Reducing Sedentary Behaviour in University Students Using Text Messages

Not Applicable

Completed

• Conditions: Sedentary Lifestyle
• Interventions: Behavioral: text messages related to sedentary behaviour

• Registration Number: NCT02562937
• Lead Sponsor: Western University, Canada

Brief Summary

The primary purpose of the current study was to determine whether a text message intervention would increase break frequency and length of break from sitting, time spent standing, and time spent in light and moderate intensity physical activity in university students

Detailed Description

Sedentary behaviour (SB) has been linked to many health problems (e.g., type 2 diabetes, heart disease). Interventions aimed at office workers, overweight and obese individuals have proven successful in reducing SB; however, no studies have examined university students.Text message-based interventions have succeeded to aid in smoking cessation and increase both physical activity and healthy eating, but have not been shown to reduce SB. Eighty-two university students were randomized into intervention (SB related text messages) or control (text messages unrelated to SB) groups. Participants received daily text messages and reported various SBs (i.e., breaks from sitting, standing, light and moderate intensity physical activity) at four time points (baseline, 2, 4 and 6 weeks).

Study Timeline

• Study Start: 2015-01
• Primary Completion: 2015-03
• Study Completion: 2015-03
• Status Verified: 2015-09
• Study First Submitted: 2015-09-25
• Study First Submitted QC: 2015-09-28
• Last Update Submitted: 2015-09-28
• Study First Posted: 2015-09-29
• Last Update Posted: 2015-09-29

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: COMPLETED
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 82

Inclusion Criteria

• be able to read and write English
• own a cell phone with unlimited incoming text messages
• be a student at Western University

Exclusion Criteria

• be under 18 or over 64

Study & Design

• Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Design: PARALLEL

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
Intervention	text messages related to sedentary behaviour	text messages related to sedentary behaviour

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Change in minutes spent standing	baseline, 2, 4, and 6 weeks
Change in frequency of break from sitting in minutes	baseline, 2, 4, and 6 weeks
Change in minutes spent in moderate intensity physical activity	baseline, 2, 4, and 6 weeks
Change in length of break from sitting in minutes	baseline, 2, 4, and 6 weeks
Change in minutes spent in light intensity physical activity	baseline, 2, 4, and 6 weeks

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Change in self-efficacy for sedentary behaviour measured by percentage of confidence	baseline, 2, 4, and 6 weeks	purpose-built self-efficacy questionnaire used to rate how confident one feels in reducing sedentary behaviour