Effects of an Activity Tracker and App Intervention to Increase Physical Activity in Whole Families—The Step It Up Family Feasibility Study

Stephanie Schoeppe, Jo Salmon, Susan L. Williams, Deborah Power, Stephanie Alley, Amanda L. Rebar, Melanie Hayman, Mitch J. Duncan and Corneel Vandelanotte
Additional contact information
Stephanie Schoeppe: Physical Activity Research Group, School of Health, Medical and Applied Sciences, Appleton Institute, Central Queensland University, Building 77, Bruce Highway, Rockhampton, QLD 4702, Australia
Jo Salmon: School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, Institute for Physical Activity and Nutrition (IPAN), Deakin University, 221 Burwood Highway, Burwood, Geelong, VIC 3125, Australia
Susan L. Williams: Physical Activity Research Group, School of Health, Medical and Applied Sciences, Appleton Institute, Central Queensland University, Building 77, Bruce Highway, Rockhampton, QLD 4702, Australia
Deborah Power: Physical Activity Research Group, School of Health, Medical and Applied Sciences, Appleton Institute, Central Queensland University, Building 77, Bruce Highway, Rockhampton, QLD 4702, Australia
Stephanie Alley: Physical Activity Research Group, School of Health, Medical and Applied Sciences, Appleton Institute, Central Queensland University, Building 77, Bruce Highway, Rockhampton, QLD 4702, Australia
Amanda L. Rebar: Physical Activity Research Group, School of Health, Medical and Applied Sciences, Appleton Institute, Central Queensland University, Building 77, Bruce Highway, Rockhampton, QLD 4702, Australia
Melanie Hayman: Physical Activity Research Group, School of Health, Medical and Applied Sciences, Appleton Institute, Central Queensland University, Building 77, Bruce Highway, Rockhampton, QLD 4702, Australia
Mitch J. Duncan: Priority Research Centre for Physical Activity and Nutrition, School of Medicine & Public Health, Faculty of Health and Medicine, The University of Newcastle, University Drive, Callaghan, Newcastle, NSW 2308, Australia
Corneel Vandelanotte: Physical Activity Research Group, School of Health, Medical and Applied Sciences, Appleton Institute, Central Queensland University, Building 77, Bruce Highway, Rockhampton, QLD 4702, Australia

IJERPH, 2020, vol. 17, issue 20, 1-20

Abstract: (1) Background: Interventions using activity trackers and smartphone apps have demonstrated their ability to increase physical activity in children and adults. However, they have not been tested in whole families. Further, few family-centered interventions have actively involved both parents and assessed physical activity effects separately for children, mothers and fathers. Objective: To examine the feasibility and short-term effects of an activity tracker and app intervention to increase physical activity in the whole family (children, mothers and fathers). (2) Methods: This was a single-arm feasibility study with pre-post intervention measures. Between 2017–2018, 40 families (58 children aged 6–10 years, 39 mothers, 33 fathers) participated in the 6-week Step it Up Family program in Queensland, Australia. Using commercial activity trackers combined with apps (Garmin Vivofit Jr for children, Vivofit 3 for adults; Garmin Australasia Pty Ltd., Sydney, Australia), the intervention included individual and family-level goal-setting, self-monitoring, performance feedback, family step challenges, family social support and modelling, weekly motivational text messages and an introductory session. Parent surveys were used to assess physical activity effects measured as pre-post intervention changes in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) in children, mothers and fathers. Objective Garmin activity tracker data was recorded to assess physical activity levels (steps, active minutes) during the intervention. (3) Results: Thirty-eight families completed the post intervention survey (95% retention). At post intervention, MVPA had increased in children by 58 min/day (boys: 54 min/day, girls: 62 min/day; all p < 0.001). In mothers, MVPA increased by 27 min/day ( p < 0.001) and in fathers, it increased by 31 min/day ( p < 0.001). The percentage of children meeting Australia’s physical activity guidelines for children (≥60 MVPA min/day) increased from 34% to 89% ( p < 0.001). The percentage of mothers and fathers meeting Australia’s physical activity guidelines for adults (≥150 MVPA min/week) increased from 8% to 57% ( p < 0.001) in mothers and from 21% to 68% ( p < 0.001) in fathers. The percentage of families with ‘at least one child and both parents’ meeting the physical activity guidelines increased from 0% to 41% ( p < 0.001). Objective activity tracker data recorded during the intervention showed that the mean ( SD ) number of active minutes per day in children was 82.1 (17.1). Further, the mean ( SD ) steps per day was 9590.7 (2425.3) in children, 7397.5 (1954.2) in mothers and 8161.7 (3370.3) in fathers. (4) Conclusions: Acknowledging the uncontrolled study design, the large pre-post changes in MVPA and rather high step counts recorded during the intervention suggest that an activity tracker and app intervention can increase physical activity in whole families. The Step it Up Family program warrants further efficacy testing in a larger, randomized controlled trial.

Keywords: family-centered; intervention; children; maternal; paternal; active; steps; smartphone; tablet; apps; fitness trackers; wearables (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/17/20/7655/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/17/20/7655/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:17:y:2020:i:20:p:7655-:d:431895

Access Statistics for this article

IJERPH is currently edited by Ms. Jenna Liu

More articles in IJERPH from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().