Testing the Efficacy of the ENCOURAGE App in Decreasing Sedentary Behaviour: A Time Series Quasi-Experimental Study
Phase: NA
Conditions: Physical Activity, Sedentary Lifestyle
Sponsor: St. Boniface Hospital

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The ENCOURAGE App – Public Release Protocol 
 
 
 
 
 
Principal Investigator: Dr. Todd Duhamel 
Faculty of Kinesiology and Recreation Management, 
University of Manitoba 
 
 
 
 
St. Boniface Hospital Research Centre 
 
 
 
 
R4012 – 351 Tache Avenue 
 
 
 
 
Winnipeg, Manitoba R2H 2A6 
 
 
Co-Investigators:  
 
Shaelyn Strachan – Faculty of Kinesiology and Recreation  
Management, University of Manitoba 
 
Alex Edye-Mazowita – Faculty of Kinesiology and Recreation 
Management, University of Manitoba 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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Contents 
 
Background.............................................................................................................................................. 3 
Trial objectives and purpose .................................................................................................................. 3 
Trial design .............................................................................................................................................. 4 
Inclusion and exclusion criteria ............................................................................................................. 4 
Participant recruitment .......................................................................................................................... 5 
Study procedures..................................................................................................................................... 5 
Assessment of Safety ............................................................................................................................... 8 
Statistics ................................................................................................................................................... 8 
Informed consent..................................................................................................................................... 8 
Ethics ........................................................................................................................................................ 9 
Deception.................................................................................................................................................. 9 
Feedback/Debriefing ............................................................................................................................... 9 
Dissemination ........................................................................................................................................ 10 
Financing................................................................................................................................................ 11 
References .............................................................................................................................................. 11 
List of Appendices ................................................................................................................................. 12 
Appendix 1: Letter of support for the ENCOURAGE App from Tactica Interactive ........................ 13 
Appendix 2: ENCOURAGE App 2 page description ......................................................................... 15 
Appendix 3: Letter of support from the executive of the St. Boniface Hospital ................................ 17 
Appendix 4: Letter of support from union leadership ......................................................................... 18 
Appendix 5: Experience sampling questions ...................................................................................... 19 
Appendix 6: description of experience sampling and Flurry Analytics .............................................. 23 
 
 
 
 
 

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Background 
 
   Healthy employees are a valuable asset for businesses and employers alike.1 In fact, a recent meta-
analysis determined that a lack of physical activity amongst employees is a contributing factor to low 
productivity in the workplace.2 The average Canadian adult accumulates just 15 minutes of moderate-
vigorous physical activity on a weekly basis, which is significantly less than the 150 minutes 
recommended by the Canadian Physical Activity Guidelines.3,4 As such, it has become essential to 
develop evidence-informed strategies that will assist Canadians to adopt and sustain a more physically 
active lifestyle.  
   Sixty percent of Canadian adults are accessible through the workplace (Government of Canada; 
Employment and Social Development). Thus, workplace wellness programs that include physical 
activity components provide a viable option to encourage employees to become more physically active. 
Recent studies have demonstrated that workplace wellness programs significantly improve the health 
status of lean as well as obese individuals5 with hypertension, dyslipidemia and psychological distress.6 
Despite this information, many workplaces do not want to intrude into employee’s personal lives or 
incur significant costs as a result of implementing evidence-based programming. In a previous study 
conducted by our group entitled ENCOURAGEing Workplaces, we successfully supported 54 workers 
to increase their total physical activity levels by 160 minutes per week through an individualized 
approach to physical activity prescription. This outcome stimulated our team to identify strategies to 
upscale the ENCOURAGE approach to influence the health behaviour of a larger number of 
Manitobans. Moving forward with the ENCOURAGE health promotion model, we will use mobile 
health technology to support employees to become more physically active, while offering employers a 
solution that can be easily implemented in a variety of contexts. We recognize the technical challenge 
of creating a physical activity promotion mobile application (herein referred to as the ENCOURAGE 
App) that is tailored for the workplace sector. Therefore, we have partnered with Tactica Interactive 
(http://tactica.ca/) to secure the programming expertise necessary to develop the app (Appendix 1). 
Tactica staff have helped us to refine the app concept and have developed a two-page description of the 
ENCOURAGE app that is included within this document (Appendix 2). Our research team previously 
conducted the ENCOURAGEing Workplaces project (E2014: 094) at this site and have the support of 
the St. Boniface Hospital executive (Appendix 3) and union leadership (Appendix 4) to conduct this 
new project. For the development phase of this App, we have conducted a market research survey 
(H2015:405) to inform the user development of a prototype version of the App, completed the testing 
of a proto. We are also testing the prototype version of the ENCOURAGE App in a user observation 
setting (H2016:097) to determine the user experience and what they liked and disliked with the App, 
and beta tested the App to further develop the final product. The present study will publicly release the 
final ENCOURAGE App product. 
 
Trial objectives and purpose 
 
     The objectives of this study are to determine if the final product ENCOURAGE App can over a 6 
month period: 
 
1) Enhance physical activity levels; and, 
2) Improve cardiovascular health risk; 
 

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Trial design 
 
   The public release of the ENCOURAGE App will involve two phases (Figure 1): 
 
1) The recruitment of 300 individuals through the App. Any user will be able to download the 
ENCOURAGE App through the iTunes Store or Google Play. Note that when participants 
download the App, they are not automatically enrolled in the study. Participants will be 
prompted, after downloading the App, with a brief description of the study, as well as a pre-
screening tool will be used to determine eligibility (see below for inclusion/exclusion criteria). 
Users will be asked via a textbox to determine if they wish to participate in a research project. 
Users will be asked to participate in a time series quasi-experimental design study to determine 
if the ENCOURAGE App can support participants to increase their physical activity levels over 
a 6 month period. The App uses a time management technique (i.e., Pomodoro technique) as a 
strategy to provide prompts for users to engage in an activity. The App can be customized by 
the users to set prompts at intervals that fits into their schedule. For example, these activities 
can range from a stretching activity (e.g., a neck stretch), a standing activity (e.g., stand and 
read), or a physical activity (e.g., fill up the printer with paper, do a squat). Additionally, the 
App will use Behavior Change Techniques as a way to support participants as they reduce their 
sedentary behavior and improve their physical activity levels.7 The App uses a series of 
Behavior Change Techniques shown to be effective in promoting a more physically active 
lifestyle.8,9 Users will also provide feedback regarding the App using an experience sampling 
approach, which uses a list of questions to guide user feedback (Appendix 5). Additionally, we 
will use Flurry Analytics (http://www.flurry.com/) to measure, track, and analyze the 
ENCOURAGE App performance, and aggregate-level user activity within the App. 
Specifically, we wish to  determine the number of user sessions within the App, frequency of 
use, session length, user events, technical data and errors, and user geographic distribution. For 
a more detailed description of the experience sampling and Flurry Analytics approaches, see 
Appendix 6. 
2) The recruitment of a sub-sample of 60 participants who live in Winnipeg, MB which will be 
drawn from the larger sample of 300 participants and by advertisement. In addition to 
completing all the components listed above from the recruitment of 300 participants, they will 
be also asked to wear a physical activity monitor, called an accelerometer. 
 
