Evidence map›Paper›PMID 33478495›Full record

Trial reportBMC medical informatics and decision making2021

Development and feasibility of a mobile phone application designed to support physically inactive employees to increase walking.

Joanna Catherine Nicholas, Nikos Ntoumanis, Brendan John Smith, Eleanor Quested, Emmanuel Stamatakis, Cecilie Thøgersen-Ntoumani

Open access · goldAbstract readRandomized Controlled Trial
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Trial report in BMC medical informatics and decision making, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 9 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
9citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
2.4field-weighted citation impact, top 11% of its field
1 · What the graph read from 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.

2 · The registry

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.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

9 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 25 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. [On the Effectiveness of Digital Workplace Health Promotion in Times of Home Office: A Systematic Review].Gesundheitswesen (Bundesverband der Arzte des Offentlichen Gesundheitsdienstes (Germany)) · 2024
    Pooled it
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  3. Article
  4. Review
  5. Article
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.

Joanna Catherine NicholasPhysical Activity and Well-Being Research Group, School of Psychology, Curtin University, GPO Box U1987, Perth, WA, 6845, Australia.
Nikos NtoumanisPhysical Activity and Well-Being Research Group, School of Psychology, Curtin University, GPO Box U1987, Perth, WA, 6845, Australia.
Brendan John SmithPhysical Activity and Well-Being Research Group, School of Psychology, Curtin University, GPO Box U1987, Perth, WA, 6845, Australia.
Eleanor QuestedPhysical Activity and Well-Being Research Group, School of Psychology, Curtin University, GPO Box U1987, Perth, WA, 6845, Australia.
Emmanuel StamatakisCharles Perkins Centre L6 West, Hub D17, School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia.
Cecilie Thøgersen-NtoumaniPhysical Activity and Well-Being Research Group, School of Psychology, Curtin University, GPO Box U1987, Perth, WA, 6845, Australia. c.thogersen@curtin.edu.au.ORCID 0000-0003-0255-1263
Curtin University · AUEdith Cowan University · AUThe University of Sydney · AU

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundPhysical inactivity is a global health concern. mHealth interventions have become increasingly popular, but to date, principles of effective communication from Self-Determination Theory have not been integrated with behavior change techniques to optimize app effectiveness. We outline the development of the START app, an app combining SDT principles and 17 purposefully chosen BCTs to support inactive office employees to increase their walking during a 16-week randomized controlled trial. We also explored acceptability, engagement with, associations between app usage and behavioral engagement, and perceived impact of the app in supporting behavior change.

methodsFollowing development, fifty insufficiently physically active employees (M age = 44.21 ± 10.95 years; BMI = 29.02 ± 5.65) were provided access and instructions on use of the app. A mixed methods design was used to examine feasibility of the app, including the User Mobile App Rating Scale, app engagement data, step counts, and individual interviews. Linear mixed modeling and inductive thematic analysis were used to analyze quantitative and qualitative data, respectively.

resultsWalkers rated the app quality favorably (M = 3.68 out of 5). Frequency of entering step counts (i.e., frequency of self-monitoring) on a weekly basis positively predicted weekly step counts measured via Fitbits at both the between-and within-individual levels. App features (entering daily step counts, reminders, and motivational messages) were perceived to assist walkers in fostering goal achievement by building competence and via self-monitoring.

conclusionsThe START app may be a useful component of walking interventions designed to increase walking in the workplace. Apps designed to promote walking behavior may be effective if they target users' competence and integrate BCTs.

trial registrationThis study was part of a pilot larger randomized controlled trial, in which a component of the intervention involved the use of the mobile app. The trial was retrospectively registered with the Australian and New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ACTRN12618000807257) on 11 May 2018 https://www.anzctr.org.au/Trial/Registration/TrialReview.aspx?id=375049&isReview=true .

Indexed as

Cell PhoneMobile ApplicationsAdultAustraliaFeasibility StudiesHumansMiddle AgedNew ZealandSedentary BehaviorWalkingacceptabilityBehavior changeEngagementmHealthMobile appsPerceived impactPhysical activityWalkingWorkplace

Identifiers

PMID33478495
PMCPMC7819207
OpenAlexW3125329640

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

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.