Effect of Adding Online Social Support Tools to an Adult Walking Program: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial

Area of Science:

• Health and Wellness
• Behavioral Science
• Digital Health

Background:

• Technology-mediated interventions are increasingly used for health promotion.
• Online social support tools offer potential benefits for adherence and motivation in health programs.
• Previous research has not fully explored the impact of these tools in walking interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of online social support tools in a technology-mediated walking intervention.
• To compare step counts and psychosocial indicators between groups with and without access to social support tools.
• To assess the impact on health outcomes in insufficiently active adults.

Main Methods:

• A 12-week pilot study randomized 63 adults into two groups: one with (SUPPORT) and one without (NO SUPPORT) online social support tools.
• Both groups received a pedometer, step goals, and website access; the SUPPORT group additionally received access to social support tools.
• Mixed-factor analysis of variance was used to analyze changes in daily steps, psychosocial indicators, and health.

Main Results:

• Both groups significantly increased daily steps over time (SUPPORT: 1,401 steps; NO SUPPORT: 2,461 steps), with no significant difference between groups.
• No significant differences in psychosocial indicators or health improvements were observed between the SUPPORT and NO SUPPORT groups.
• The utilization rate of the online social support tools within the SUPPORT group was notably low.

Conclusions:

• Providing access to online social support tools did not enhance step count increases in a technology-mediated walking program compared to a control group.
• Low engagement with the social support tools may have attenuated any potential positive effects on physical activity.
• Future research should investigate the efficacy of social support tools in populations with existing social networks.