 
Inclusion and exclusion criteria 
 
Inclusion criteria: 
 
 Male and female employees 18-70 years old 
 Self-identify as being physically inactive in the last 3 months (less than 150 minutes of 
moderate-vigorous physical activity per week) 
 Ready to adopt a more physically active lifestyle based on the Transtheoretical Model10 
 Specific to the sub-sample of 60 participants: Live in Winnipeg, MB 
 
Exclusion criteria: 
 

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 Individuals who do not have a personal mobile phone 
 Any physical limitations that would not allow a person to engage in physical activity 
 Any cognitive limitations that would not allow a person to consent for the study 
 Specific to the sub-sample of 60 participants: Those who live outside of Winnipeg, MB. 
 
To our knowledge, no characteristics of the participants make them especially vulnerable or require 
extra precautions to administer the user observation study. Participants will be healthy volunteers able 
to provide informed consent. 
 
Participant recruitment 
 
Recruitment of participants involves two phases (Figure 1): 
 
1) Recruitment of 300 individuals who download the ENCOURAGE App the iTunes Store or 
Google play and choose to enroll in the study. Users will be asked via a textbox to determine if 
they wish to participate in a research project. A description of the project, as well as an 
electronic consent form will be provided prior to enrolment through Survey Monkey. In order to 
track participants in the study, we will be asking for their e-mail addresses, their date of birth, 
and first and last name initials. 
 
2) Recruitment of 60 individuals who live in Winnipeg, MB to wear an accelerometer. We will 
employ a convenience sampling approach, where participants who are already using the App 
and participating in the study (i.e., the 300 participants described above) will be asked to 
participate if they live in Winnipeg. Additionally, we will employ a convenience sampling 
approach at the St. Boniface Hospital, University of Manitoba, and Tactica Interactive. 
Participants will be contacted via e-mail. First, we will use an e-mail approach to contact 
participants. The e-mail approach will provide contact information for potential participants to 
reach research staff to facilitate the recruitment and consent of participants at a mutually 
agreeable location. Secondly, we will use a poster advertisement approach (Appendix 7) to 
facilitate recruitment. Posters will be placed around the St. Boniface Hospital, University of 
Manitoba, and Tactica Interactive. In total for the sub-study, more than 12,000 staff members at 
the St. Boniface Hospital, 8,700 faculty/staff, at the University of Manitoba, and Tactica 
Interactive will be accessible, including: 
 
 Nurses and Nurse Practitioners; 
 Physicians; 
 Property Management (electrical, carpentry, mechanical);  
 Administrators and clerical support staff; and, 
 Researchers 
 Software developers 
 
Study procedures 
 
Large study procedures: 
 
After participants choose to participate in the study, participants will be asked to complete a series of 
questionnaires at baseline, one week and every month for a total of six months (i.e., 8 different 

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occasions). The questionnaires (Appendix 8) will take approximately 30-45 minutes to complete and 
comprise of the following: 
 
1) Demographics 
2) Depressive symptoms with the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 
3) Physical activity using the Godin Leisure Time Exercise Questionnaire 
4) Cardiovascular health risk using the Cardiovascular Health in Ambulatory Care Research Team 
(CANHEART) questionnaire 
5) Occupational Sitting with the Occupational Sitting and Physical Activity Questionnaire 
6) Self-efficacy levels for physical activity and reducing sedentary time with the Exercise Self-
Efficacy Questionnaires and Self-Regulatory Efficacy to Manage Sedentary Behavior 
questionnaire 
7) Confidence levels for reducing sedentary behaviors with the Barrier Self-Efficacy to Reduce 
Sedentary Behavior and Self-efficacy to Reduce Total Daily Sedentary Time questionnaires. 
8) Physical activity levels at the workplace with the Workplace Sitting Breaks Questionnaire 
 
Research participants will be prompted within the App to a hyperlink to complete the research 
questionnaires on Survey Monkey. In order to track individual research participant responses The links 
are as follows: 
 
1) Description of the study/eligibility form, consent to participate, and baseline questionnaire: 
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/L3KDHRQ 
2) 1 week survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/L39CZB5 
3) 1 month survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/L3J2M67  
4) 2 month survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/L3SKXGH 
5) 3 month survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/L3MDLCF 
6) 4 month survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/L3FLMWG 
7) 5 month survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/L3B28KX 
8) 6 month survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/L3P9FGC  
 
 
Participants will also be asked on two separate occasions over the 6 month period to document their 
experiences using an experience sampling approach. A list of questions used are in Appendix 5. 
 
Sub-study procedures: 
 
Participants from Winnipeg, MB who choose to enroll in the sub-study will complete the study 
procedures for the large study and will also be asked to meet with research staff to obtain consent for 
the smaller study and will be asked to wear an accelerometer for 7-day periods at baseline and every 
month for 6 months (i.e., 7 different occasions). The research appointments will last approximately 30 
minutes each.  
 
 
 
 
See below for a figure overviewing the flow of the study. 
 
 

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Figure 1. Study flow chart 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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Assessment of Safety 
 
   Since this is not a drug study, rescue medication is not warranted. Should any participant experience 
adverse effects as a consequence of participation in the study, they will be excluded from the study and 
receive routine clinical care. All serious adverse events as well as death due to any cause or 
cardiovascular death will be reviewed by the medical monitor within 24 hrs of becoming aware of 
events. Any Serious Adverse Events will be reported to the University of Manitoba Health Ethics 
Boards and St. Boniface Hospital. 
 
