Harnessing Different Motivational Frames via Mobile Phones to Promote Daily Physical Activity and Reduce Sedentary Behavior in Aging Adults

Abstract

Mobile devices are a promising channel for delivering just-in-time guidance and support for improving key daily health behaviors. Despite an explosion of mobile phone applications aimed at physical activity and other health behaviors, few have been based on theoretically derived constructs and empirical evidence. Eighty adults ages 45 years and older who were insufficiently physically active, engaged in prolonged daily sitting, and were new to smartphone technology, participated in iterative design development and feasibility testing of three daily activity smartphone applications based on motivational frames drawn from behavioral science theory and evidence. An “analytically” framed custom application focused on personalized goal setting, self-monitoring, and active problem solving around barriers to behavior change. A “socially” framed custom application focused on social comparisons, norms, and support. An “affectively” framed custom application focused on operant conditioning principles of reinforcement scheduling and emotional transference to an avatar, whose movements and behaviors reflected the physical activity and sedentary levels of the user. To explore the applications' initial efficacy in changing regular physical activity and leisure-time sitting, behavioral changes were assessed across eight weeks in 68 participants using the CHAMPS physical activity questionnaire and the Australian sedentary behavior questionnaire. User acceptability of and satisfaction with the applications was explored via a post-intervention user survey. The results indicated that the three applications were sufficiently robust to significantly improve regular moderate-to-vigorous intensity physical activity and decrease leisure-time sitting during the 8-week behavioral adoption period. Acceptability of the applications was confirmed in the post-intervention surveys for this sample of midlife and older adults new to smartphone technology. Preliminary data exploring sustained use of the applications across a longer time period yielded promising results. The results support further systematic investigation of the efficacy of the applications for changing these key health-promoting behaviors.

Feasibility and preliminary efficacy of an intervention to reduce older adults’ sedentary behavior

“…In the week following program delivery, participants in the intervention group reduced total and weekday sedentary behavior by approximately 837 min/week and 132 min/ weekday, respectively. This preliminary effect was larger than prior sedentary behavior interventions with older adults using self-reported measures of behavior [5][6][7].…”

“…Intervention content focused on disrupting sedentary behavior habits (i.e., an automatic process) via action planning in addition to enhancing self-efficacy, intentions, and plans to limit sedentary behavior via educational content, practicing interrupting sedentary behavior, and developing action plans (i.e., reflective processes). Previous interventions have relied on determinants of physical activity, primarily reflective motivational determinants, to develop intervention content [5,6,8]. The intervention effects in this study may be the result of increased emphasis on targeting and disrupting the automatic motivational processes (e.g., habits) that maintain older adults' sedentary behavior.…”

“…Interventions have been successful in reducing older adults' sedentary behavior (e.g., 9 to 76 min/day via self-reported behavior; 24 to 35 min/day via objectively measured behavior) [5][6][7][8][9]. These interventions typically require interventionists with specialized training, behavioral feedback from expensive activity monitors that are not commercially available, expensive individual behavior coaching, or extensive group counseling.…”

Persuasive Technology in Mobile Applications Promoting Physical Activity: a Systematic Review

“…Figure 2 trial or outcome studies, five articles focused on software design and evaluation and the remaining articles are on focus groups and interview studies on stakeholders' opinions on smart phone apps for physical activity (see Table 1). [25] × × [26] × [27] × × × × × × × × × [28] × × × × × × × × [29] × × × × [30] × × × [31] × [32] × × × × × × × × × × × × [33] × × [34] × × × × × × × [35] × × × × [36] × × × × × × [37] × [38] × × × [39] × × × × × [40] × [41] × [42] × × × × [43] × × [44] Illustrations in figure 2 and table 2 show features that are highly present in articles on physical activity intervention studies, those features that were occasionally mentioned, or those that were not cited often in these articles. Visualisation of persuasive features is presented to provide more insights about the highlights, 9 gaps and blank spots [45] in current mobile application persuasive design features on physical activity.…”

“…Users were rewarded with a visually appealing symbols displayed on the application dashboard each time the user completed a physical activity [25]. Reward systems were implemented that encouraged users to complete physical exercise task with a series of rewards that could be progressively unlocked as the user completed exercise goals [30], or reached behaviour change milestones [33].…”