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 .
Balanced: a randomised trial examining the efficacy of two self-monitoring methods for an app-based multi-behaviour intervention to improve physical activity, sitting and sleep in adults
Background Many adults are insufficiently physically active , have prolonged sedentary behaviour and report poor sleep . These behaviours can be improved by interventions that include education , goal setting , self-monitoring , and feedback strategies . Few interventions have explicitly targeted these behaviours simultaneously or examined the relative efficacy of different self-monitoring methods . Methods / Design This study aims to compare the efficacy of two self-monitoring methods in an app-based multi-behaviour intervention to improve objective ly measured physical activity , sedentary , and sleep behaviours , in a 9 week 2–arm r and omised trial . Participants will be adults ( n = 64 ) who report being physically inactive , sitting > 8 h/day and frequent insufficient sleep ( ≥14 days out of last 30 ) . The “ Balanced ” intervention is delivered via a smartphone ‘ app ’ , and includes education material s ( guidelines , strategies to promote change in behaviour ) , goal setting , self-monitoring and feedback support . Participants will be r and omly allocated to either a device-entered or user-entered self-monitoring method . The device-entered group will be provided with a activity tracker to self-monitor behaviours . The user-entered group will recall and manually record behaviours . Assessment s will be conducted at 0 , 3 , 6 , and 9 weeks . Physical activity , sedentary behaviour and sleep-wake behaviours will be measured using the wrist worn Geneactiv accelerometer . Linear mixed models will be used to examine differences between groups and over time using an alpha of 0.01 . Discussion This study will evaluate an app-based multi-behavioural intervention to improve physical activity , sedentary behaviour and sleep ; and the relative efficacy of two different approaches to self-monitoring these behaviours . Outcomes will provide information to inform future interventions and self-monitoring targeting these behaviours . Trial registration ACTRN12615000182594 ( Australian New Zeal and Clinical Trials Registry . Registry URL : www.anzctr.org.au ; registered prospect ively on 25 February 2015 )
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 .