Yoshimi Fukuoka|William L. Haskell|Feng Lin|Eric Vittinghoff
Short- and Long-term Effects of a Mobile Phone App in Conjunction With Brief In-Person Counseling on Physical Activity Among Physically Inactive Women
University of California, San Francisco|Stanford University|University of California, San Francisco|University of California, San Francisco
mobile phone applications apps activity trackers allow researchers remotely deliver intervention monitor physical activity rigorously evaluated longer periodsto determine whether mobile phonebased physical activity education app conjunction brief inperson counseling increases maintains levels physical activityin parallel randomized clinical trial communitydwelling physically inactive women recruited may 2011 april 2014 randomized equal proportions control n 69 regular n 71 plus n 70 groups data analyzed using intention treat september 16 2016 june 30 2018the regular plus groups instructed use app mobile phone accelerometer every day 3 months attend brief inperson counseling 6month maintenance period plus group continued use app accelerometer regular group stopped using app continued using accelerometer control group used accelerometer throughoutthe primary secondary outcomes daily accelerometermeasured total steps time spent moderate vigorous physical activity mvpathe 210 participants mean sd age 524 110 years baseline mean sd daily total steps accelerometer control regular plus groups 5384 2920 5063 2526 5837 3235 respectively 3month intervention period daily steps mvpa increased combined regular plus groups compared control group betweengroup differences 2060 steps per day 95 ci 12962825 steps per day p 001 182 mind mvpa 95 ci 109254 mind mvpa p 001 subsequent 6month maintenance period mean activity level remained higher combined plus regular groups among controls betweengroup difference 1360 steps per day 95 ci 6942026 steps per day p 001 trends total daily steps mvpa similar plus regular groupsin trial intervention groups substantially increased physical activity however use app accelerometer additional 6 months initial 3month intervention help maintain increases physical activity compared continued use accelerometer aloneclinicaltrialsgov identifier nct01280812