{
  "abstract": "Introduction Participation in physical activity (PA) is a cornerstone of the secondary prevention of stroke. Given the heterogeneous nature of stroke, PA interventions that are adaptive to individual performance capability and associated co-morbidity levels are recommended. Mobile health (mHealth) has been identified as a potential approach to supporting PA post-stroke. To this end, we used a Sequential Multiple Assignment Randomised Trial design to develop an adaptive, mHealth intervention to improve PA post-stroke – The Adaptive Physical Activity programme in Stroke (TAPAS) (Clinicaltrials.Gov NCT05606770). As the first trial in stroke recovery literature to use this design, there is an opportunity to conduct a process evaluation for this type of adaptive intervention. The aim of this process evaluation is to examine the implementation process, mechanism of change and contextual influences of TAPAS among ambulatory people with stroke in the community.Methods and analysis Guided by the Medical Research Council Framework for process evaluations, qualitative and quantitative methods will be used to examine the (1) implementation process and the content of TAPAS (fidelity adaptation, dose and reach); (2) mechanisms of change (participants’ response to the intervention; mediators; unexpected pathways and consequences) and (3) influence of the context of the intervention. Quantitative data will be presented descriptively, for example, adherence to exercise sessions. Qualitative data will be collected among TAPAS participants and the interventionist using semi-structured one-to-one or focus group interviews. Transcribed interviews will be analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. Key themes and sub-themes will be developed.Ethics and dissemination Ethical approval has been granted by the Health Service Executive Mid-Western Ethics Committee (REC Ref: 026/2022) (25/03/2024). The findings will be submitted for publication and presented at relevant national and international academic conferences.",
  "authors": [
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "School of Allied Health, Ageing Research Centre, Health Research Institute, University of Limerick, Limerick, Ireland"
      ],
      "name": "Padraic Rocliffe"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "School of Allied Health, Ageing Research Centre, Health Research Institute, University of Limerick, Limerick, Ireland"
      ],
      "name": "Aoife Whiston"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "School of Allied Health, Ageing Research Centre, Health Research Institute, University of Limerick, Limerick, Ireland"
      ],
      "name": "Amy O’ Mahony"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "School of Allied Health, Ageing Research Centre, Health Research Institute, University of Limerick, Limerick, Ireland"
      ],
      "name": "Siobhán M O’Reilly"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Department of Ageing and Therapeutics, University Hospital Limerick, Limerick, Ireland"
      ],
      "name": "Margaret O’Connor"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Department of Ageing and Therapeutics, University Hospital Limerick, Limerick, Ireland"
      ],
      "name": "Nora Cunningham"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "School of Medicine, University of Limerick, Limerick, Ireland"
      ],
      "name": "Liam Glynn"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "School of Psychology, University of Galway, Galway, Ireland"
      ],
      "name": "Jane C Walsh"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "School of Medicine, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland"
      ],
      "name": "Cathal Walsh"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Department of Ageing and Therapeutics, University Hospital Limerick, Limerick, Ireland"
      ],
      "name": "Edel Hennessy"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Early Support Discharge, University Hospital Limerick, Limerick, Ireland"
      ],
      "name": "Eva Murphy"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "School of Nursing and Midwifery, University of Galway, Galway, Ireland"
      ],
      "name": "Andrew Hunter"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "University of Limerick, Limerick, Ireland"
      ],
      "name": "Mike Butler"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Glasgow Caledonian University School of Health and Life Sciences, Glasgow, UK"
      ],
      "name": "Lorna Paul"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Physical Activity for Health Research Centre, Institute Sport, Physical Education and Health Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, St Leonards Land, Holyrood Road, Edinburgh, EH8 8Aq, UK"
      ],
      "name": "Claire F Fitzsimons"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Department of Computer Science and Information Systems, University of Limerick, Limerick, Ireland",
        "Lero, The Science Foundation Ireland Research Centre for Software, University of Limerick, Limerick, Ireland"
      ],
      "name": "Ita Richardson"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "School of Engineering, University of Limerick, Limerick, Ireland"
      ],
      "name": "James G Bradley"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "School of Medicine, University of Limerick, Limerick, Ireland"
      ],
      "name": "Jon Salsberg"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "School of Allied Health, Ageing Research Centre, Health Research Institute, University of Limerick, Limerick, Ireland"
      ],
      "name": "Sara Hayes"
    }
  ],
  "title": "The adaptive physical activity programme in stroke (TAPAS): protocol for a process evaluation in a sequential multiple assignment randomised trial",
  "uid": "815f3298-4f05-588a-9054-6e7b010981a6"
}