A Smartphone-based Intervention to Promote an Active Lifestyle in Low Educated Working Young Adults

Study Overview
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Brief Summary
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The aim of this smartphone-based intervention study is to determine whether a newly developed app is effective in promoting an active lifestyle in low educated working young adults.

Detailed Description
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A stepwise approach was used to develop a new native Android smartphone app (Active Coach). This app aims to promote an active lifestyle (through physical activity and active transport) in low educated working young adults. The development of this app is based on theory, evidence and user's experiences. The app focuses on four determinants (knowledge, attitude (perceived benefits and perceived barriers), social support and self-efficacy) and includes several behavioral change techniques (self-monitoring, goal-setting, feedback on behavior, review behavior goals, instruction on how to perform the behavior, information about health consequences, enhancing network linkages and prompts/cues). Furthermore, the app works in combinations with a wearable activity tracker (Fitbit Charge) to track users activity behavior. For the smartphone-based intervention, 120 low educated working young adults are being recruited via purposeful convenience sampling though companies and employers. Participants can not have any medical conditions that prevent them from being physically active and they need to own an Android smartphone. Fitbit Charge activity trackers will be provided. The participants will be randomly divided in the intervention group or the standard information control group. The intervention period will be nine weeks. At the beginning and the end of the intervention period, physical activity levels will be objectively measured with accelerometers. Follow-up measurements will be conducted 12 weeks after the end of the intervention period.

Official Title
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A Smartphone-based Intervention to Promote an Active Lifestyle in Low Educated Working Young Adults

Conditions
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Physical Activity

Intervention / Treatment
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* Behavioral: smartphone based intervention with Active Coach app


Participation Criteria
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Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria: between 18 and 28 years old low educated (maximum secondary school, no higher education (university or college) employed dutch speaking owning an Android smartphone Exclusion Criteria: being very physically active (already reaching the recommended 30 minutes of physical activity a day)

Ages Eligible for Study
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Minimum Age: 18 Years
Maximum Age: 28 Years

Sexes Eligible for Study
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All

Accepts Healthy Volunteers
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Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Study Plan
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How is the study designed?
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Design Details

Primary Purpose: Prevention
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment
Interventional Model Description: pre, post, follow up measurements with an intervention and control group
Masking: None (Open Label)


Arms and Interventions

| Participant Group/Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
| --- | --- |
| Experimental: Intervention group<br>smartphone based intervention with Active Coach app: participants in the intervention group will use a newly developed smartphone app in combination with a Fitbit Charge activity tracker for 9 weeks. The app aims to promote an active lifestyle. | Behavioral: smartphone based intervention with Active Coach app<br> <br> |
| No Intervention: control group<br>participants in the control groups only receive a flyer with standard information about an active lifestyle | |

What is the study measuring?
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Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| change in physical activity: objective | physical activity will be objectively measured by accelerometers (Actigraph) | The outcome will be measured at baseline (before start intervention), posttest (9 weeks after the start of the intervention) and follow-up (12 weeks after the posttest) | 
| change in physical activity: self-reported | physical activity will be measured via the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ, long version) | The outcome will be measured at baseline (before start intervention), posttest (9 weeks after the start of the intervention) and follow-up (12 weeks after the posttest) | 

Secondary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Change in perceived benefits towards physical activity and active transport | benefits will be measured via fifteen items with a five-point answer format | The outcome will be measured at baseline (before start intervention), posttest (9 weeks after the start of the intervention) and follow-up (12 weeks after the posttest) | 
| Change in perceived barriers towards physical activity and active transport | barriers will be measured via fifteen items with a five-point answer format | The outcome will be measured at baseline (before start intervention), posttest (9 weeks after the start of the intervention) and follow-up (12 weeks after the posttest) | 
| Change in social support towards physical activity and active transport | social support will be measured via nine items with a five-point answer format | The outcome will be measured at baseline (before start intervention), posttest (9 weeks after the start of the intervention) and follow-up (12 weeks after the posttest) | 
| Change in self-efficacy towards physical activity and active transport | self-efficacy will be measured via eight items with a five-point answer format | The outcome will be measured at baseline (before start intervention), posttest (9 weeks after the start of the intervention) and follow-up (12 weeks after the posttest) | 
| Change in knowledge towards physical activity and active transport | knowledge will be measured via one item with a six-point answer format | The outcome will be measured at baseline (before start intervention), posttest (9 weeks after the start of the intervention) and follow-up (12 weeks after the posttest) | 

 Terms related to the study
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Keywords Provided by Centre Hospitalier Valida
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intervention, mHealth, physical activity, active transport, smartphone, application