Using Real-Time Feedback to Target Reductions in Sedentary Behavior

Abstract

Awareness of sedentary behavior is low both in terms of amount accumulated and potential health consequences. Thus, interventions that increase awareness of this behavior may be effective for reducing sedentary time and improving health. PURPOSE:Our purpose was to test the efficacy of providing VibroTactile feedback (VTF) as an intervention to reduce sedentary time. A secondary purpose was to examine changes in mood with the intervention. METHODS: Thirty, college-aged men and women (20.1 ± 1.5) were randomly assigned to a VTF or minimal education control (MEC) condition. Participants in VTF received real-time feedback regarding sedentary behavior every other week during the 6-week intervention in the form of a small vibration from the activPAL3VT (AP). Vibration was set to remind the participant to move after being sedentary for 30 min. Sedentary and active behaviors were assessed pre- and post-intervention and at a 4-week follow-up with the AP and ActiGraph GT3X+ monitors. Mood was assessed at baseline and follow-up with the Profile of Mood States. Repeated measures ANOVAs were used to examine differences in sedentary behavior and mood over the intervention. Effect sizes (Cohen’s d) were also calculated to examine changes in mood between groups. RESULTS: Participants in VTF significantly decreased minutes of sedentary time accumulated in longer bouts (>30 mins) by -68.4 ± 102.1 min/day, (p=0.021). This decrease was maintained at follow-up (−80.9 ± 95.9 min/day, p=0.006). There were no significant changes in sedentary time for MEC. For mood, there were no significant differences over time or between groups. However, VTF showed a small improvement in mood (d=0.17) and MEC showed a small decline in mood (d=-0.28), a moderate between-groups difference over the intervention (d=0.54). CONCLUSIONS: Increasing awareness of sedentary behavior via real-time feedback may be an effective tool for reducing sedentary time accumulated in longer bouts, which has been previously highlighted as potentially more detrimental than sedentary time accumulated in shorter bouts. Further, decreasing sedentary time may have a positive influence on mood over a semester. Future research with larger and more varied samples is warranted to determine the broader applicability of this type of intervention and its influence on mental health.