Abstract
The randomized controlled trial REACT (NCT03320746) examined the effect of a 12-month consumer-based activity tracker intervention on accelerometer-measured physical activity among recent retirees. Altogether 231 recently retired Finnish adults (age, 65.2 ± 1.1 yr, mean ± SD; 83% women) were randomized to intervention and control groups. Intervention participants were requested to wear a commercial wrist-worn activity tracker (Polar Loop 2; Polar, Kempele, Finland) for 12 months, to try to reach the daily activity goals shown on the tracker display, and to upload their activity data to a Web-based program every week. The control group received no intervention. Accelerometer-based outcome measurements of daily total, light physical activity (LPA), and moderate to vigorous (MVPA) physical activity were conducted at baseline and at 3-, 6-, and 12-month time points. Hierarchical linear mixed models were used to examine the differences between the groups over time. All analyses were performed by intention-to-treat principle and adjusted for wake wear time. The use of a commercial activity tracker did not increase daily total activity, LPA, or MVPA over the 12-months period when compared with nonuser controls (group-time interaction, P = 0.39, 0.23, and 0.77, respectively). There was an increase in LPA over the first 6 months in both the intervention (26 min·d-1, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 13 to 39) and the control (14 min·d-1, 95% CI = 1 to 27) groups, but the difference between the groups was not significant (12 min·d-1, 95% CI = -6 to 30). In both groups, LPA decreased from 6 to 12 months. The 12-month use of a commercial activity tracker does not appear to elicit significant changes in the daily total activity among a general population sample of recent retirees, thus highlighting the need to explore other alternatives to increase physical activity in this target group.
Highlights
Background characteristicsThe main background characteristics of the participants were derived from the pension institute’s register
Occupational status was categorized on the basis of the International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO) [41] into three groups: “high,” including managers and professionals (ISCO classes 1–2); “intermediate,” including associate professionals (ISCO classes 3–4); and “low,” including manual and service workers (ISCO classes 5–9) by the last known occupation preceding the retirement
Self-reported physical activity was assessed with a question concerning the average weekly duration and intensity of leisure-time physical activity during the past 3 months, and it was expressed as weekly metabolic equivalent (MET) hours
Summary
The main background characteristics (date of birth, gender, and occupation) of the participants were derived from the pension institute’s register. Body mass index was calculated from the measured height and weight during the baseline clinical measurements. Other baseline characteristics were assessed by a Web-based questionnaire. Data on chronic conditions (none, 1, or >1) were based on a question, “Has your doctor ever told that you have or have had ...” and the following diseases were taken into account: angina pectoris, myocardial infarction, stroke, claudication, osteoarthritis, osteoporosis, sciatica, fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis, depression or other mental illness, and diabetes. Self-reported physical activity was assessed with a question concerning the average weekly duration and intensity of leisure-time physical activity during the past 3 months, and it was expressed as weekly metabolic equivalent (MET) hours
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