one cyclical approach to recruitment, and providing detailed examples of each strategy. It is not possible to attribute a causal link between our approach and recruitment success overall, or with specific sites or recruiting staff. Nonetheless we describe the processes we used to build a good relationship with recruiting staff and sites, and maintain recruitment of large numbers of participants over the 32 months of the trial. Other researchers can use our approach and adapt our examples for their own trials.