Trial reportAmerican journal of preventive medicine2012
A social media-based physical activity intervention: a randomized controlled trial.
Trial report in American journal of preventive medicine, 2012. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to 3 registered trials, which are not on this map. Cited by 160 papers, 22 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
The Causal Impact of Online Social Media on Physical Activity: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Feasibility of a Social Media Intervention for Exercise Motivation and Cardiac Rehabilitation Adherence
Feasibility of Online Yoga Plus Social Support to Improve Elevated PTS in Mothers Who Have Experienced Stillbirth
Who cites it
160 citing papers in PubMed, 22 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 423 citations in OpenAlex.
- Interventions That Use Highly Visual Social Media Platforms to Tackle Unhealthy Body Image in Adolescents and Young Adults: Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials and Quasi-Experimental Studies.Journal of medical Internet research · 2026Pooled it
- Technology-Supported Physical Activity and Its Potential as a Tool to Promote Young Women's Physical Activity and Physical Literacy: Systematic Review.Journal of medical Internet research · 2024Pooled it
- Strategies and Best Practices That Enhance the Physical Activity Levels of Undergraduate University Students: A Systematic Review.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2024Pooled it
- The Impact of Social Media Interventions on Weight Reduction and Physical Activity Improvement Among Healthy Adults: Systematic Review.Journal of medical Internet research · 2023Pooled it
- The Effectiveness of E-Health Interventions Promoting Physical Activity and Reducing Sedentary Behavior in College Students: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2022Pooled it
- The Role of FacebookInternational journal of environmental research and public health · 2022Pooled it
- Technology-Supported University Courses for Increasing University Students' Physical Activity Levels: A Systematic Review and Set of Design Principles for Future Practice.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2021Pooled it
- Behavioural interventions delivered through interactive social media for health behaviour change, health outcomes, and health equity in the adult population.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2021Pooled it
- mHealth Interventions to Reduce Alcohol Use in Young People: A Systematic Review of the Literature.Comprehensive child and adolescent nursing · 2020Pooled it
- Behavior Change Techniques Included in Reports of Social Media Interventions for Promoting Health Behaviors in Adults: Content Analysis Within a Systematic Review.Journal of medical Internet research · 2020Pooled it
- Types of Interventions Targeting Dietary, Physical Activity, and Weight-Related Outcomes among University Students: A Systematic Review of Systematic Reviews.Advances in nutrition (Bethesda, Md.) · 2019Pooled it
- Peer-Based Social Media Features in Behavior Change Interventions: Systematic Review.Journal of medical Internet research · 2018Pooled it
- Social Media Interventions to Promote HIV Testing, Linkage, Adherence, and Retention: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Journal of medical Internet research · 2017Pooled it
- Effectiveness of social media in reducing risk factors for noncommunicable diseases: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.Nutrition reviews · 2016Pooled it
- Reducing caregiver stress with internet-based interventions: a systematic review of open-label and randomized controlled trials.Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association : JAMIA · 2015Pooled it
- Effectiveness of interventions targeting physical activity, nutrition and healthy weight for university and college students: a systematic review and meta-analysis.The international journal of behavioral nutrition and physical activity · 2015Pooled it
- The influence of social networking sites on health behavior change: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association : JAMIA · 2015Pooled it
- Are health behavior change interventions that use online social networks effective? A systematic review.Journal of medical Internet research · 2014Pooled it
- Social media interventions for diet and exercise behaviours: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials.BMJ open · 2014Pooled it
- The role of social media in online weight management: systematic review.Journal of medical Internet research · 2013Pooled it
100 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
6 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundOnline social networks, such as Facebook™, have extensive reach, and they use technology that could enhance social support, an established determinant of physical activity. This combination of reach and functionality makes online social networks a promising intervention platform for increasing physical activity. PURPOSE: To test the efficacy of a physical activity intervention that combined education, physical activity monitoring, and online social networking to increase social support for physical activity compared to an education-only control.
designRCT. Students (n=134) were randomized to two groups: education-only controls receiving access to a physical activity-focused website (n=67) and intervention participants receiving access to the same website with physical activity self-monitoring and enrollment in a Facebook group (n=67). Recruitment and data collection occurred in 2010 and 2011; data analyses were performed in 2011. SETTING/
participantsFemale undergraduate students at a large southeastern public university.
interventionIntervention participants were encouraged through e-mails, website instructions, and moderator communications to solicit and provide social support related to increasing physical activity through a physical activity-themed Facebook group. Participants received access to a dedicated website with educational materials and a physical activity self-monitoring tool.
main outcome measuresThe primary outcome was perceived social support for physical activity; secondary outcomes included self-reported physical activity.
resultsParticipants experienced increases in social support and physical activity over time but there were no differences in perceived social support or physical activity between groups over time. Facebook participants posted 259 times to the group. Two thirds (66%) of intervention participants completing a post-study survey indicated that they would recommend the program to friends.
conclusionsUse of an online social networking group plus self-monitoring did not produce greater perceptions of social support or physical activity as compared to education-only controls. Given their promising features and potential reach, efforts to further understand how online social networks can be used in health promotion should be pursued.
trial registrationThis study is registered at clinicaltrials.govNCT01421758.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.