Department of Organizational Behavior, Stanford University Graduate School of Business, Stanford, CA, United States.
Department of Psychology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States.
J Med Internet Res. 2023 Jan 25;25:e40529. doi: 10.2196/40529.
There is some initial evidence suggesting that mindsets about the adequacy and health consequences of one's physical activity (activity adequacy mindsets [AAMs]) can shape physical activity behavior, health, and well-being. However, it is unknown how to leverage these mindsets using wearable technology and other interventions.
This research examined how wearable fitness trackers and meta-mindset interventions influence AAMs, affect, behavior, and health.
A total of 162 community-dwelling adults were recruited via flyers and web-based platforms (ie, Craigslist and Nextdoor; final sample size after attrition or exclusion of 45 participants). Participants received an Apple Watch (Apple Inc) to wear for 5 weeks, which was equipped with an app that recorded step count and could display a (potentially manipulated) step count on the watch face. After a baseline week of receiving no feedback about step count, participants were randomly assigned to 1 of 4 experimental groups: they received either accurate step count (reference group; 41/162, 25.3%), 40% deflated step count (40/162, 24.7%), 40% inflated step count (40/162, 24.7%), or accurate step count+a web-based meta-mindset intervention teaching participants the value of adopting more positive AAMs (41/162, 25.3%). Participants were blinded to the condition. Outcome measures were taken in the laboratory by an experimenter at the beginning and end of participation and via web-based surveys in between. Longitudinal analysis examined changes within the accurate step count condition from baseline to treatment and compared them with changes in the deflated step count, inflated step count, and meta-mindset conditions.
Participants receiving accurate step counts perceived their activity as more adequate and healthier, adopted a healthier diet, and experienced improved mental health (Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System [PROMIS]-29) and aerobic capacity but also reduced functional health (PROMIS-29; compared with their no-step-count baseline). Participants exposed to deflated step counts perceived their activity as more inadequate; ate more unhealthily; and experienced more negative affect, reduced self-esteem and mental health, and increased blood pressure and heart rate (compared with participants receiving accurate step counts). Inflated step counts did not change AAM or most other outcomes (compared with accurate step counts). Participants receiving the meta-mindset intervention experienced improved AAM, affect, functional health, and self-reported physical activity (compared with participants receiving accurate step counts only). Actual step count did not change in either condition.
AAMs--induced by trackers or adopted deliberately--can influence affect, behavior, and health independently of actual physical activity.
ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03939572; https://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03939572.
有一些初步的证据表明，对一个人身体活动的充足性和健康后果的心态（活动充足性心态[AAMs]）可以影响身体活动行为、健康和幸福感。然而，目前尚不清楚如何利用可穿戴技术和其他干预措施来利用这些心态。
本研究旨在探讨可穿戴健身追踪器和元心态干预如何影响 AAMs、影响、行为和健康。
共有 162 名社区居民通过传单和基于网络的平台（即 Craigslist 和 Nextdoor；在排除或流失 45 名参与者后，最终样本量）招募。参与者收到了一个 Apple Watch（Apple Inc），佩戴了 5 周，该手表配备了一个可以记录步数的应用程序，并且可以在手表表面显示（可能被操纵的）步数。在基线周不反馈步数后，参与者被随机分配到 4 个实验组中的 1 个：他们分别接受了准确的步数（对照组；41/162，25.3%）、40%虚低的步数（40/162，24.7%）、40%虚高的步数（40/162，24.7%）或准确的步数+一个教授参与者采用更积极的 AAMs 价值的网络元心态干预（41/162，25.3%）。参与者对条件不知情。在参与期间，通过实验室由实验员在开始和结束时进行了结果测量，并通过基于网络的调查进行了中间测量。纵向分析检查了准确步数条件从基线到治疗的变化，并将其与虚低步数、虚高步数和元心态条件的变化进行了比较。
接受准确步数的参与者认为自己的活动更充足、更健康，采用了更健康的饮食，并且心理健康（患者报告的结果测量信息系统[PROMIS]-29）和有氧能力得到改善，但功能性健康（PROMIS-29；与他们无步数的基线相比）有所下降。暴露于虚低步数的参与者认为自己的活动不足；吃得更不健康；负面情绪更多，自尊心和心理健康下降，血压和心率升高（与接受准确步数的参与者相比）。虚高的步数并没有改变 AAM 或大多数其他结果（与准确的步数相比）。接受元心态干预的参与者经历了 AAM、情绪、功能性健康和自我报告的身体活动的改善（与仅接受准确步数的参与者相比）。在任何条件下，实际步数都没有变化。
通过追踪器或故意采用的 AAMs 可以独立于实际身体活动影响情绪、行为和健康。
ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03939572；https://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03939572。
