scholarly journals Public Posting as a Strategy to Increase Walking

2004 ◽  
Vol 2 (4) ◽  
pp. 65-71
Author(s):  
Rayleen Earney ◽  
Timothy J. Bungum
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Intervention Period ◽  
Post Intervention ◽  
Activity Data ◽  
Walking Behavior ◽  
Physical Activity Guidelines ◽  
Innovative Strategies ◽  
The Public ◽  
Public Posting ◽  
Recommended Physical Activity

Because most American adults do not meet recommended physical activity guidelines, the need for new and innovative strategies is apparent. The current study employed public posting in an attempt to increase walking behavior in a worksite setting. Pedometer generated data was publicly posted in a prominent location in the worksite. In our study that utilized a pre-experimental design, we found that walking steps were statistically higher during the intervention and in a post intervention period as compared to the baseline data. We conclude that the public posting of physical activity data has the potential to increase walking behavior.

Efficacy of an activity tracker-and app intervention to increase physical activity in the entire family: Pilot single-arm intervention study (Preprint)

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephanie Schoeppe ◽  
Jo Salmon ◽  
Susan L. Williams ◽  
Deborah Power ◽  
Stephanie Alley ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Intervention Study ◽  
Post Intervention ◽  
Entire Family ◽  
Physical Activity Guidelines ◽  
Mothers And Fathers ◽  
Activity Tracker ◽  
Activity Trackers ◽  
Family Program ◽  
Intervention Efficacy

BACKGROUND Interventions using activity trackers and smartphone apps have demonstrated their ability to increase physical activity in children and adults. However, they have not been tested in entire families. Further, few family-centred interventions have actively involved both parents, and assessed intervention efficacy separately for children, mothers and fathers. OBJECTIVE This study aimed to examine the short-term efficacy of an activity tracker and app intervention to increase physical activity in the entire family (children, mothers and fathers). METHODS This was a pilot single-arm intervention study with pre-post measures. Between 2017-2018, 40 families (58 children aged 6-10 years, 39 mothers, 33 fathers) participated in the 6-week Step it Up Family program in Queensland, Australia. Using commercial activity trackers combined with apps (Garmin Vivofit Jr for children, Vivofit 3 for adults), the intervention included individual and family-level goal-setting, self-monitoring, performance feedback, family step challenges, family social support and modelling, weekly motivational text messages, and an introductory session delivered face-to-face or via telephone. Parent surveys were used to assess intervention efficacy measured as pre-post intervention changes in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) in children, mothers and fathers. RESULTS Thirty-eight families completed the post intervention survey (95% retention). At post intervention, MVPA had increased in children by 58 min/day (boys: 54 min/day, girls: 62 min/day; all P < .001). In mothers, MVPA increased by 27 min/day (P < .001), and in fathers, it increased by 31 min/day (P < .001). Furthermore, the percentage of children meeting Australia’s physical activity guidelines for children (≥60 MVPA min/day) increased from 34% to 89% (P < .001). The percentage of mothers and fathers meeting Australia’s physical activity guidelines for adults (≥150 MVPA min/week) increased from 8% to 57% (P < .001) in mothers, and from 21% to 68% (P < .001) in fathers. CONCLUSIONS Findings suggest that an activity tracker and app intervention is an efficacious approach to increasing physical activity in entire families to meet national physical activity guidelines. The Step it Up Family program warrants further testing in a larger, randomised controlled trial to determine its long-term impact. CLINICALTRIAL No trial registration as this is not an RCT. It is a pilot single-arm intervention study

scholarly journals Limitations of Canada’s physical activity data: implications for monitoring trendsThis article is part of a supplement entitled Advancing physical activity measurement and guidelines in Canada: a scientific review and evidence-based foundation for the future of Canadian physical activity guidelines co-published by Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism and the Canadian Journal of Public Health. It may be cited as Appl. Physiol. Nutr. Metab. 32(Suppl. 2E) or as Can. J. Public Health 98(Suppl. 2).

