A Personalized Trial Series Testing Behavior Change Techniques To Increase Physical Activity In Older Adults

Le résumé fourni par la source

Behavior change techniques (BCTs) are recognized as a key component of behavior change interventions. While many interventions use BCTs to promote changes in physical activity, most use a combination of BCTs delivered concurrently. Further, these studies usually look at aggregated and between-subject effects. As such, the effect of a single BCT on an individual’s physical activity is not well understood. PURPOSE: The study employed an N-of-1 design to assess the individual effects of four BCTs (goal setting, action planning, self-monitoring of behavior, and feedback on behavior) on low-intensity physical activity (walking) among employees of a large diverse healthcare system. METHODS: This was a 10-week study comprising a 2-week baseline and 8-week intervention. Participants used wearable activity monitors to track behaviors. Each of the 4 BCTs were delivered daily via text message for a 2-week period. Surveys were also delivered via text. The effect of the intervention was examined using an autoregressive (AR[1]) model. RESULTS: Sixty participants aged 45-75 (91.67% women) were randomized, with 59 completing the study. The mean step count during baseline was 7243 (SD ± 3585.1) and 7326 (± 3772.3) during the intervention. Across all subjects, no BCT was found to significantly increase walking (see Figure 1). However, when assessed individually, certain participants increased walking. This can be seen in the range of estimated effects for each BCT. For goal setting, the estimated effect on steps ranged from -7792 to 5257; action planning from -9227 to 4864; self-monitoring from -5940 to 4416; and feedback on behavior from -8293 to 5795. CONCLUSION: Our findings offer valuable new insights on the individual effects and heterogeneity of these effects of BCTs for physical activity promotion. Further research is warranted on the use of an N-of-1 approach to determine the ideal BCT, or combination of BCTs, needed to promote physical activity for individuals.

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