scholarly journals Applying Mobile Technology to Sustain Physical Activity After Completion of Cardiac Rehabilitation: Acceptability Study (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abdelaziz Elnaggar ◽  
Julia von Oppenfeld ◽  
Mary A Whooley ◽  
Stephanie Merek ◽  
Linda G Park
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Randomized Controlled Trial ◽  
Mobile Phone ◽  
Technology Use ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Mobile App ◽  
Physically Active ◽  
Individual Interviews ◽  
Randomized Controlled

BACKGROUND Many patients do not meet the recommended levels of physical activity after completing a cardiac rehabilitation (CR) program. Wearable activity trackers and mobile phone apps are promising potential self-management tools for maintaining physical activity after CR completion. OBJECTIVE This study aims to evaluate the acceptability of a wearable device, mobile app, and push messages to facilitate physical activity following CR completion. METHODS We used semistructured interviews to assess the acceptability of various mobile technologies after participation in a pilot randomized controlled trial. Intervention patients in the randomized controlled trial wore the Fitbit Charge 2, used the Movn mobile app, and received push messages on cardiovascular disease prevention and physical activity for over 2 months. We asked 26 intervention group participants for feedback about their experience with the technology and conducted semistructured individual interviews with 7 representative participants. We used thematic analysis to create the main themes from individual interviews. RESULTS Our sample included participants with a mean age of 66.7 (SD 8.6) years; 23% (6/26) were female. Overall, there were varying levels of satisfaction with different technology components. There were 7 participants who completed the satisfaction questionnaires and participated in the interviews. The Fitbit and Movn mobile app received high satisfaction scores of 4.86 and 4.5, respectively, whereas push messages had a score of 3.14 out of 5. We identified four main themes through the interviews: technology use increased motivation to be physically active, technology use served as a reminder to be physically active, recommendations for technology to improve user experience, and desire for personal feedback. CONCLUSIONS By applying a wearable activity tracker, mobile phone app, and push messages, our study showed strong potential for the adoption of new technologies by older adults to maintain physical activity after CR completion. Future research should include a larger sample over a longer period using a mixed methods approach to assess the efficacy of technology use for promoting long-term physical activity behavior in older adults.

scholarly journals Applying Mobile Technology to Sustain Physical Activity After Completion of Cardiac Rehabilitation: Acceptability Study

10.2196/25356 ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. e25356
Author(s):  
Abdelaziz Elnaggar ◽  
Julia von Oppenfeld ◽  
Mary A Whooley ◽  
Stephanie Merek ◽  
Linda G Park
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Randomized Controlled Trial ◽  
Mobile Phone ◽  
Technology Use ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Mobile App ◽  
Physically Active ◽  
Individual Interviews ◽  
Randomized Controlled

Background Many patients do not meet the recommended levels of physical activity after completing a cardiac rehabilitation (CR) program. Wearable activity trackers and mobile phone apps are promising potential self-management tools for maintaining physical activity after CR completion. Objective This study aims to evaluate the acceptability of a wearable device, mobile app, and push messages to facilitate physical activity following CR completion. Methods We used semistructured interviews to assess the acceptability of various mobile technologies after participation in a pilot randomized controlled trial. Intervention patients in the randomized controlled trial wore the Fitbit Charge 2, used the Movn mobile app, and received push messages on cardiovascular disease prevention and physical activity for over 2 months. We asked 26 intervention group participants for feedback about their experience with the technology and conducted semistructured individual interviews with 7 representative participants. We used thematic analysis to create the main themes from individual interviews. Results Our sample included participants with a mean age of 66.7 (SD 8.6) years; 23% (6/26) were female. Overall, there were varying levels of satisfaction with different technology components. There were 7 participants who completed the satisfaction questionnaires and participated in the interviews. The Fitbit and Movn mobile app received high satisfaction scores of 4.86 and 4.5, respectively, whereas push messages had a score of 3.14 out of 5. We identified four main themes through the interviews: technology use increased motivation to be physically active, technology use served as a reminder to be physically active, recommendations for technology to improve user experience, and desire for personal feedback. Conclusions By applying a wearable activity tracker, mobile phone app, and push messages, our study showed strong potential for the adoption of new technologies by older adults to maintain physical activity after CR completion. Future research should include a larger sample over a longer period using a mixed methods approach to assess the efficacy of technology use for promoting long-term physical activity behavior in older adults.

scholarly journals The Aging trial: Design of a randomized controlled trial to increase physical activity in middle-aged and older adults

2020 ◽  
Vol 96 ◽  
pp. 106105
Author(s):  
Manfred Diehl ◽  
Abigail Nehrkorn-Bailey ◽  
Katherine Thompson ◽  
Diana Rodriguez ◽  
Kaigang Li ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Randomized Controlled Trial ◽  
Trial Design ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Middle Aged ◽  
Randomized Controlled

scholarly journals The Effect of Active Plus, a Computer-Tailored Physical Activity Intervention, on the Physical Activity of Older Adults with Chronic Illness(es)—A Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (7) ◽  
pp. 2590
Author(s):  
Esmee Volders ◽  
Catherine A. W. Bolman ◽  
Renate H. M. de Groot ◽  
Peter Verboon ◽  
Lilian Lechner
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Randomized Controlled Trial ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Mixed Effects ◽  
Mixed Effects Models ◽  
Linear Mixed Effects Models ◽  
Linear Mixed Effects ◽  
Randomized Controlled ◽  
Objectively Measured

eHealth interventions aimed at improving physical activity (PA) can reach large populations with few resources and demands on the population as opposed to centre-based interventions. Active Plus is a proven effective computer-tailored PA intervention for the older adult population focusing on PA in daily life. This manuscript describes the effects of the Active Plus intervention (N = 260) on PA of older adults with chronic illnesses (OACI), compared to a waiting list control group (N = 325). It was part of a larger randomized controlled trial (RCT) on the effects of the Active Plus intervention on cognitive functioning. OACI (≥65 years) with at least one chronic illness were allocated to one of the conditions. Intervention group participants received PA advice. Baseline and follow-up measurements were assessed after 6 and 12 months. Intervention effects on objectively measured light PA (LPA) and moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA) min/week were analysed with multilevel linear mixed-effects models adjusted for the clustered design. Intervention effects on self-reported MVPA min/week on common types of PA were analysed with two-part generalized linear mixed-effects models adjusted for the clustered design. The dropout rate was 19.1% after 6 months and 25.1% after 12 months. Analyses showed no effects on objectively measured PA. Active Plus increased the likelihood to perform self-reported cycling and gardening at six months and participants who cycled increased their MVPA min/week of cycling. Twelve months after baseline the intervention increased the likelihood to perform self-reported walking and participants who cycled at 12 months increased their MVPA min/week of cycling. Subgroup analyses showed that more vulnerable participants (higher degree of impairment, age or body mass index) benefitted more from the intervention on especially the lower intensity PA outcomes. In conclusion, Active Plus only increased PA behaviour to a limited extent in OACI 6 and 12 months after baseline measurements. The Active Plus intervention may yet be not effective enough by itself in OACI. A blended approach, where this eHealth intervention and face-to-face contact are combined, is advised to improve the effects of Active Plus on PA in this target group.

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