2007 ◽  
Vol 32 (S2E) ◽  
pp. S185-S194 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter T. Katzmarzyk ◽  
Mark S. Tremblay
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Physical Activity ◽  
Activity Patterns ◽  
Health Concern ◽  
Activity Measurement ◽  
Clear Understanding ◽  
Activity Data ◽  
Scientific Review ◽  
Physical Activity Guidelines ◽  
Applied Physiology

The current low level of physical activity among Canadians is a dominant public health concern. Accordingly, a clear understanding of physical activity patterns and trends is of paramount importance. Irregularities in monitoring, analysis, and reporting procedures create potential confusion among researchers, policy-makers, and the public alike. The purpose of this paper is to consolidate reported findings and provide a critical assessment of the physical activity surveillance procedures, analytical practices, and reporting protocols currently employed in Canada to provide insights for accurate and consistent interpretation of data, as well as recommendations for future surveillance efforts.

scholarly journals Perceived Facilitators and Barriers in Response to a Walking Intervention in Rural Cancer Survivors: A Qualitative Exploration

2018 ◽  
Vol 15 (12) ◽  
pp. 2824 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lauren Frensham ◽  
Gaynor Parfitt ◽  
Rebecca Stanley ◽  
James Dollman
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Cancer Survivors ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Perceived Exertion ◽  
South Australia ◽  
Physical Activity Behavior ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Post Intervention ◽  
Walking Behavior ◽  
Walking Intervention

Physical activity has numerous associated benefits for cancer survivors. Compared to their urban counterparts, rural and remote Australians experience a health disadvantage, including poorer survival rate after the diagnosis of cancer. The purpose of this qualitative study was to (a) investigate factors that motivated or inhibited walking in rural participants during a 12-week intervention and (b) to investigate factors that motivated or inhibited physical activity behavior change three months post-intervention. Ten cancer survivors living in rural areas of South Australia participated in a 12-week computer-delivered walking-based intervention during which they reported daily steps, daily affect, and ratings of perceived exertion. Based on this information, individualized daily step goals were sent to them to increase walking. Following the intervention, participants engaged in face-to-face semi-structured interviews. Interviews were recorded, transcribed and coded using thematic analysis. Participants identified a range of physical, psychological, social, environmental, and organizational motivators and barriers. Participants appreciated the monitoring and support from the research team, but some voiced a need for better transition to post-program and many desired ongoing support to maintain their motivation. Future studies should incorporate strategies to help walking behavior to become more intrinsically motivated and therefore sustained.

scholarly journals Perceptions of Visualizing Physical Activity as a 3D-Printed Object: Formative Study (Preprint)

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sam Graeme Morgan Crossley ◽  
Melitta Anne McNarry ◽  
Joanne Hudson ◽  
Parisa Eslambolchilar ◽  
Zoe Knowles ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
3D Printing ◽  
3D Model ◽  
Vigorous Physical Activity ◽  
3D Models ◽  
Primary School Children ◽  
Activity Levels ◽  
Activity Data ◽  
Physical Activity Guidelines ◽  
Technological Advances

BACKGROUND The UK government recommends that children engage in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity for at least 60 min every day. Despite associated physiological and psychosocial benefits of physical activity, many youth fail to meet these guidelines partly due to sedentary screen-based pursuits displacing active behaviors. However, technological advances such as 3D printing have enabled innovative methods of visualizing and conceptualizing physical activity as a tangible output. OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to elicit children’s, adolescents’, parents’, and teachers’ perceptions and understanding of 3D physical activity objects to inform the design of future 3D models of physical activity. METHODS A total of 28 primary school children (aged 8.4 [SD 0.3] years; 15 boys) and 42 secondary school adolescents (aged 14.4 [SD 0.3] years; 22 boys) participated in semistructured focus groups, with individual interviews conducted with 8 teachers (2 male) and 7 parents (2 male). Questions addressed understanding of the physical activity guidelines, 3D model design, and both motivation for and potential engagement with a 3D physical activity model intervention. Pupils were asked to use Play-Doh to create and describe a model that could represent their physical activity levels (PAL). Data were transcribed verbatim and thematically analyzed, and key emergent themes were represented using pen profiles. RESULTS Pupils understood the concept of visualizing physical activity as a 3D object, although adolescents were able to better analyze and critique differences between low and high PAL. Both youths and adults preferred a 3D model representing a week of physical activity data when compared with other temporal representations. Furthermore, all participants highlighted that 3D models could act as a motivational tool to enhance youths’ physical activity. From the Play-Doh designs, 2 key themes were identified by pupils, with preferences indicated for models of abstract representations of physical activity or bar charts depicting physical activity, respectively. CONCLUSIONS These novel findings highlight the potential utility of 3D objects of physical activity as a mechanism to enhance children’s and adolescents’ understanding of, and motivation to increase, their PAL. This study suggests that 3D printing may offer a unique strategy for promoting physical activity in these groups.

