There was no significant between group difference in six-minute walk test distance .
Conclusions Our meta- analysis showed WPAM with exercise prescription or advice are superior to no device in improving CRF in the maintenance phase of CR and no cardiac adverse events were reported with WPAM use .
Our qualitative analysis showed evidence in favour of WPAM with exercise prescription or advice for both CRF and step count .
WPAM with exercise prescription or advice did not change sedentary time .
Background Physical activity ( PA ) is a component of cardiac rehabilitation ( CR ) .
However , life-long engagement in PA is required to maintain benefits gained .
Wearable PA monitoring devices ( WPAM ) are thought to increase PA .
There appear to be no review s which investigate the effect of WPAM in cardiac population s. We firstly aim ed to systematic ally review r and omised controlled trials within the cardiac population that investigated the effect WPAM had through the maintenance phase of CR .
We specifically examined the effect on cardiorespiratory fitness ( CRF ) , amount and intensity of daily PA , and sedentary time .
Apps for IMproving FITness and Increasing Physical Activity Among Young People: The AIMFIT Pragmatic Randomized Controlled Trial
Background Given the global prevalence of insufficient physical activity ( PA ) , effective interventions that attenuate age-related decline in PA levels are needed . Mobile phone interventions that positively affect health ( mHealth ) show promise ; however , their impact on PA levels and fitness in young people is unclear and little is known about what makes a good mHealth app . Objective The aim was to determine the effects of two commercially available smartphone apps ( Zombies , Run and Get Running ) on cardiorespiratory fitness and PA levels in insufficiently active healthy young people . A second aim was to identify the features of the app design that may contribute to improved fitness and PA levels . Methods Apps for IMproving FITness ( AIM FIT ) was a 3-arm , parallel , r and omized controlled trial conducted in Auckl and , New Zeal and . Participants were recruited through advertisements in electronic mailing lists , local newspapers , flyers posted in community locations , and presentations at schools . Eligible young people aged 14 - 17 years were allocated at r and om to 1 of 3 conditions : ( 1 ) use of an immersive app ( Zombies , Run ) , ( 2 ) use of a nonimmersive app ( Get Running ) , or ( 3 ) usual behavior ( control ) . Both smartphone apps consisted of a fully automated 8-week training program design ed to improve fitness and ability to run 5 km ; however , the immersive app featured a game-themed design and narrative . Intention-to-treat analysis was performed using data collected face-to-face at baseline and 8 weeks , and all regression models were adjusted for baseline outcome value and gender . The primary outcome was cardiorespiratory fitness , objective ly assessed as time to complete the 1-mile run/walk test at 8 weeks . Secondary outcomes were PA levels ( accelerometry and self-reported ) , enjoyment , psychological need satisfaction , self-efficacy , and acceptability and usability of the apps . Results A total of 51 participants were r and omized to the immersive app intervention ( n=17 ) , nonimmersive app intervention ( n=16 ) , or the control group ( n=18 ) . The mean age of participants was 15.7 ( SD 1.2 ) years ; participants were mostly NZ Europeans ( 61 % , 31/51 ) and 57 % ( 29/51 ) were female . Overall retention rate was 96 % ( 49/51 ) . There was no significant intervention effect on the primary outcome using either of the apps . Compared to the control , time to complete the fitness test was –28.4 seconds shorter ( 95 % CI –66.5 to 9.82 , P=.20 ) for the immersive app group and –24.7 seconds ( 95 % CI –63.5 to 14.2 , P=.32 ) for the nonimmersive app group . No significant intervention effects were found for secondary outcomes . Conclusions Although apps have the ability to increase reach at a low cost , our pragmatic approach using readily available commercial apps as a st and -alone instrument did not have a significant effect on fitness . However , interest in future use of PA apps is promising and highlights a potentially important role of these tools in a multifaceted approach to increase fitness , promote PA , and consequently reduce the adverse health outcomes associated with insufficient activity . Trial Registration Australian New Zeal and Clinical Trials Registry : ACTRN12613001030763 ; https://www.anzctr.org.au/Trial/ Registration /Trial Review .aspx?ACTRN=12613001030763 ( Archived by WebCite at http://www.webcitation.org/6aasfJVTJ )
There was no significant between group difference in six-minute walk test distance .
Conclusions Our meta- analysis showed WPAM with exercise prescription or advice are superior to no device in improving CRF in the maintenance phase of CR and no cardiac adverse events were reported with WPAM use .
Our qualitative analysis showed evidence in favour of WPAM with exercise prescription or advice for both CRF and step count .
WPAM with exercise prescription or advice did not change sedentary time .
Background Physical activity ( PA ) is a component of cardiac rehabilitation ( CR ) .
However , life-long engagement in PA is required to maintain benefits gained .
Wearable PA monitoring devices ( WPAM ) are thought to increase PA .
There appear to be no review s which investigate the effect of WPAM in cardiac population s. We firstly aim ed to systematic ally review r and omised controlled trials within the cardiac population that investigated the effect WPAM had through the maintenance phase of CR .
We specifically examined the effect on cardiorespiratory fitness ( CRF ) , amount and intensity of daily PA , and sedentary time .