Statistics 
 
Sample Size 
   The primary outcome for this time series quasi-experimental study is a change in moderate-vigorous 
physical activity within the subset of 60 participants. When doing a pre/post power analysis, an 
estimate of correlation between the pre and post measurements is required. We assumed a high 
correlation of 0.8 between measurements. Under this assumption, the sample size needed to detect a 20 
minute/week increase for moderate-vigorous physical activity (Mean ± SD; Pre: 72 ± 64 min/week; 
Post: 92 ± 86 min/week) is n=44 for with a two tailed α of 0.05 and power of 80%. Even so, we will 
recruit 60 participants to account for the possibility of drop out. If we assume a moderate correlation of 
0.5 between Pre-Post, the sample size of 60 will still be large enough to detect a change in total 
physical activity (Pre: 1240 ± 182 min/week; Post: 1402 ± 455 min/week). 
 
 
 
Study Data 
   For the experience sampling and Flurry Analytics approach to this study, data from participants at the 
aggregate level using the mobile App will be analyzed to categorize responses, generate frequency 
charts, and define themes 
   For the quasi-experimental design, a one-way repeated measures ANOVA or Mann-Whitney Test 
will be used to examine changes in breaks in sedentary time and other continuous outcome measures 
from baseline to 1 week, 1-month, 2-month, 3-month, 4-month, 5-month, and 6-month depending if the 
data are normally distributed. Categorical variables will be compared using a Chi-Square test. 
Relationships between variables will be assessed using Pearson or Spearmen correlations, as well as 
multivariable linear or logistic regression. 
 
Informed consent 
 
   The written consent form will be reviewed by the Health Research Ethics Board at the University of 
Manitoba prior to the initiation of the study. The consent form will describe the study procedures, risks 
and possible benefits, and will be reviewed by the participant prior to their enrollment in the study. 
Each participant will be asked to read the consent form and will be provided an opportunity to ask 
questions before they are enrolled. All participants will be required to provide written consent prior to 
initiation of study procedures. The consent form will be signed and dated by the participant and will be 
counter-signed by the researcher who conducted the informed consent process. The researcher will 
retain the original signed consent form and a copy of the form will be provided to the participant.     
   Study participants may decline to participate in the study or withdraw from participating at any time 
throughout the course of the study. Participants are free to withdraw from the study at any time upon 

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request by contacting any individual from the research team, or directly by contacting Dr. Todd 
Duhamel (email: tduhamel@sbrc.ca).  
 
Ethics 
 
   A full submission will be made to the University of Manitoba Health Research Ethics Board and the 
St. Boniface Hospital Research Review Committee for written approval of the study prior to 
implementation. Any amendments where necessary, will be submitted for review and approval prior to 
implementation. Study status will be reported annually. A final study notification will be forwarded at 
completion of the study or in the event of early termination. The tenets of Good Clinical Practice will 
also be followed. Subjects are free to withdraw from the study at any time without affecting their right 
to ongoing medical care. 
 
Deception 
 
  Deception will not be used in this study.  
 
Feedback/Debriefing 
 
   At the conclusion of the user observation session, participants will be thanked and given an 
opportunity to provide their contact information if they would like to receive a summary of the overall 
study findings. Participants will also be provided an opportunity to indicate if they are willing to be 
contacted for future research studies.  
 
Risk and Benefits 
 
   The risks with participating in this study are considered to be minimal. There is a very minor risk 
associated with participating in physical activity, but the benefits of participating in physical activity 
significantly outweigh the minimal risks.  
   Despite best efforts to keep personal information confidential, absolute confidentiality cannot be 
guaranteed for the participant. If a participant chooses not to allow contact for further research, their 
data will remain anonymous. If a participant chooses to allow contact for further research and indicates 
they would like to receive a report of the overall study findings, they must identify themselves so that 
they can be contacted. However, this contact information will be separated from all research data. A 
password protected spreadsheet located on a secure drive in the principal investigator’s office 
containing the participant’s name and contact information will be maintained separate from all other 
research data. Neither participants' name nor contact information will appear in any publications 
stemming from this research.  
   There may or may not be direct benefit resulting from participation in the study. Potential benefits of 
participation include the opportunity to influence the development of a workplace wellness initiative 
that more appropriately addresses the unique needs of an employee.   
  
Anonymity or Confidentiality 
 
   With regards to use of the ENCOURAGE App, while there can never be absolute guarantees 
regarding unauthorized access to a system or data, there are several key security risk mitigations that 
can be put into place to greatly help in protecting private information. Any aggregate usage data will 
not be directly attributable to a device or individual. Data that is intended to be shared with researchers 

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will be coded or anonymized, and will be a select subset of data transferred over a secure encrypted 
connection. Any personal information will be stored only locally on the device, and no personally 
identifiable information will be shared with researchers or pushed to a cloud system. The App will be 
delivered through a website (http://www.encourageapp.com) as a signed binary, and any content 
remotely served to the application will restrict content and markup, as will be served as read only data 
to prevent any opportunities for HTML or SQL injection.    
   Information gathered in this research study may be presented at conferences or published in a peer-
reviewed journal.  
   All data (i.e. notes, questionnaire data) will be labeled with a unique identification code. Briefly, a 
code (i.e. EABPR01, EABPR02, etc.) will be used to label the questionnaire package. Data linking the 
participant identification code with the participant’s name and contact information (if provided during 
informed consent process) will be maintained in an independent, password protected spreadsheet. 
Information gathered in this research study may be presented at conferences or published in a peer-
reviewed journal. Any publications resulting from the study will present themes that emerge from the 
experience sampling and quotes that support the themes. If a reference is made to a direct quote, 
pseudonyms will be used in place of the participant or organizational name in order to protect 
anonymity. Despite best efforts to keep personal information confidential, absolute confidentiality 
cannot be guaranteed for the participant. The results will also be used to generate a report to inform the 
development of the final version of the ENCOURAGE app.  
   If a participant chooses not to allow contact for further research, their data will remain anonymous. If 
a participant chooses to allow contact for further research, they must identify themselves so that they 
can be contacted (e.g. name, email, phone). However, this contact information will be separated from 
all other questionnaire data. Neither the participants' name nor contact information will appear in any 
publications stemming from this research. 
   When the project is completed, identifying data file (i.e. Excel spreadsheet) stored on a secure 
computer in the principal investigator’s office will be destroyed after a period of 7-years. A password-
protected USB storage device with research data will also be stored in a locked filing cabinet in Dr. 
Todd Duhamel's office location for 7-years, where only the principal researcher will have access to this 
data. After this seven-year period, all electronic data will be permanently deleted and the computer 
hard drive will be re-formatted. Anonymous hard copy data will also be destroyed after 7-years using 
similar confidential waste procedures.  
 
