Efficacy of an mHealth Behavior Change Intervention for Promoting Physical Activity in the Workplace: Randomized Controlled Trial

Abstract

Background Insufficient physical activity (PA) is a well-established risk factor for several noncommunicable diseases such as cardiovascular diseases, cancer, diabetes, depression, and dementia. The World Health Organization (WHO) advises that individuals engage in 150 minutes of moderate PA per week or 75 minutes of intense PA per week. According to the WHO’s latest report, 23% of adults fail to meet the minimum recommended level of PA. The percentage was even higher in a recent global study that showed 27% of adults were insufficiently active and reported a 5% increase in the prevalence trend of insufficient PA between 2001 and 2016. The study also showed the rate of insufficient PA among countries varied significantly. For instance, it was estimated that 40% were insufficiently active in the United States, and the percentage was even higher in Saudi Arabia (more than 50%). Governments are actively developing policies and methods to successfully establish a PA-inducing environment that encourages a healthy lifestyle in order to address the global steady decline in PA. Objective The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of mobile health (mHealth) interventions, particularly SMS text messaging interventions, to improve PA and decrease BMI in healthy adults in the workplace. Methods In this parallel, 2-arm randomized controlled trial, healthy adults (N=327) were randomized to receive an mHealth intervention (tailored text messages combined with self-monitoring (intervention; n=166) or no intervention (control; n=161). Adults who were fully employed in an academic institution and had limited PA during working hours were recruited for the study. Outcomes, such as PA and BMI, were assessed at baseline and 3 months later. Results Results showed significant improvement in PA levels (weekly step counts) in the intervention group (β=1097, 95% CI 922-1272, P<.001). There was also a significant reduction in BMI (β=0.60, 95% CI 0.50-0.69, P<.001). Conclusions Combining tailored text messages and self-monitoring interventions to improve PA and lower BMI was significantly effective and has the potential to leverage current methods to improve wellness among the public.

Physical exercise frequency and cognition: a multicenter cross-sectional cohort study

“…Physical inactivity is a modifiable risk factor associated with the reduced age-specific incidence of dementia (Tarassova et al, 2020;Alshagrawi and Abidi, 2023). Data from 7,000 individuals over a 2 years follow-up period showed that PE prevented or delayed cognitive impairment progression (He et al, 2021).…”

mHealth Intervention to Promote Physical Activity Among Employees Using a Deep Learning Model for Passive Monitoring of Depression and Anxiety: Single-Arm Feasibility Trial

“…Behavior change techniques used in these interventions include feedback, goal setting, competition, social sharing, and reward [ 17 ]. In the working population, tailored SMS text messages combined with self-monitoring [ 18 ] and a gamified smartphone app based on the self-determination theory [ 19 ] were investigated in randomized controlled trials and reported significant increases in physical activity.…”