The "Worktivity" mHealth intervention to reduce sedentary behaviour in the workplace: a feasibility cluster...

Area of Science:

• Occupational Health
• Digital Health Interventions
• Behavioral Science

Background:

• Office work is characterized by high sedentary behavior (SB), linked to adverse health outcomes.
• The Worktivity mobile app was developed to help office workers reduce SB via self-monitoring, feedback, and prompts.
• This study assessed the feasibility of delivering the Worktivity intervention in a workplace setting.

Purpose of the Study:

• To report the feasibility of delivering the Worktivity intervention to desk-based office workers.
• To describe methodological considerations for future trials of mHealth interventions.
• To evaluate recruitment, retention, engagement, delivery, data usability, and acceptability of the intervention.

Main Methods:

• A three-arm, 8-week feasibility cluster randomized controlled pilot study.
• Participants were assigned to: Worktivity mobile app (MA), MA plus SSWD, or Control.
• Feasibility assessed via recruitment, retention, engagement, delivery, data, adverse events, and acceptability.

Main Results:

• Company recruitment was challenging (8%), but individual participant retention was high (81-95%).
• Moderate app engagement (59%) and compromised intervention delivery due to technical issues.
• High acceptability for workplace implementation (65-72%), but modest overall satisfaction (39-58%).

Conclusions:

• Mobile app interventions are feasible in workplaces but require technical refinement.
• Challenges in workplace recruitment and sustained user engagement must be addressed.
• Further research is needed to optimize mHealth interventions for reducing sedentary behavior.