Compensation 
 
   For the larger study, research participants will be entered into a draw to win one of ten (10) $20 gift 
cards to either Starbucks or Chapters-Indigo. As such, research participants will be asked to provide 
their e-mail addresses to indicate if they have won a gift card. 
 
Dissemination 
 
   The qualitative information gathered from the experience sampling will be disseminated into a final 
study report. The information obtained from this study will be used to generate a report that will inform 
the utility of the ENCOURAGE App. Broad themes that emerge from the comments of multiple study 
participants will be summarized and any direct quotes that are extracted to support themes will not 
reveal names or other identifying information.  All information that may reveal personal identifiers will 
be removed prior to data analysis in order to protect anonymity.  
 

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Financing 
 
   The study is being financially supported by a Heart and Stroke Foundation Manitoba Primary 
Prevention Challenge Grant 
 
 
References 
 
1. Hutchinson, A. D. & Wilson, C. Improving nutrition and physical activity in the workplace: a meta-
analysis of intervention studies. Health Promot Int 27, 238–249 (2012). 
2. Cancelliere, C., Cassidy, J. D., Ammendolia, C. & Côté, P. Are workplace health promotion 
programs effective at improving presenteeism in workers? A systematic review and best evidence 
synthesis of the literature. BMC Public Health 11, 395 (2011). 
3. Colley, R. C. et al. Physical activity of Canadian adults: accelerometer results from the 2007 to 2009 
Canadian Health Measures Survey. Health Rep 22, 7–14 (2011). 
4. Tremblay, M. S. et al. New Canadian Physical Activity Guidelines. Appl. Physiol. Nutr. Metab. 36, 
36–46 (2011). 
5. Rongen, A., Robroek, S. J. W., van Lenthe, F. J. & Burdorf, A. Workplace health promotion: a 
meta-analysis of effectiveness. Am J Prev Med 44, 406–415 (2013). 
6. Merrill, R. M., Aldana, S. G., Garrett, J. & Ross, C. Effectiveness of a workplace wellness program 
for maintaining health and promoting healthy behaviors. J. Occup. Environ. Med. 53, 782–787 
(2011). 
7. Abraham, C. & Michie, S. A taxonomy of behavior change techniques used in interventions. Health 
Psychol 27, 379–387 (2008). 
8. Michie, S. et al. A refined taxonomy of behaviour change techniques to help people change their 
physical activity and healthy eating behaviours: the CALO-RE taxonomy. Psychol Health 26, 1479–
1498 (2011). 
9. Williams, S. L. & French, D. P. What are the most effective intervention techniques for changing 
physical activity self-efficacy and physical activity behaviour--and are they the same? Health Educ 
Res 26, 308–322 (2011). 
10. Prochaska, J. O. et al. Stages of change and decisional balance for 12 problem behaviors. Health 
Psychol. 13, 39–46 (1994). 
 
 
 

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List of Appendices 
 
Appendix 1: Letter of support for the ENCOURAGE App from Tactica Interactive 
 
Appendix 2: ENCOURAGE App 2 page description 
 
Appendix 3: Letter of support from the executive of the St. Boniface Hospital 
 
Appendix 4: Letter of support from union leadership 
 
Appendix 5: Experience sampling questions 
 
Appendix 6: Description of experience sampling and Flurry Analytics 
 
Appendix 7: Poster advertisement 
 
Appendix 8: Study questionnaire package 
 
 

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Appendix 1: Letter of support for the ENCOURAGE App from Tactica Interactive 
 
 
 
 

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Appendix 2: ENCOURAGE App 2 page description 
 
 
 
 
 

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Appendix 3: Letter of support from the executive of the St. Boniface Hospital 
 
 
 
 

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Appendix 4: Letter of support from union leadership 
. 
 
 
 

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Appendix 5: Experience sampling questions 
 
 
June 6th 2016 
Screening Questions 
To ensure that the user research group is comprised of individuals who fit the target audience 
definition for the app, it could be valuable to consider using screening questions like the 
following examples to deselect candidates who may not provide value to the research goals: 
 
● Do you own or regularly use a smartphone or tablet? 
● Have you used an app within the last six months? 
Demographic Questions 
How old are you? 
 
What gender are you? 
❏ Male 
❏ Female 
 
How active are you at  work? 
❏ Very active 
❏ Somewhat active 
❏ Somewhat inactive 
❏ Very inactive 
 
How much time do you spend seated during your work day? 
❏ 0-2 hours 
❏ 2-4 hours 
❏ 4-6 hours 
❏ 6-8 hours 
❏ 8+ hours 
 
How concerned are you about your sedentary behaviour at work? 
❏ Not concerned  
❏ Somewhat concerned 
❏ please specify 
❏ Very concerned  
❏ please specify 

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Experience Sampling Questions 
What apps, websites or personal habits/routines do you currently use to keep you active? 
 
 
What do you find the most difficult in dealing with your daily activity level?  
 
 
Can you think of a time/moment when an activity reminder app would have been useful to you? 
 
 
Does your workplace encourage physical activity? 
 
 
User Experience & Design Questions 
What was main thing that you remember or liked most about the app? 
 
 
What did you like least about the app? 
 
 
Was there anything that confused you at first? 
 
 
Was there anything important to you that was missing? 
 
