scholarly journals Synthesising evidence for equity impacts of population-based physical activity interventions: a pilot study

2013 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 76 ◽  
Author(s):  
David K Humphreys ◽  
David Ogilvie
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Pilot Study ◽  
Population Based ◽  
Physical Activity Interventions

scholarly journals Increasing Physical Activity Efficiently: An Experimental Pilot Study of a Website and Mobile Phone Intervention

2014 ◽  
Vol 2014 ◽  
pp. 1-9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kjærsti Thorsteinsen ◽  
Joar Vittersø ◽  
Gunnvald Bendix Svendsen
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Pilot Study ◽  
Progress Monitoring ◽  
Physical Activity Intervention ◽  
Intervention Group ◽  
Text Messages ◽  
Local Newspapers ◽  
Physical Activity Interventions ◽  
Daily Report ◽  
Intensity Of Exercise

The main objective of this pilot study was to test the effectiveness of an online, interactive physical activity intervention that also incorporated gaming components. The intervention design included an activity planner, progress monitoring, and gamification components and used SMS text as a secondary delivery channel and feedback to improve engagement in the intervention content. Healthy adults (n=21) recruited through ads in local newspapers (age 35–73) were randomized to the intervention or the control condition. Both groups reported physical activity using daily report forms in four registration weeks during the three-month study: only the experiment condition received access to the intervention. Analyses showed that the intervention group had significantly more minutes of physical activity in weeks five and nine. We also found a difference in the intensity of exercise in week five. Although the intervention group reported more minutes of physical activity at higher intensity levels, we were not able to find a significant effect at the end of the study period. In conclusion, this study adds to the research on the effectiveness of using the Internet and SMS text messages for delivering physical activity interventions and supports gamification as a viable intervention tool.

scholarly journals A Pilot Study of Increasing Nonpurposeful Movement Breaks at Work as a Means of Reducing Prolonged Sitting

2013 ◽  
Vol 2013 ◽  
pp. 1-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dean Cooley ◽  
Scott Pedersen
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Pilot Study ◽  
Health Intervention ◽  
Sitting Time ◽  
Computer Screen ◽  
Occupational Sitting ◽  
Prolonged Sitting ◽  
Physical Activity Interventions ◽  
Movement Break ◽  
Professional Workplace

There is a plethora of workplace physical activity interventions designed to increase purposeful movement, yet few are designed to alleviate prolonged occupational sitting time. A pilot study was conducted to test the feasibility of a workplace e-health intervention based on a passive approach to increase nonpurposeful movement as a means of reducing sitting time. The study was trialled in a professional workplace with forty-six participants (33 females and 13 males) for a period of twenty-six weeks. Participants in the first thirteen weeks received a passive prompt every 45 minutes on their computer screen reminding them to stand and engage in nonpurposeful activity throughout their workday. After thirteen weeks, the prompt was disabled, and participants were then free to voluntary engage the software. Results demonstrated that when employees were exposed to a passive prompt, as opposed to an active prompt, they were five times more likely to fully adhere to completing a movement break every hour of the workday. Based on this pilot study, we suggest that the notion that people are willing to participate in a coercive workplace e-health intervention is promising, and there is a need for further investigation.

Minimal-Contact Physical Activity Interventions in Women: A Pilot Study

2004 ◽  
Vol 28 (3) ◽  
pp. 280-286 ◽  
Author(s):  
Catrina DuVall ◽  
Mary K. Dinger ◽  
E. Laurette Taylor ◽  
Debra Bemben
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Pilot Study ◽  
Physical Activity Interventions ◽  
Minimal Contact

Impact of a physical activity intervention on adolescents’ subjective sleep quality: a pilot study

2016 ◽  
Vol 24 (4) ◽  
pp. 14-22 ◽  
Author(s):  
Birna Baldursdottir ◽  
Richard E. Taehtinen ◽  
Inga Dora Sigfusdottir ◽  
Alexandra Krettek ◽  
Heiddis B. Valdimarsdottir
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Pilot Study ◽  
Sleep Quality ◽  
Physical Activity Intervention ◽  
Intervention Group ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Subjective Sleep Quality ◽  
Subjective Sleep ◽  
Physical Activity Interventions

