Nicola D Ridgers, Anna Timperio, Kylie Ball, Samuel K Lai, Helen Brown, Susie Macfarlane, Jo Salmon
Journal: The international journal of behavioral nutrition and physical activity 2021;18(1):52
PMID: 33845853
Most adolescents do not engage in the recommended 60 minutes per day moderate to vigorous physical exercise, therefore there is a need to ensure that exercise targets are hit. The use of wearable activity trackers has recently become popular, however their exact effects on physical activity levels in adolescents is unclear. The aim of this randomised control trial was to determine the effects of wearing a digital activity tracker for 12 weeks on activity levels of 275 adolescents, and how this affects activity levels 6 months after the end of the trial. The results showed that the use of a digital activity tracker had no effect on moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) immediately after the trial had finished. At 6 months less activity was seen amongst adolescents and males in particular engaged in less activity than those who did not have a digital activity device. It was concluded that the use of a wearable digital physical activity tracker had no effect on physical activity levels. This study could be used by healthcare professionals to understand that in adolescents wearable digital activity trackers may not be enough motivation and support to increase activity levels.
BACKGROUND
There has been increasing interest in using wearable activity trackers to promote physical activity in youth. This study examined the short- and longer-term effects of a wearable activity tracker combined with digital behaviour change resources on the physical activity of adolescents attending schools in socio-economically disadvantaged areas.
METHODS
The Raising Awareness of Physical Activity (RAW-PA) Study was a 12-week, multicomponent intervention that combined a Fitbit Flex (and accompanying app), and online digital behaviour change resources and weekly challenges delivered via Facebook. RAW-PA was evaluated using a cluster-randomised controlled trial with 275 adolescents (50.2% female; 13.7 ± 0.4 years) from 18 Melbourne secondary schools (intervention n = 9; wait-list control group n = 9). The primary outcome was moderate- to vigorous-intensity physical activity (MVPA), measured using hip-worn ActiGraph accelerometers. The secondary outcome was self-reported physical activity. Data were collected at baseline, 12-weeks (immediately post-intervention), and 6-months post-intervention (follow-up). Multilevel models were used to determine the effects of the intervention on daily MVPA over time, adjusting for covariates.
RESULTS
No significant differences were observed between intervention and wait-list control adolescents' device-assessed MVPA immediately post-intervention. At 6-months post-intervention, adolescents in the intervention group engaged in 5 min (95% CI: - 9.1 to - 1.0) less MVPA per day than those in the wait-list control group. Males in the intervention group engaged in 11 min (95% CI: - 17.6 to - 4.5) less MVPA than males in the wait-list control group at 6-months post-intervention. No significant differences were observed for females at either time point. For self-reported physical activity, no significant effects were found at 12-weeks and 6-months post-intervention.
CONCLUSIONS
Combining a wearable activity tracker with digital behaviour change resources and weekly challenges did not increase inactive adolescents' accelerometer-derived and self-reported physical activity levels immediately post-intervention. This contrasts previous research that has suggested wearable activity tracker may increase youth physical activity levels in the short-term. Lower engagement in MVPA 6-months post-intervention was observed for males but not for females, though it is unclear why this finding was observed. The results suggest wearable activity trackers, in combination with supporting materials, may not be effective for increasing physical activity levels in adolescents.
TRIAL REGISTRATION
ACTRN12616000899448 . Australian and New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry. Registered 7 July 2016.
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