Do you feel the characters would appeal to you and other people your age? 
❏ Very much agree 
❏ Agree 
❏ Not sure 
❏ Disagree 
❏ Very much disagree 
Do you feel the colours and style of the app would appeal to you and other people your age? 
❏ Very much agree 
❏ Agree 
❏ Not sure 
❏ Disagree 
❏ Very much disagree 
 
 

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Do you feel that the available exercises are challenging enough? 
❏ Very much agree 
❏ Agree 
❏ Not sure 
❏ Disagree 
❏ Very much disagree 
 
Do you feel that the available exercises provide enough variety? 
❏ Very much agree 
❏ Agree 
❏ Not sure 
❏ Disagree 
❏ Very much disagree 
 
Did you like the ability to earn “streak points” for completing activities in the app? 
❏ Yes 
❏ No 
❏ Didn’t care either way 
 
How likely would you be to consider sharing your progress to friends and family via social 
media? 
❏ Very likely 
❏ Likely 
❏ Not sure 
❏ Not likely 
❏ Wouldn’t at all 
 
How likely would you be to use the app to help support a friend or family member that wanted to 
be more active during the work day? 
❏ Very likely 
❏ Likely 
❏ Not sure 
❏ Not likely 
❏ Wouldn’t at all 
 
 

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Do you feel at least one exercise per hour is achievable? 
❏ Very much agree 
❏ Agree 
❏ Not sure 
❏ Disagree 
❏ Very much disagree 
 
How helpful was it to be reminded via notifications to complete your activity? 
❏ Very helpful 
❏ Helpful 
❏ Not sure 
❏ Not helpful 
❏ Annoying 
 
If you failed to complete an activity, how helpful was it to receive feedback on how to achieve 
success next time? 
❏ Very helpful 
❏ Helpful 
❏ Not sure 
❏ Not helpful 
❏ Annoying 
 
Did you learn something during the use of this app? If yes, what did you learn? 
 
 
 
 
 

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Appendix 6: Description of experience sampling and Flurry Analytics 
 
Experience sampling: 
 
Experience sampling and marketing validation is a strategic research technique for uncovering user 
needs and wants. Users are interrupted at defined intervals to note their experience in real-time. The 
following steps will be taken to gather experience sampling data: 
 
1. Define experience sampling questions based on criteria that focusses on repeated behaviour and 
avoids yes/no questions, quantity-based answers or opinions. 
2. Categorize responses, clean data, adjust categories 
3. Generate frequency charts and define themes 
 
 
 

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Flurry Analytics description  
 
Flurry Analytics is an industry standard that allows researchers and organizations to understand what 
components of the App the users are most engaged with. It is important to note that individual-level 
data will not be linked to the user’s personal information. Flurry Analytics collects data at the 
aggregate level. User’s IDs are anonymized and are created to pair with the user’s device and the 
server. It is important to note that the user’s ID is only known by the server. 
 
   Flurry analytics can measure user sessions, frequency of use, session length. Analytics can also 
determine if the users are progressing through the app as intended, data describing the number of times 
a specific module of the app was started and how long the user stayed engaged with each module. 
Flurry is an industry standard analytics tool that measures, tracks and analyzes app performance, user 
acquisition and activity. Flurry provides a deep understanding of app performance metrics and user 
behaviour. The following information will be gathered: 
 
 User sessions 
o The number of unique users and total number of user sessions - ie 10,000 unique users 
and 25,000 sessions. 
 
 Frequency of use 
o Session frequency distribution for daily, weekly and monthly time periods - ie in a 
weekly period 2,000 users had 1 session, 4,000 users had 2-3 sessions, 1,500 users had 
4-6 sessions 
 
 Session length 
o Session length distribution and mean session length - ie median session length is 1.6 
minutes, 1,000 users used the app 0-1 min, 2,000 users for 1-3 min, 1,000 users 3-5 min 
 
 User events 
o Custom events defined within the app - ie 10,000 users clicked “Save” - or users clicked 
“Save” and average of 2.6 times per session 
 
 Technical data and errors 
o Devices have been used to access the app, number of users who may have experienced a 
crash (note: false positives for crashes can occur when users close the app and interrupt 
a process) - ie 5,000 sessions were conducted on Apple iPad Mini WiFi Only 
 
 Geographic distribution 
o Reported at a country level 
 
 

Version 2.0 March 1, 2017  
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Appendix 7: Poster advertisement 
 
ENCOURAGE Researchers need your help!!! 
 
 
Sedentary behaviour is becoming increasingly common in the modern working environment. This is 
concerning, as researchers are beginning to recognize that sitting for extended periods of time increases your 
risk of diabetes, cardiovascular disease and other adverse health outcomes. Unfortunately, sitting at work is 
often unavoidable, but we want you to help us change that! 
 
We are seeking volunteers for a research study to test the public release of a mobile app that is designed 
to decrease sedentary time in the workplace 
 
Are you? 
 Between the ages of 18 and 70 
 An employee of the University of Manitoba or St. Boniface Hospital with a fairly inactive job? 
 Consider yourself physically inactive but ready to make a change towards a more active lifestyle? 
 
If you are eligible, seven study visits will be scheduled over 6 months that will include: 
 Installing the ENCOURAGE App on your mobile phone (first visit only) 
 Wearing a device called an accelerometer to measure your physical activity behavior 
 Complete a series of questions regarding your lifestyle behaviors and cardiovascular health risk 
 
You will also be asked to complete weekly questions regarding your experience with the App 
 
If you are interested, please contact us at stbonifaceresearch@gmail.com.  
 
 
 
 
ENCOURAGE Mobile App Study 
stbonifaceresearch@gmail.com 
 
ENCOURAGE Mobile App Study 
stbonifaceresearch@gmail.com 
 
ENCOURAGE Mobile App Study 
stbonifaceresearch@gmail.com 
 
ENCOURAGE Mobile App Study 
stbonifaceresearch@gmail.com 
 
ENCOURAGE Mobile App Study 
stbonifaceresearch@gmail.com 
 
RAGE Mobile App Study 
ceresearch@gmail.com 

Version 2.0 March 1, 2017  
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Appendix 8: Study questionnaire package 

 
 
Participant ID: e.g., EABPR01 
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Appendix List of questionnaires 
1. Demographics Questionnaire 
2. Patient Health Questionnaire-9 
3. Occupational Sitting and Physical Activity Questionnaire 
4. Godin leisure time exercise questionnaire 
5. The Cardiovascular Health in Ambulatory Care Research Team 
(CANHEART) health questionnaires 
-CANHEART Questionnaire – Tobacco use 
-CANHEART Questionnaire – Fruit and vegetable consumption 
-CANHEART Questionnaire – High blood pressure 
-CANHEART Questionnaire – Diabetes 
6. Exercise Self-Efficacy Questionnaires: 
 
-Physical Activity Task Self-Efficacy Questionnaire 
 
-Physical Activity Self-Regulatory Efficacy Questionnaire 
7. Self-Regulatory Efficacy to Manage Sedentary Behavior 
8. Barrier Self-Efficacy to Reduce Sedentary Behavior 
9. Self-efficacy to Reduce Total Daily Sedentary Time 
10. Workplace Sitting Breaks Questionnaire 
 
