Rural-Urban Differences in Physical Activity Tracking and Engagement in a Web-Based Platform

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Digital Health
• Exercise Science

Background:

• Most adults do not meet physical activity guidelines.
• Rural communities face unique challenges in accessing physical activity resources.
• Web-based solutions can potentially bridge the gap in physical activity engagement.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare physical activity levels and patterns between metropolitan and nonmetropolitan users of a web-based platform.
• To identify differences in activity types and intensity between urban and rural populations.
• To explore the effectiveness of web-based interventions for physical activity promotion.

Main Methods:

• Analyzed physical activity logs from 6,695 users of the Walk Georgia web-based platform.
• Compared users residing in metropolitan versus nonmetropolitan areas.
• Utilized descriptive statistics and independent-samples t-tests for data analysis.

Main Results:

• Users were more likely to enroll in groups, especially in metropolitan areas.
• Nonmetropolitan residents engaged in more maintenance-based activities and earned fewer points due to lower exercise difficulty.
• Despite similar time spent, nonmetropolitan users' activities were less rigorous.

Conclusions:

• The web-based platform effectively facilitated physical activity tracking.
• Rural users engaged in less intense physical activity compared to urban users.
• Leveraging social support through group enrollment may enhance physical activity in rural populations.