Framing Social Comparison Feedback With Financial Incentives for Physical Activity Promotion: A Randomized Trial

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (6) ◽  
pp. 641-649
Author(s):  
Mitesh S. Patel ◽  
David A. Asch ◽  
Roy Rosin ◽  
Dylan S. Small ◽  
Scarlett L. Bellamy ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Randomized Trial ◽  
Social Comparison ◽  
Financial Incentives ◽  
Physical Activity Promotion ◽  
Intervention Period ◽  
Activity Data ◽  
Activity Promotion ◽  
Steps Per Day

Background: Social comparison feedback is often used in physical activity interventions but the optimal design of feedback is unknown. Methods: This 4-arm, randomized trial consisted of a 13-week intervention period and 13-week follow-up period. During the intervention, 4-person teams were entered into a weekly lottery valued at about $1.40/day and contingent on the team averaging ≥7000 steps per day. Social comparison feedback on performance was delivered weekly for 26 weeks, and varied by reference point (50th vs 75th percentile) and forgiveness in use of activity data (all 7 d or best 5 of 7 d). The primary outcome was the mean proportion of participant-days achieving the 7000-step goal. Results: During the intervention period, the unadjusted mean proportion of participant-days that the goal was achieved was 0.47 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.38 to 0.56) in the 50th percentile arm, 0.38 (95% CI: 0.30 to 0.37) in the 75th percentile arm, 0.40 (95% CI: 0.31 to 0.49) in the 50th percentile with forgiveness arm, and 0.47 (95% CI: 0.38 to 0.55) in the 75th percentile with forgiveness arm. In adjusted models during the intervention and follow-up periods, there were no significant differences between arms. Conclusions: Changing social comparison feedback did not impact physical activity.

Physical Activity Communication: A Scoping Review of the Literature

2019 ◽  
Vol 20 (3) ◽  
pp. 344-353 ◽  
Author(s):  
Caroline D. Bergeron ◽  
Andrea H. Tanner ◽  
Daniela B. Friedman ◽  
Yue Zheng ◽  
Courtney S. Schrock ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Health Communication ◽  
Scoping Review ◽  
Science Communication ◽  
Health Benefits ◽  
The United States ◽  
Health Science ◽  
Physical Activity Guidelines ◽  
The Public ◽  
Media Channels

Engaging in regular physical activity can help prevent chronic disease and enhance quality of life. Unfortunately, less than 20% of American adults meet the recommended physical activity guidelines, perhaps indicating ineffective communication efforts around physical activity. In preparation for the release of the second edition of the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, and using the physical activity guidelines as a cornerstone of our approach, we conducted a scoping review of physical activity communication research to understand the scholarly efforts related to communicating about physical activity. Using a social-ecological perspective, we identified studies using the keywords physical activity* OR exercise* AND health communication* in three public health and communication databases and retained studies conducted in the United States and published in English from 1995 through 2015. Sixty-seven articles included a mention of physical activity guidelines, a health communication focus, and media channels used in promoting physical activity. Half of the studies were published in health/science communication journals. One third of the studies mentioned physical activity guidelines. Only 19% of the studies featured mental health benefits of physical activity while more than 64% emphasized physical health benefits. Nearly all the studies (96%) mentioned the use of persuasion to encourage engagement in physical activity. More effort is needed to study the influence of communicating physical activity guidelines to the public. Best practices for future physical activity communication are discussed for both researchers and practitioners.

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