Objectively Assessing the Effect of a Messenger-based Intervention to Reduce Sedentary Behavior in University...

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Preventive Medicine
• Digital Health

Background:

• Sedentary behavior is a significant health risk, particularly for university students due to academic routines.
• Prolonged sitting can lead to future non-communicable diseases (NCDs), necessitating primary prevention strategies.
• University students, despite appearing healthy, are vulnerable to the long-term effects of sedentary lifestyles.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate a mobile-based (messenger) intervention aimed at reducing sedentary time among university students.
• To assess the effectiveness of text messages designed to interrupt prolonged sitting periods.
• To provide a primary prevention strategy against NCDs in a young adult population.

Main Methods:

• A 3-week randomized controlled trial involving thirty-four German university students.
• Objective measurement of sedentary behavior using ActivPal devices before and after the intervention.
• Intervention consisted of text messages designed to interrupt sedentary time, with participant feedback collected.

Main Results:

• A reduction of approximately one hour in daily sedentary behavior was observed in the intervention group.
• A significant negative correlation (r = -.81) indicated intervention effectiveness, especially for participants with higher baseline sedentary time.
• Participants found the intervention messages to be appropriate.

Conclusions:

• The one-hour daily reduction in sedentary time is practically significant for university students.
• Mobile-based interventions show promise for reducing sedentary behavior, consistent with prior research.
• This pilot study highlights the potential of digital health interventions for sedentary behavior modification and warrants further investigation.