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 .
Effect of wrist-worn activity monitor feedback on physical activity behavior: A randomized controlled trial in Finnish young men
The purpose of this study is to evaluate whether the use of an activity monitor providing feedback has an effect on physical activity ( PA ) in young men . A population -based sample of 276 conscription-aged ( mean = 17.9 , SD = 0.7 years ) men participated in a 3-month r and omized controlled trial in Oulu in 2012 . Participants were r and omized to an intervention group ( INT , N = 137 ) and a control group ( CON , N = 139 ) . INT received a wrist-worn monitor ( Polar Active ) showing daily activity , and CON received identical monitors without feedback . Main outcome was the change from baseline in objective ly measured weekly time spent in moderate-to-vigorous PA ( MVPA ) and sedentary activity ( SED ) , as assessed by generalized estimation equations ( GEE ) . Other lifestyle factors were assessed by a question naire at baseline and at 3 months . Weekly physical activity data ( ≥ 4 days with ≥ 8 h each ) were obtained from 72 ( 53 % ) and 90 ( 65 % ) men in the INT and CON , respectively . Based on GEE , time spent in MVPA increased ( p = 0.012 ) and SED decreased ( p = 0.032 ) in the INT compared with the CON . During the first 7 weeks , the INT spent on average 1 h less sedentary than the CON ( t-test , p < 0.05 ) . During the first week , the INT showed 12 minutes more MVPA compared to the CON ( t-test , p = 0.034 ) . Based on question naire data , the proportion of the most sedentary men decreased in the INT ( Wilcoxon test , 28 % vs. 10 % , p = 0.029 ) , with no change in the CON ( 20 % vs. 19 % , p = 0.546 ) . To conclude , a wrist-worn activity monitor providing feedback had a short-term positive effect on PA and SED in young men . Trial registration This is a pilot study for a larger r and omized controlled trial registered to the clinical trials register NCT01376986
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 .