Background: The aim of this pilot study was to examine the impact of a brief physical activity intervention on adolescents’ subjective sleep quality. Cross-sectional studies indicate that physically active adolescents have better subjective sleep quality than those with more sedentary habits. However, less is known about the effectiveness of physical activity interventions in improving adolescents’ subjective sleep quality. Methods: In a three-week physical activity intervention, four Icelandic upper secondary schools were randomized to either an intervention group with pedometers and step diaries or a control group without pedometers and diaries. Out of 84, a total of 53 students, aged 15−16 years, provided complete data or a minimum of two days step data (out of three possible) as well as sleep quality measures at baseline and follow-up. Subjective sleep quality, the primary outcome in this study, was assessed with four individual items: sleep onset latency, nightly awakenings, general sleep quality, and sleep sufficiency. Daily steps were assessed with Yamax CW-701 pedometers. Results: The intervention group ( n = 26) had significantly higher average step-count ( p = 0.03, partial η2 = 0.093) compared to the control group ( n = 27) at follow-up. Subjective sleep quality improved ( p = 0.02, partial η2 = 0.203) over time in the intervention group but not in the control group. Conclusions: Brief physical activity interventions based on pedometers and step diaries may be effective in improving adolescents’ subjective sleep quality. This has important public health relevance as the intervention can easily be disseminated and incorporated into school curricula.

Trends in Leisure-Time Physical Activity in a Southern Brazilian City: 2003-2010

2014 ◽  
Vol 11 (7) ◽  
pp. 1313-1317 ◽  
Author(s):  
Inacio Crochemore Mohnsam da Silva ◽  
Alan Goularte Knuth ◽  
Grégore Iven Mielke ◽  
Mario Renato Azevedo ◽  
Helen Gonçalves ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Leisure Time ◽  
Leisure Time Physical Activity ◽  
Population Based ◽  
High Income ◽  
Physical Activity Interventions ◽  
Time Scaling ◽  
Intensity Physical Activity ◽  
South Of Brazil ◽  
Active Adults

Background:Most of physical activity surveillance data are derived from high-income countries. The aim of the current study was to report time trends in leisure-time physical activity.Methods:Population-based surveys were conducted in the city of Pelotas, Brazil in 2003 and 2010, including individuals aged 20+ years. Physical activity was assessed using the leisure-time section of the long version of the IPAQ. A cut-off point of 150 min/wk was used in the analyses. Methodologies were virtually identical in both surveys.Results:In 2003, 26.8% (95% CI 24.3; 29.2) of the participants were classified as active in leisuretime, as compared with 24.4% (95% CI 22.6; 26.2) in 2010. The proportion of subjects reporting 0 minutes per week of walking, moderate- and vigorous-intensity physical activity practice also did not vary between 2003 and 2010. However, the proportion of active adults decreased from 39.9% (95% CI 33.0; 42.7) in 2003 to 29.7% (95% CI 24.9; 34.5) in 2010 among high-income participants. Males were more active than females in both surveys.Conclusions:Leisure-time physical activity is stable among adults living in the South of Brazil, but high-income participants are becoming less active over time. Scaling up effective and promising physical activity interventions is urgently needed in Brazil.

Self-Referent Thoughts in Exercise: The Self-Perception in Exercise Questionnaire

1997 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 195-205 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marit Sorensen
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Pilot Study ◽  
Physical Activity Level ◽  
Convergent Validity ◽  
English Language ◽  
Lifestyle Changes ◽  
Activity Level ◽  
Language Version ◽  
Social Comfort ◽  
And Gender

Adherence to lifestyle changes - beginning to exercise, for example - is assumed to be mediated by self-referent thoughts. This paper describes a pilot study and three studies conducted to develop and validate a questionnaire for adults to determine their self-perceptions related to health-oriented exercise. The pilot study identified items pertinent to the domains considered important in this context, and began the process of selecting items. Study 2 examined the factor structure, reduced the number of items, determined the internal consistency of the factors, and explored the discriminative validity of the questionnaire as to physical activity level and gender. Four factors with a total of 24 items were accepted, measuring mastery of exercise, body perception, social comfort/discomfort in the exercise setting, and perception of fitness. All subscales had acceptable internal consistencies. Preliminary validity was demonstrated by confirming hypothesized differences in scores as to gender, age, and physical activity level. The third study examined and demonstrated convergent validity with similar existing subscales. The fourth study examined an English-language version of the questionnaire, confirming the existence of the factors and providing preliminary psychometric evidence of the viability of the questionnaire.

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