Effectiveness of a Web-based, Computer-tailored, Pedometer-based Physical Activity Intervention for Adults: a Cluster-randomized Controlled Trial

The present study used a cluster-randomized controlled trial to evaluate the effects of a computer-tailored, pedometer-based Physical Activity (PA) intervention delivered through the Internet. An invitation e-mail with study information was sent to managers of 18 white-collar workplaces. Eight workplaces consented to participate. All employees of a single workplace were allocated at random to either the intervention or a waiting list control group, in order to avoid contamination between employees receiving the intervention and those who were not receiving the intervention. Subsequently, employees of the participating workplaces were recruited by e-mail. Only Dutch speaking employees between 18 and 65 years old, who had access to the Internet at work or at home, were eligible. Interested employees could sign up by returning a confirmation e-mail to the researchers. On receiving this information, a meeting was organized in each of the eight worksites to deliver all documents for baseline measurement (T0) to the participants, including an informed consent form, a blinded pedometer, an activity log and a self-administered questionnaire. During this meeting, information was provided on how to use the pedometer, how to log PA activities and how to answer the questionnaire. Moreover, the participants were asked to adhere to their usual PA pattern throughout the baseline measurement. After one week, all measurement tools were collected, and average daily step counts were calculated. At this point, participants in the intervention condition received (1) a booklet with information on how to increase steps, (2) a non-blinded pedometer, which they could use for three months, and (3) a username, a password and the amount of average daily steps, calculated by the researchers, so that participants could use this number when requesting the online computer-tailored step advice. Participants in the control condition did not receive any of the above mentioned intervention components. One and three months later, all participants again received a blinded pedometer, which was worn for one week. When wearing the blinded-pedometer one month (T1) and three months (T2) post baseline, intervention participants were allowed to also were the non-blinded pedometer. Furthermore, the same self-reported questionnaire was used to measure PA level at T1 and T2 in order to test the effectiveness of the intervention.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Inactivity
• Intervention / Treatment: Behavioral: Physical Activity advice.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 274
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Belgium
  • Ghent, Belgium, 9000
    • Ghent University - Department of Movement and Sports Sciences

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years to 65 years (Adult, Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Dutch speaking
• Age range: 18 - 65 years old
• Access to the Internet at work or at home

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Health Services Research
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
No Intervention: Control group without advice; Control group receives no intervention or physical activity advice.
Experimental: Computer-tailored physical activity advice; Subjects receive computer-tailored physical activity advice.	Behavioral: Physical Activity advice.; Subjects receive advice regarding physical activities.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Amount of physical activity at baseline.	Using International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) and Omron HJ-203-ED pedometer.	at baseline
Amount of Physical activity 1 month after baseline.	Using International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) and Omron HJ-203-ED pedometer.	1 month after baseline
Amount of physical activity 3 months after baseline.	Using International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) and Omron HJ-203-ED pedometer.	3 months after baseline

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Sedentary behaviour at baseline.	International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ)	at baseline
Sedentary behaviour 1 month after baseline.	International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ)	1 month after baseline
Sedentary behaviour 3 months after baseline.	International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ)	3 months after baseline

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: University Ghent
• Collaborators: Research Foundation Flanders
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Ilse De Bourdeaudhuij, PhD, University Ghent

Publications and helpful links

General Publications

• Compernolle S, Vandelanotte C, Cardon G, De Bourdeaudhuij I, De Cocker K. Effectiveness of a web-based, computer-tailored, pedometer-based physical activity intervention for adults: a cluster randomized controlled trial. J Med Internet Res. 2015 Feb 9;17(2):e38. doi: 10.2196/jmir.3402.

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start: May 1, 2012
• Primary Completion (Actual): February 1, 2013
• Study Completion (Actual): June 1, 2013

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: March 4, 2014
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: March 5, 2014
• First Posted (Estimate): March 6, 2014

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Estimate): March 6, 2014
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: March 5, 2014
• Last Verified: March 1, 2014

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Inactivity
• Other Study ID Numbers: 2005/027