Randomized controlled trial of collaborative implementation intentions targeting working adults' physical activity.

Area of Science:

• Behavioral science
• Public health interventions
• Occupational health

Background:

• Promoting physical activity is crucial for public health.
• Workplace interventions can be effective in behavior change.
• Novel strategies are needed to enhance physical activity adherence.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy of planning and partner-based interventions for increasing physical activity.
• To compare collaborative implementation intentions with partner-only and implementation intention strategies.
• To assess the impact on weight and psychosocial mediators of physical activity.

Main Methods:

• A randomized controlled trial with 257 local government employees.
• Four groups: collaborative implementation intentions, partner-only, implementation intentions, and control.
• Measures included physical activity (IPAQ, SWET), psychosocial factors, weight, and waist size at baseline and 1, 3, 6 months.

Main Results:

• The collaborative implementation intention group showed significantly greater physical activity at 1, 3, and 6 months.
• This group also achieved the most significant weight loss.
• Implementation intention and partner-only groups did not significantly outperform the control group on most measures.

Conclusions:

• Collaborative implementation intentions are a promising intervention for promoting physical activity.
• This approach can effectively support behavior change for weight reduction.
• Workplace-based strategies integrating planning and social support show potential.