Promoting physical activity in worksite settings: results of a German pilot study of the online intervention Healingo fit

Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

Authors

Background: Worldwide, one third of the adult population is insufficiently physically active. This fact has led to a strong demand for public health initiatives. Given the mixed evidence on the effectiveness of worksite interventions promoting physical activity (PA), a pedometer-based and gamified intervention, Healingo Fit, was developed and evaluated over a period of six weeks. Methods: The effectiveness of Healingo Fit was evaluated as part of a randomized controlled trial (RCT) with two measurement points involving employees of an automobile manufacturer. Direct health promotion outcomes were assessed using self-developed items on PA knowledge, the HAPA brief scales and the exercise self-efficacy scale. IPAQ short version was used to assess different forms of PA behavior. Intervention effects were identified using a two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) with repeated measurements. Results: A total of 144 participants took part in the study (intervention group = 80, control group = 64). The results of the ANOVA show significant interaction effects (group x time) for health promotion outcomes (knowledge, intention, and self-efficacy), with medium to high effect sizes. In the health behavior related outcomes, there were significant improvements, with large effect sizes for low levels of PA, but not for moderate and high PA. Walking time increased by 125 min/week in the intervention group, corresponding to a percentage increase of 30% compared to baseline. Conclusions: Pedometer-based interventions using gamification elements can have positive effects not only on health promotion parameters but can also lead to an increase in PA behavior. The online format of Healingo Fit is suitable for reaching large numbers of people and achieving population effects. Trial registration: German Clinical Trials Register (DRKS): DRKS00006105, date of registration: 2017-03-24.

Original languageEnglish
Article number696
JournalBMC Public Health
Volume17
Issue number1
Number of pages9
ISSN1471-2458
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 08.09.2017

Bibliographical note

This study is funded by the European Funds for Regional Development and by the Federal State of Lower Saxony within the framework of the Innovation Incubator at the Leuphana University Lueneburg.

Documents

DOI

Recently viewed

Publications

  1. Evaluating the (cost-)effectiveness of guided and unguided Internet-based self-help for problematic alcohol use in employees
  2. Extension of SEIR compartmental models for constructive Lyapunov control of COVID-19 and analysis in terms of practical stability
  3. Assembly history modulates vertical root distribution in a grassland experiment
  4. A Person-Centered Approach for Analyzing Multidimensional Integration in Collaboration Between Educational Researchers and Practitioners
  5. Continental mapping of forest ecosystem functions reveals a high but unrealised potential for forest multifunctionality.
  6. Toward a better understanding of the mindsets of negotiators
  7. Thanking and responding to thanks in American English: Language patterning and contextual appropriateness
  8. Practices and Policies from Spaces of Possibilities to Institutional Innovations
  9. Jointly experimenting for transformation?
  10. Tree diversity increases robustness of multi-trophic interactions
  11. Criticality and Values in Digital Transformation Research: Insights from a Workshop
  12. Managing (in) times of uncertainty
  13. How development leads to democracy
  14. Efficacy and Moderators of Internet-Based Interventions in Adults with Subthreshold Depression
  15. Extraction of information from invoices - challenges in the extraction pipeline
  16. Insights into Jatropha Projects Worldwide
  17. The 1986 Principles Relating to Remote Sensing of the Earth from Outer Space (RS Princi­ples)
  18. Fluid-structure interaction modelling of a soft pneumatic actuator
  19. Global patterns of ecologically unequal exchange
  20. Robust and Optimal Control Designed for Autonomous Surface Vessel Prototypes
  21. Case study: The development of a multi-material heat sink by Additive Manufacturing using Aerosint technology
  22. Microstructure and mechanical properties of Mg-3Sn-1Ca reinforced with AlN nano-particles
  23. Evaluating the effectiveness of retention forestry to enhance biodiversity in production forests of Central Europe using an interdisciplinary, multi-scale approach
  24. Health and the intention to retire: exploring the moderating effects of human resources practices
  25. From simulation to real-world robotic mobile fulfillment systems
  26. Germination performance of native and non-native Ulmus pumila populations
  27. Explaining Investment Dynamics: Empirical Evidence from German New Ventures
  28. Fallstudie
  29. Predicting Travel Patterns of Senior Citizens
  30. Active First Movers vs. Late Free-Riders? An Empirical Analysis of UN PRI Signatories' Commitment