Department of Communication, University of California, Davis, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA, 95616, USA.
Perelman School of Medicine and Annenberg School for Communication, University of Pennsylvania, 3901 Walnut Street, Suite 500, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA.
Prev Sci. 2019 Aug;20(6):863-872. doi: 10.1007/s11121-019-01006-4.
A lack of adequate physical activity among young African American women remains a serious public health challenge. Few evidence-based interventions are available to increase physical activity in this population, and none has leveraged mobile technologies, even though African Americans are among the most avid users of mobile applications (apps). We conducted a pilot randomized controlled trial to test the efficacy of a mobile app-based small-group intervention in increasing physical activity among African American women aged 18 to 35 years (N = 91) in Philadelphia, PA. Cohorts of eight participants were randomized in a 1:1 ratio to a 4-women small-group intervention or an individual control condition. Control participants used the app to track their own activities. Small-group participants could track their own activities and those of the other three women in their group and could message the other women using a chatting tool. The primary outcome was meeting the goal of engaging in at least 90 min/day of light physical activity during the 3-month study period objectively assessed by a Fitbit device. Data were collected in 2016 and analyzed in 2017. Group participants had higher odds of meeting the goal (OR = 1.48, p = .048) than did control participants, an effect that did not wane during the 3-month study period. Irrespective of condition, participants had lower body-mass index (p = .01) and performed more push-ups (p < .0001) at the 1-month and 3-month assessments compared with the baseline measures. Mobile apps facilitating small online groups can contribute to efforts to increase physical activity among young African American women.This study is registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov NCT02736903.
缺乏足够的身体活动仍然是年轻非裔美国女性面临的一个严重的公共卫生挑战。在这一人群中，几乎没有基于证据的干预措施可以增加身体活动，也没有利用移动技术，尽管非裔美国人是最热衷于使用移动应用程序（apps）的人群之一。我们进行了一项试点随机对照试验，以测试基于移动应用程序的小组干预措施在增加宾夕法尼亚州费城 18 至 35 岁非裔美国女性身体活动方面的功效（N=91）。参与者被随机分为 1：1 比例的 4 名女性小组干预组或个体对照组。对照组使用应用程序来记录自己的活动。小组参与者可以记录自己和组内其他三名女性的活动情况，并使用聊天工具与其他女性交流。主要结果是通过 Fitbit 设备客观评估在 3 个月的研究期间达到每天至少 90 分钟轻体力活动的目标。数据于 2016 年收集，并于 2017 年进行分析。与对照组相比，小组参与者达到目标的可能性更高（OR=1.48，p=0.048），而且这种效果在 3 个月的研究期间并没有减弱。无论条件如何，与基线测量相比，参与者在 1 个月和 3 个月的评估中体重指数（p=0.01）和俯卧撑次数（p<0.0001）都有所下降。促进小型在线群体的移动应用程序可以促进增加年轻非裔美国女性的身体活动。本研究在 www.clinicaltrials.gov 注册，编号为 NCT02736903。
