Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42753258›Full record

Trial reportJMIR mHealth and uHealth2026

Personalized Mobile App-Based Messaging and Step Tracking for Improving Walking Behavior in Adults: Randomized Controlled Trial.

Sarang Jang, Aeree Sohn

Abstract readRandomized Controlled Trial
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Trial report in JMIR mHealth and uHealth, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
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

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

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

2 authors.

Sarang JangDepartment of Public Health, Sahmyook University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4718-0948
Aeree SohnDepartment of Public Health, Sahmyook University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8524-2433

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundWalking is one of the most effective forms of physical activity; however, maintaining long-term engagement in digital step-counting interventions remains challenging.

objectiveThis study aimed to evaluate the effects of personalized message interventions integrating the Information-Motivation-Behavioral Skills (IMB) model and regulatory focus theory (RFT) on walking behavior.

methodsParticipants were recruited offline through community advertisements containing a QR code that linked to an online sign-up form and were screened using an online baseline questionnaire by research staff, while all intervention delivery and outcome assessments were conducted via the WalkOn mobile app. A 12-week randomized controlled trial targeting 174 adults in Mapo-gu, Seoul, Korea, was conducted from April 1 to June 22, 2024. Of the 174 randomized participants, 141 (67 in the intervention group and 74 in the control group) engaged in the intervention. Both groups received incentives based on goal achievement and general health information, whereas the intervention group received weekly personalized messages provided by research staff according to midweek step-count performance. Primary outcomes included weekly goal achievement rates for the 25,000-step goal, step-count patterns, and consecutive 2-week goal achievement failure events. Analyses were conducted using generalized estimating equations (GEEs), linear mixed models (LMMs), and Cox proportional hazards models.

resultsOf the 174 participants randomized, 141 (81%) engaged in the intervention and were included in the analyses (67 intervention; 74 control), while 33 participants did not participate after randomization. The overall 12-week mean goal achievement rate was 87% in the intervention group and 87% in the control group, with no significant difference between the groups (odds ratio [OR] 1.12, 95% CI 0.29-4.37; P=.87). Weekly step-count patterns also showed no significant differences (group × time interaction: estimate=-417; SE 09; P=.31). However, the risk of consecutive 2-week goal achievement failure events was significantly lower in the intervention group (hazard ratio [HR] 0.67, 95% CI 0.52-0.86; P=.002). The intervention group showed an approximately 33% lower likelihood of consecutive 2-week goal achievement failure events than the control group.

conclusionsPersonalized message interventions did not show significant effects on overall step-count increase but were associated with a reduced risk of consecutive 2-week goal achievement failure events. These findings suggest that personalized messages may play an important role in improving behavior change sustainability and failure resilience. Incorporating personalized messaging strategies may enhance the effectiveness of digital health intervention design.

trial registrationClinical Research Information Service (CRIS), Republic of Korea KCT0010966; https://tinyurl.com/3jeepxve.

Indexed as

Mobile ApplicationsWalkingAdultFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedRepublic of KoreaSurveys and Questionnairesdigital healthmobile applicationsmobile appspersonalized messagingtheory-based interventionwalking

Identifiers

PMID42753258

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
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.