CONCLUSIONS Utilizing a consumer-based wearable activity tracker as either the primary component of an intervention or as part of a broader physical activity intervention has the potential to increase physical activity participation .
BACKGROUND The range of benefits associated with regular physical activity participation is irrefutable .
Despite the well-known benefits , physical inactivity remains one of the major contributing factors to ill-health throughout industrialized countries .
Traditional lifestyle interventions such as group education or telephone counseling are effective at increasing physical activity participation ; however , physical activity levels tend to decline over time .
Consumer-based wearable activity trackers that allow users to objective ly monitor activity levels are now widely available and may offer an alternative method for assisting individuals to remain physically active .
OBJECTIVE This review aim ed to determine the effects of interventions utilizing consumer-based wearable activity trackers on physical activity participation and sedentary behavior when compared with interventions that do not utilize activity tracker feedback .
Organizational-Level Strategies With or Without an Activity Tracker to Reduce Office Workers’ Sitting Time: Rationale and Study Design of a Pilot Cluster-Randomized Trial
Background The office workplace is a key setting in which to address excessive sitting time and inadequate physical activity . One major influence on workplace sitting is the organizational environment . However , the impact of organizational-level strategies on individual level activity change is unknown . Further , the emergence of sophisticated , consumer-targeted wearable activity trackers that facilitate real-time self-monitoring of activity , may be a useful adjunct to support organizational-level strategies , but to date have received little evaluation in this workplace setting . Objective The aim of this study is to evaluate the feasibility , acceptability , and effectiveness of organizational-level strategies with or without an activity tracker on sitting , st and ing , and stepping in office workers in the short ( 3 months , primary aim ) and long-term ( 12 months , secondary aim ) . Methods This study is a pilot , cluster-r and omized trial ( with work teams as the unit of clustering ) of two interventions in office workers : organizational-level support strategies ( eg , visible management support , emails ) or organizational-level strategies plus the use of a waist-worn activity tracker ( the LUMOback ) that enables self-monitoring of sitting , st and ing , and stepping time and enables users to set sitting and posture alerts . The key intervention message is to ‘ St and Up , Sit Less , and Move More . ’ Intervention elements will be implemented from within the organization by the Head of Workplace Wellbeing . Participants will be recruited via email and enrolled face-to-face . Assessment s will occur at baseline , 3 , and 12 months . Time spent sitting , sitting in prolonged ( ≥30 minute ) bouts , st and ing , and stepping during work hours and across the day will be measured with activPAL3 activity monitors ( 7 days , 24 hours/day protocol ) , with total sitting time and sitting time during work hours the primary outcomes . Web-based question naires , LUMOback recorded data , telephone interviews , and focus groups will measure the feasibility and acceptability of both interventions and potential predictors of behavior change . Results Baseline and follow-up data collection has finished . Results are expected in 2016 . Conclusions This pilot , cluster-r and omized trial will evaluate the feasibility , acceptability , and effectiveness of two interventions targeting reductions in sitting and increases in st and ing and stepping in office workers . Few studies have evaluated these intervention strategies and this study has the potential to contribute both short and long-term findings
CONCLUSIONS Utilizing a consumer-based wearable activity tracker as either the primary component of an intervention or as part of a broader physical activity intervention has the potential to increase physical activity participation .
BACKGROUND The range of benefits associated with regular physical activity participation is irrefutable .
Despite the well-known benefits , physical inactivity remains one of the major contributing factors to ill-health throughout industrialized countries .
Traditional lifestyle interventions such as group education or telephone counseling are effective at increasing physical activity participation ; however , physical activity levels tend to decline over time .
Consumer-based wearable activity trackers that allow users to objective ly monitor activity levels are now widely available and may offer an alternative method for assisting individuals to remain physically active .
OBJECTIVE This review aim ed to determine the effects of interventions utilizing consumer-based wearable activity trackers on physical activity participation and sedentary behavior when compared with interventions that do not utilize activity tracker feedback .