 

 
 
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DEMOGRAPHICS QUESTIONNAIRE 
1. Demographics 
Age (years) : ______  
 
Height (cm): ___ ___ ___ . ____ 
Weight (kg): ___ ___ ___ . ____ 
Job Title/description _________________________________ 
Occupation (type):  
□ sedentary 
 
□ semi-active  
□ active 
Perception of work stress:  
□ high □ moderate 
 
□ low 
Highest level of education:  □ elementary/junior high 
 
□ high school □ college
 
□ graduate school/PhD 
Living arrangement:  □ alone 
□ with spouse/partner □ with relative 
Height (cm): ______ 
Weight (kg): ______ 
 
 

 
 
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PHQ-9 QUESTIONNAIRE 
 
Over the past 2 weeks, how often have you been bothered by any of the following 
problems? Please circle the best response, according to the following scale: 
 
0 
 
 
1 
 
 
2 
 
 
3 
_________________________________________________________________ 
     Not at all  
      Several  
                More than  
        Nearly  
 
                               days                    half the days                 every day 
 
 
Not at 
all 
Several 
days 
More 
than half 
the days 
Nearly 
every 
day 
1. Little interest or pleasure in doing things 
0 
1 
2 
3 
2. Feeling down, depressed or hopeless 
0 
1 
2 
3 
3. Trouble falling or staying asleep, or 
sleeping too much 
0 
1 
2 
3 
4. Feeling tired or having little energy 
0 
1 
2 
3 
5. Poor appetite or overeating 
0 
1 
2 
3 
6. Feeling bad about yourself – or that you 
are a failure or have let yourself or your 
family down 
0 
1 
2 
3 
7. Trouble concentrating on things, such as 
reading the newspaper or watching television 
0 
1 
2 
3 
8. Moving or speaking so slowly that other 
people could have noticed. Or the opposite – 
being so fidgety or restless that you have 
been moving around a lot more than usual 
0 
1 
2 
3 
9. thoughts that you would be better off dead, 
or of hurting yourself in some way 
0 
1 
2 
3 
10. If you checked off any problems, how difficult             Not difficult at all        
________ 
      have these problems made it for your to do your           Somewhat difficult      
________ 
      work, take care of things at home, or get along             Very difficult               
________ 

 
 
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      with other people?                                                          Extremely difficult     
________ 
       
please check (√)  your response                                 
 
 
 

 
 
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OCCUPATIONAL SITTING AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY QUESTIONNAIRE 
(OSPAQ) 
 
 
1. How many hours did you work in the last 7 days? ______________ hours 
 
2. During the last 7 days, how many days were you at work? _____________ days 
 
 
3. How would you describe your typical work day in the last 7 days? (This involves 
only your work day, and does not include travel to and from work, or what you did 
in your leisure time) 
 
 
 
 
 
      
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Example: 
Jane is an administrative officer. Her work day involves working on the computer at 
her desk, answering the phone, filing documents, photocopying, and some walking 
around the office. 
Jane would describe a typical work day in the last 7 days like this: 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
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GODIN LEISURE TIME EXERCISE QUESTIONNAIRE 
 
 
 
INSTRUCTIONS 
 
In this excerpt from the Godin Leisure-Time Exercise Questionnaire, the individual is 
asked to complete a self-explanatory, brief four-item query of usual leisure-time exercise 
habits. 
 
CALCULATIONS 
 
For the first question, weekly frequencies of strenuous, moderate, and light activities are 
multiplied by nine, five, and three, respectively. Total weekly leisure activity is calculated 
in arbitrary units by summing the products of the separate components, as shown in the 
following formula: 
 
Weekly leisure activity score = (9 × Strenuous) + (5 × Moderate) + (3 × Light) 
 
The second question is used to calculate the frequency of weekly leisure-time activities 
pursued “long enough to work up a sweat“ (see questionnaire). 
 
 
EXAMPLE 
 
Strenuous = 3 times/wk 
 
Moderate = 6 times/wk 
 
Light = 14 times/wk 
 
 
 
Total leisure activity score = (9 × 3) + (5 × 6) + (3 × 14) = 27 + 30 + 42 = 99 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Godin, G., Shephard, R. J.. (1997) Godin Leisure-Time Exercise Questionnaire. Medicine 
and Science in Sports and Exercise. 29 June Supplement: S36-S38. 
 

 
 
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1. During a typical 7-Day period  (a week), how many times on the average do you do 
the following kinds of exercise for more than 15 minutes  during your free time (write on 
each line the appropriate number). 
  
 
a)   STRENUOUS EXERCISE (HEART BEATS RAPIDLY) 
(e.g., running, jogging, hockey, football, soccer, squash, basketball, cross country 
skiing, judo, roller skating, vigorous swimming, vigorous long distance bicycling) 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
TIMES PER WEEK _____ 
 
 
b)   MODERATE EXERCISE (NOT EXHAUSTING) 
(e.g., fast walking, baseball, tennis, easy bicycling, volleyball, badminton, easy swimming, 
alpine skiing, popular and folk dancing) 
 
 
TIMES PER WEEK _____ 
 
 
c) MILD EXERCISE (MINIMAL EFFORT) (e.g., yoga, archery, fishing from river bank, 
bowling, horshoes, golf, snow-mobiling, easy walking) 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
TIMES PER WEEK _____ 
 
 
 
 
 
 
2. During a typical 7-Day period  (a week), in your leisure time, how often do you engage in 
any regular activity long enough to work up a sweat (heart beats rapidly)? 
 
OFTEN 
SOMETIMES 
NEVER/RARE
1. 
2. 
3. 
 
 
 

 
 
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CANHEART QUESTIONNAIRE – TOBACCO USE 
 
1. Never used tobacco: □  
 
2. Ex-tobacco user: Quit date _________  
        3.  
Currently use: □ 
 
If tobacco user, average number per day ______    and number of years ____ 
 
CANHEART QUESTIONNAIRE – FRUIT AND VEGETABLE 
CONSUMPTION 
 
The next questions are about the foods you usually eat or drink. Think about all the foods you 
eat, both meals and snacks, at home and away from home. 
 
