The Effect of Consumer-based Activity Tracker Intervention on Physical Activity among Recent Retirees-An RCT Study

Tuija Leskinen, Kristin Suorsa, Miika Tuominen, Anna Pulakka, Jaana Pentti, Eliisa Löyttyniemi, Ilkka Heinonen, Jussi Vahtera, Sari Stenholm, Tuija Leskinen, Kristin Suorsa, Miika Tuominen, Anna Pulakka, Jaana Pentti, Eliisa Löyttyniemi, Ilkka Heinonen, Jussi Vahtera, Sari Stenholm

Abstract

Purpose: 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.

Methods: 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.

Results: 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.

Conclusion: 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.

Copyright © 2021 The Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. on behalf of the American College of Sports Medicine.

Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
Flow diagram of the REACT trial.
FIGURE 2
FIGURE 2
The change in total physical activity, LPA, and MVPA during the follow-up for the intervention (solid line) and control (dotted line) groups. Results are expressed as mean values and 95% CI based on mixed models.
FIGURE 3
FIGURE 3
Daily profiles of the mean values of hourly total physical activity at each follow-up time point for the intervention (solid line) and control (dotted line) groups. Average values are based on mixed models.
FIGURE 4
FIGURE 4
The change in total physical activity (A), LPA (B), and MVPA (C) for the members in the intervention (solid line) and control (dotted line) groups by the baseline activity tertiles. Results are expressed as mean values and 95% CI based on mixed models.

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