Department of Movement and Sport Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.
Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands.
JMIR Mhealth Uhealth. 2020 Oct 29;8(10):e18653. doi: 10.2196/18653.
Although healthy aging can be stimulated by the reduction of sedentary behavior, few interventions are available for older adults. Previous studies suggest that self-monitoring might be a promising behavior change technique to reduce older adults' sedentary behavior. However, little is known about older adults' experiences with a self-monitoring-based intervention aimed at the reduction of sedentary behavior.
The aim of this study is to evaluate engagement, acceptability, usability, and preliminary efficacy of a self-monitoring-based mHealth intervention developed to reduce older adults' sedentary behavior.
A mixed methods study was performed among 28 community-dwelling older adults living in Flanders, Belgium. The 3-week intervention consisted of general sedentary behavior information as well as visual and tactile feedback on participants' sedentary behavior. Semistructured interviews were conducted to explore engagement with, and acceptability and usability of, the intervention. Sitting time was measured using the thigh-worn activPAL (PAL Technologies) accelerometer before and after the intervention. System usage data of the app were recorded. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and paired-samples t tests; qualitative data were thematically analyzed and presented using pen profiles.
Participants mainly reported positive feelings regarding the intervention, referring to it as motivating, surprising, and interesting. They commonly reported that the intervention changed their thinking (ie, they became more aware of their sedentary behavior) but not their actual behavior. There were mixed opinions on the kind of feedback (ie, tactile vs visual) that they preferred. The intervention was considered easy to use, and the design was described as clear. Some problems were noticed regarding attaching and wearing the self-monitoring device. System usage data showed that the median frequency of consulting the app widely differed among participants, ranging from 0 to 20 times a day. No significant reductions were found in objectively measured sitting time.
Although the intervention was well perceived by the majority of older adults, no reductions in sitting time were found. Possible explanations for the lack of reductions might be the short intervention duration or the fact that only bringing the habitual sedentary behavior into conscious awareness might not be sufficient to achieve behavior change.
ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04003324; https://tinyurl.com/y2p4g8hx.
尽管减少久坐行为可以促进健康老龄化，但针对老年人的干预措施却很少。先前的研究表明，自我监测可能是一种很有前途的行为改变技术，可以减少老年人的久坐行为。然而，对于旨在减少老年人久坐行为的基于自我监测的干预措施，老年人的体验知之甚少。
本研究旨在评估一种基于自我监测的 mHealth 干预措施的参与度、可接受性、可用性和初步效果，该干预措施旨在减少老年人的久坐行为。
在比利时弗拉芒地区的 28 名社区居住的老年人中进行了一项混合方法研究。为期 3 周的干预措施包括一般久坐行为信息以及参与者久坐行为的视觉和触觉反馈。进行半结构化访谈以探索对干预措施的参与度、可接受性和可用性。在干预前后使用大腿佩戴的 activPAL（PAL 技术）加速度计测量坐姿时间。记录应用程序的系统使用数据。使用描述性统计和配对样本 t 检验分析定量数据；使用笔形轮廓图对定性数据进行主题分析和呈现。
参与者主要对干预措施表示出积极的感受，称其具有激励性、令人惊讶和趣味性。他们普遍报告说，干预措施改变了他们的思维（即，他们对自己的久坐行为更加警觉），但并没有改变他们的实际行为。他们对自己更喜欢的反馈类型（即触觉与视觉）存在不同意见。该干预措施被认为易于使用，设计清晰。在佩戴自我监测设备方面，存在一些问题。系统使用数据显示，参与者咨询应用程序的频率中位数差异很大，范围从每天 0 次到 20 次。客观测量的坐姿时间没有显著减少。
尽管大多数老年人对干预措施的评价良好，但没有发现坐姿时间减少。坐姿时间没有减少的可能解释是干预时间短，或者仅仅将习惯性的久坐行为纳入意识范围内可能不足以实现行为改变。
ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04003324；https://tinyurl.com/y2p4g8hx。