1. How often do you usually drink fruit juices such as orange, grapefruit or tomato? (for 
example, once a day, three times a week, twice a month) 
 
Times/day _____   
OR  
Times/week ____ 
 
 
2. Not counting juice, how often do you usually eat fruit? 
 
Times/day _____   
OR  
Times/week ____ 
 
 
3. How often do you (usually) eat green salad? 
 
Times/day _____   
OR  
Times/week ____ 
 
 
4. How often do you usually eat potatoes, not including French fries, fried potatoes, or 
potato chips? 
 
Times/day _____   
OR  
Times/week ____ 
 
 
5. How often do you (usually) eat carrots? 
 
Times/day _____   
OR  
Times/week ____ 
 
 
6. Not counting carrots, potatoes, or salad, how many servings of other vegetables do you 
usually eat? 
 
Times/day _____   
OR  
Times/week ____ 

 
 
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CANHEART QUESTIONNAIRE – HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE 
 
1. We’re interested in conditions diagnosed by a healthcare professional. Do you have high 
blood pressure? (please circle one) 
 
Yes 
 
No 
 
2. If yes, how old were you when you were first diagnosed? 
 
Age in years ____ 
 
 
CANHEART QUESTIONNAIRE - DIABETES 
 
1. We’re interested in conditions diagnosed by a healthcare professional. Do you have 
diabetes? (please circle one) 
 
Yes 
 
No 
 
2. If yes, how old were you when you were first diagnosed? 
Age in years ____ 
 
 
 

 
 
Participant ID: e.g., EABPR01 
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EXERCISE SELF-EFFICACY QUESTIONNAIRES 
 
PHYSICAL ACTIVITY TASK SELF-EFFICACY QUESTIONNAIRE 
 
How certain are you that you can engage in moderate- to strenuous-intensity physical activity for 
the following durations? Please rate your degree of confidence for each duration using the scales.  
 
10 minutes  
0 
1 
2 
3 
4 
5 
6 
7 
8 
9 
10 
   Cannot at all  
 
                  Moderately                                                    Highly 
certain 
 
 
 
 
 
       can do 
                                                    can do 
 
20 minutes  
0 
1 
2 
3 
4 
5 
6 
7 
8 
9 
10 
   Cannot at all  
 
                  Moderately                                                    Highly 
certain 
 
 
 
 
 
       can do 
                                                    can do 
 
30 minutes  
0 
1 
2 
3 
4 
5 
6 
7 
8 
9 
10 
   Cannot at all  
 
                  Moderately                                                    Highly 
certain 
 
 
 
 
 
       can do 
                                                    can do 
 
40 minutes  
0 
1 
2 
3 
4 
5 
6 
7 
8 
9 
10 
   Cannot at all  
 
                  Moderately                                                    Highly 
certain 
 
 
 
 
 
       can do 
                                                    can do 
 
50 minutes  
0 
1 
2 
3 
4 
5 
6 
7 
8 
9 
10 
   Cannot at all  
 
                  Moderately                                                    Highly 
certain 
 
 
 
 
 
       can do 
                                                    can do 
 
60 minutes  
0 
1 
2 
3 
4 
5 
6 
7 
8 
9 
10 
   Cannot at all  
 
                  Moderately                                                    Highly 
certain 
 
 
 
 
 
       can do 
                                                    can do 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
Participant ID: e.g., EABPR01 
Version 2.0 March 1, 2017 
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PHYSICAL ACTIVITY SELF-REGULATORY EFFICACY QUESTIONNAIRE 
 
Please rate your confidence in your ability to engage in the following behaviours over the next 8 
weeks.  
 
1. Over the next 8 weeks, how confident are you that you can identify key factors that trigger 
lapses in your physical activity?      
 
0 
1 
2 
3 
4 
5 
6 
7 
8 
9 
10 
 
      Not at all   
 
                   Moderately                                                        
Completely 
      confident  
 
 
      confident                                                    confident 
 
2. Over the next 8 weeks, how confident are you that you can arrange your schedule in order to 
do your physical activity no matter what?      
 
0 
1 
2 
3 
4 
5 
6 
7 
8 
9 
10 
 
      Not at all   
 
                   Moderately                                                        
Completely 
      confident  
 
 
      confident                                                    confident 
 
 
3. Over the next 8 weeks, how confident are you that you will set realistic physical activity 
goals?      
 
0 
1 
2 
3 
4 
5 
6 
7 
8 
9 
10 
 
      Not at all   
 
                   Moderately                                                        
Completely 
      confident  
 
 
      confident                                                    confident 
 
 
4. Over the next 8 weeks, how confident are you that you will develop solutions to cope with 
potential barriers that can interfere with your physical activity?     
 
0 
1 
2 
3 
4 
5 
6 
7 
8 
9 
10 
 
      Not at all   
 
                   Moderately                                                        
Completely 
      confident  
 
 
      confident                                                    confident 
 
5. Over the next 8 weeks, how confident are you that you can make up times when you miss your 
physical activity sessions?     
 

 
 
Participant ID: e.g., EABPR01 
Version 2.0 March 1, 2017 
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0 
1 
2 
3 
4 
5 
6 
7 
8 
9 
10 
 
      Not at all   
 
                   Moderately                                                        
Completely 
      confident  
 
 
      confident                                                    confident 
6. Over the next 8 weeks, how confident are you that you will follow through with your physical 
activity for the week, even though it may be difficult at times?    
 
0 
1 
2 
3 
4 
5 
6 
7 
8 
9 
10 
 
      Not at all   
 
                   Moderately                                                        
Completely 
      confident  
 
 
      confident                                                    confident 
 
 
7. Over the 8 weeks, how confident are you that you will organize your time and responsibilities 
around each physical activity session no matter what?      
 
0 
1 
2 
3 
4 
5 
6 
7 
8 
9 
10 
 
      Not at all   
 
                   Moderately                                                        
Completely 
      confident  
 
 
      confident                                                    confident 
 
 
8. Over the next 8 weeks, how confident are you that you will resume your physical activity 
when it is interrupted and you miss physical activity for a few days or weeks?      
 
0 
1 
2 
3 
4 
5 
6 
7 
8 
9 
10 
 
      Not at all   
 
                   Moderately                                                        
Completely 
      confident  
 
 
      confident                                                    confident 
 
 
9. Over the 8 weeks, how confident are you that you can schedule your physical activity around 
your daily activities?      
 
0 
1 
2 
3 
4 
5 
6 
7 
8 
9 
10 
 
      Not at all   
 
                   Moderately                                                        
Completely 
      confident  
 
 
      confident                                                    confident 
 
 

 
 
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10. Over the next 8 weeks, how confident are you that you will develop plans to reach your level 
of physical activity?      
 
