Text Message and Competition-Based Interventions Among University Students

Examining the Effects of Text Message and Competition-Based Interventions on Physical Activity, Self-Efficacy, Self-Regulation, Social Support, Incentive Motivation, and Mental Well-being Among University Students

The goal of this quasi-experimental study is to assess and compare the effectiveness of text message interventions and a competition-based intervention and evaluate participants' acceptability and experiences in university students. The main questions it aims to answer are:

1. What are the effects of text message interventions and competition-based interventions on university students' physical activity levels, self-efficacy, self-regulation, social support, incentive motivation, and mental well-being?
2. What are participants' perceptions regarding their experience with and acceptability of text message interventions and competition-based interventions?

Participants will

1. participate in a fitness competition
2. participate in a fitness competition and receive text messages
3. enroll in control group

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Physical Inactivity
• Intervention / Treatment: Behavioral: Deans' Fit Family Challenge; Behavioral: Text message

Detailed Description

Physical activity promotes health and wellness, yet many U.S. university students are physically inactive. Text messaging and competition-based interventions have been shown to increase physical activity. The primary objectives of this study are to 1) assess and compare the effectiveness of a competition-based intervention with and without a Social Cognitive Theory-based text-messaging campaign in improving physical activity among university students, and 2) evaluate participants' acceptability and experiences of the text messaging and the competition-based interventions. In coordination with the Deans' Fit Family Challenge (DFFC; an annual physical activity and weight loss competition between Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine - Auburn Campus (VCOM-Auburn), Auburn University College of Nursing (AUCON), and Auburn University Harrison College of Pharmacy(HCOP), a 3-group quasi-experimental design will be employed to accomplish the study objectives. A total of 300 students will be enrolled. Students across all 3 institutions who sign up for the DFFC and enroll in this study will be randomly assigned to a competition-only group or a competition + text messaging group. The 3rd group will include students across all 3 institutions who enroll in the study but are not participating in the DFFC.

Participants will submit physical activity minutes via the "Challenge Runner" app, after initially connecting the app to their fitness tracker. All participants will be asked to complete the first anonymous survey at the beginning of the study, as well as the second anonymous survey at the conclusion of the study. Variables of interest include weekly activity minutes, self-efficacy, self-regulation, social support, incentive motivation, mental well-being, participants' acceptability and experiences, and maintenance of moderate and vigorous activity 4 weeks after DFFC. Data will be analyzed using descriptive statistics to characterize the sample and inferential statistics to analyze associations.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 58
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United States
  • Alabama
    • Auburn, Alabama, United States, 36830
      • Auburn University
    • Auburn, Alabama, United States, 36832
      • Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine - Auburn Campus

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Adult; Older Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Auburn University Harrison College of Pharmacy (HCOP), Auburn University College of Nursing (AUCON), and Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine - Auburn Campus (VCOM - Auburn) students
• Possess a smartphone and a fitness tracker or smartwatch
• Willingness to receive text messages

Exclusion Criteria:

• Pregnant women
• Disabilities or chronic diseases that prevent them from being physically active

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

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

Number of Arms

3

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: DFFC Group; Students who participated in the 2022 DFFC	Behavioral: Deans' Fit Family Challenge; An annual 8-week physical activity and weight loss competition between VCOM-Auburn, AU College of Nursing, and AU Harrison School of Pharmacy
Experimental: DFFC + Text Group; Students who participated in the 2022 DFFC and received text messages	Behavioral: Deans' Fit Family Challenge; An annual 8-week physical activity and weight loss competition between VCOM-Auburn, AU College of Nursing, and AU Harrison School of Pharmacy; Behavioral: Text message; Three text messages per week to promote and motive physical activity
No Intervention: Control Group; Students who did not participate in the 2022 DFFC

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Minutes of weekly moderate to vigorous physical activity	Self-reported via the ChallengeRunner online platform	week 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Self Efficacy assessed by 9-item Exercise Self Efficacy Scale	The Self Efficacy for Exercise scale consists of nine situations (weather, boredom, pain, exercising alone, not pleasurable, too busy, feel tired, stress, depressed) that might effect participation in exercise.	week 0 and 8
Self Regulation assessed by 10-item Self-Regulation Scale	A self-report questionnaire to assess attention control in goal pursuit.	week 0 and 8
Social Support assessed by 5-item Friend Support for Exercise Habits Scale	Part of the Social Support for Exercise Scale developed by Sallis and colleagues.	week 0 and 8
Incentive Motivation assessed by 23-item Physical Activity Motivation Scale	The 23-item Physical Activity Motivation Scale consists of six groups of factors: intrinsic, integrated, identified, introjected, external, and amotivation.	week 0 and 8
Mental Well-Being assessed by The World Health Organization Five Well-Being Index	A short self-reported measure of current mental wellbeing.	week 0 and 8
Participants' Experience assessed by questionnaires	Two multiple choice questions and two open-ended questions	week 8
Participants' Acceptability assessed by questionnaires	Two 5-point Likert scale questions	week 8

Other Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Race		week 0
Ethnicity		week 0
Gender		week 0
Age		week 0
Health Literacy assessed by Brief Health Literacy Screening Tool	The BRIEF consists of the following questions: (1) How often do you have someone help you read hospital materials?"; (2) How confident are you filling out medical forms by yourself?"; (3) "How often do you have problems learning about your medical condition because of difficulty understanding written information?"; and (4) "How often do you have a problem understanding what is told to you about your medical condition?"	week 0

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Auburn University
• Collaborators: Edward Via Virginia College of Osteopathic Medicine
• Investigators: Study Director: Brent I Fox, Auburn University

Publications and helpful links

General Publications

• Rovniak LS, Anderson ES, Winett RA, Stephens RS. Social cognitive determinants of physical activity in young adults: a prospective structural equation analysis. Ann Behav Med. 2002 Spring;24(2):149-56. doi: 10.1207/S15324796ABM2402_12.
• Farren GL, Zhang T, Martin SB, Thomas KT. Factors related to meeting physical activity guidelines in active college students: A social cognitive perspective. J Am Coll Health. 2017 Jan;65(1):10-21. doi: 10.1080/07448481.2016.1229320. Epub 2016 Sep 3.
• Feng D, Zhang Y. College Students' Knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding body posture: A cross-sectional survey--Taking a university in Wuhu City as an example. Prev Med Rep. 2023 Sep 16;36:102422. doi: 10.1016/j.pmedr.2023.102422. eCollection 2023 Dec.
• Jeftic I, Furzer B, Dimmock JA, Wright K, Budden T, Boyd C, Simpson A, Rosenberg M, Sabiston CM, deJonge M, Jackson B. The Stride program: Feasibility and pre-to-post program change of an exercise service for university students experiencing mental distress. Psychol Sport Exerc. 2023 Nov;69:102507. doi: 10.1016/j.psychsport.2023.102507. Epub 2023 Aug 16.

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): September 19, 2022
• Primary Completion (Actual): November 11, 2022
• Study Completion (Actual): December 11, 2022

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: October 21, 2023
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: January 29, 2024
• First Posted (Actual): February 7, 2024

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): February 8, 2024
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: February 7, 2024
• Last Verified: February 1, 2024

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Text message; University students; Fitness Competition; Social Cognitive theory
• Other Study ID Numbers: 22-380 EX 2209

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No