0 
1 
2 
3 
4 
5 
6 
7 
8 
9 
10 
 
      Not at all   
 
                   Moderately                                                        
Completely 
      confident  
 
 
      confident                                                    confident 
 
 
 
 
 
11. Over the next 8 weeks, how confident are you that you will view any missed physical activity 
as challenges to overcome rather than failures?      
 
0 
1 
2 
3 
4 
5 
6 
7 
8 
9 
10 
 
      Not at all   
 
                   Moderately                                                        
Completely 
      confident  
 
 
      confident                                                    confident 
 
 
12. Over the next 8 weeks, how confident are you that you can set realistic goals for maintaining 
your level of physical activity?      
 
0 
1 
2 
3 
4 
5 
6 
7 
8 
9 
10 
 
      Not at all   
 
                   Moderately                                                        
Completely 
      confident  
 
 
      confident                                                    confident 
 
13. Over the next 8 weeks, how confident are you that if you do not do your exercise for a few 
days, you can readjust your goals to resume physical activity?     
 
0 
1 
2 
3 
4 
5 
6 
7 
8 
9 
10 
 
      Not at all   
 
                   Moderately                                                        
Completely 
      confident  
 
 
      confident                                                    confident 
 
 
 

 
 
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Self-Regulatory Efficacy to Manage Sedentary Behaviour 
 
You may have heard that being sedentary, or sitting too much is bad for our health. We would 
like to know about your confidence to be able to do certain things that would promote reductions 
in sedentary behaviour (sitting time) at work.  
 
Using the scale below, choose a number that best represents how confident you are that you 
could do the things listed in the table below during your work day.  
 
How confident are you that you can… 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Make sitting less a priority? 
 
Schedule in regular standing/movement breaks, especially during long bouts of sitting (i.e., 
sitting bouts that last for more than one hour)? 
 
Stick to a schedule that has been designed to help you spend less time sitting? 
 
Keep track of the time you spend sitting every day? 
 
Identify factors (people, places, things) that influence the amount of time you spend sitting 
on a daily basis? 
 
Identify situations and settings in which you could stand up or move instead of sitting still? 
 
Set realistic goals for sitting less (e.g., sit less by 30 minutes a day)? 
 
Identify barriers and challenges that might prevent you from being able to spend less time 
sitting? 
 
Develop strategies and solutions to overcome barriers and challenges that prevent you from 
sitting less? 
 
Restart your efforts to sit less even if you fail to meet your goals for sitting less for a few 
days?  
 
0  
 10  
 20  
 30  
 40  
 50  
 60  
 70  
 80  
 90  
 100 
 
        Not at all 
 
                                      Moderately  
                                       Completely  
        confident 
 
  
 
          confident  
 
                          confident 

 
 
Participant ID: e.g., EABPR01 
Version 2.0 March 1, 2017 
Page 41 of 43 
 
Barrier Self-Efficacy to Reduce Sedentary Behaviour 
 
We are interested in your confidence to reduce your sedentary behaviour (sitting time) when 
facing certain barriers and challenges that might interfere with your ability to sit less at work. 
 
Using the scale below, choose a number that best represents how confident you are that you 
could reduce your sitting time at work when faced with each of the barriers listed in the table 
below. 
 
How confident are you that you can reduce the amount of time you spend sitting (i.e., by 
taking regular standing/movement breaks), even if you… 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Are feeling tired (physically and/or mentally) 
 
Are feeling comfortable and relaxed in your seated position 
 
Have important tasks to do that require you to be seated (e.g., study, using a 
computer) 
 
Feel like you deserve to sit down  
 
Feel stressed out 
 
Feel down or depressed 
 
0  
 10  
 20  
 30  
 40  
 50  
 60  
 70  
 80  
 90  
 100 
 
        Not at all 
 
                                      Moderately  
                                       Completely  
        confident 
 
  
 
          confident  
 
                          confident 

 
 
Participant ID: e.g., EABPR01 
Version 2.0 March 1, 2017 
Page 42 of 43 
 
Self-Efficacy to Reduce Total Daily Sedentary Time  
 
We are interested to know how confident you are to reduce your total daily sitting time.  
 
Using the scale provided, choose the number that best represents how confident you are to 
reduce your total daily sitting time by the time durations listed in the table below. Remember to 
consider all of time you spend sitting on a typical day (e.g., at home, school, work, and in 
transportation). 
 
Over the next 7 days, how confident are you that you can reduce the total time you spend 
sitting per day by the following durations… 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
10 minutes  
 
30 minutes  
 
1 hour  
 
1.5 hours 
 
2 hours  
 
More than 2 hours  
 
0  
 10  
 20  
 30  
 40  
 50  
 60  
 70  
 80  
 90  
 100 
 
        Not at all 
 
                                      Moderately  
                                       Completely  
        confident 
 
  
 
          confident  
 
                          confident 

 
 
Participant ID: e.g., EABPR01 
Version 2.0 March 1, 2017 
Page 43 of 43 
 
WORKPLACE SITTING BREAKS QUESTIONNAIRE (SITBRQ) 
 
Short Physcial Activity Breaks = any interruption to sitting time at work 
One area we wish to explore is whether you take breaks from your working tasks during work 
hours. During a typical working day there may be opportunities to take short physical activity 
breaks from your working tasks. This is any interruption to your sitting time at work. For 
example, taking time away from your desk/workstation to move around perhaps to get a drink, 
have a bathroom break or even continuing a work task while standing. 
 
 
How many breaks from sitting (such as standing up, or stretching or taking a short walk) during 
one hour of sitting would you typically take at work? 
(please circle the correct answer to the following questions) 
 
a. During a typical work day how 
many breaks from sitting (such as 
standing up, or stretching or taking 
a short walk) during one hour of 
sitting would you take at work? 
6 
or more 
5 
4 
3 
2 
1 
0 
b. What is the total time you spend in 
short physical activity breaks 
during a typical day at work? 
60 
minutes  
or more 
30-
59 
min 
20-
29 
min 
10-
19 
min 
5-9 
min 
Less 
than 
5 min 
N/A