The Causal Impact of Online Social Media on Physical Activity: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Not Applicable

Completed

• Conditions: Physical Activity
• Interventions: Behavioral: Social network-assisted fitness program; Behavioral: Media-assisted fitness program; Behavioral: Basic fitness program

• Registration Number: NCT02267369
• Lead Sponsor: University of Pennsylvania

Brief Summary

The overall objective of this research is to collect data for understanding whether messages in online environments impact fitness attitudes and behaviors. In particular, the study aims to experimentally examine what features of online social media - promotional messaging or peer networks - impact offline fitness measures (such fitness workshop enrollment and self-reported physical activity level). The study partners with an existing fitness program at a large northeastern university, which provides a 13-week fitness program for graduate and professional students at the university. The program begins with a university-run eligibility assessment of specific fitness measures for all participants, who win prizes for improvements in program participation and health behavior outcomes. The fitness program consists of semester-long series of workshops offered through the university's recreation department. The randomized trial constructs an online social media platform for the fitness program that provides a way to send either promotion health messages or messages about peer activities to the online community.

Detailed Description

Sedentary lifestyle among university students and young adults has become a global epidemic. Widespread use of social media is both a contributing factor, and a potential solution; however the cost-effective use of social media to promote fitness on college campuses is poorly understood. This study aims to identify what features of social media - promotional messaging or peer networks - can increase physical activity levels.

In this randomized controlled trial, participants are randomized to three conditions: basic online program for enrolling in university-run weekly fitness workshops, media condition that supplements the basic program with promotional media messages, and a social condition that replaces the media content with a network of peers. Participants are limited to graduate and professional students at a large northeastern university.

Study Timeline

• Study Start: 2014-01
• Primary Completion: 2014-05
• Study Completion: 2014-05
• Status Verified: 2014-10
• Study First Submitted: 2014-10-07
• Study First Submitted QC: 2014-10-13
• Last Update Submitted: 2014-10-13
• Study First Posted: 2014-10-17
• Last Update Posted: 2014-10-17

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: COMPLETED
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 217

Inclusion Criteria

• Graduate and professional students at a large northeastern university.
• Logging in to the study website at least once after online registration

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Exclusion Criteria

• Inability to perform physical activities (e.g., broken limbs), and underlying diseases that were likely to affect participant safety. Ineligibility is determined by the Department of Recreation and Health Services at the university.

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Study & Design

• Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Design: PARALLEL

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
Social network-assisted fitness program	Social network-assisted fitness program	The social condition, by contrast, omits the media content. Instead, the basic program is supplemented with a network of four to six anonymous "health peers," composed of other participants of the program. Within the program website, each participant is able to see their peers' basic profile information, as well as information about their peers' progress in the program, and real-time notifications about their peers' completion of program activities. These networks do not provide any added incentives or additional content to promote physical activity, nor can participants directly communicate with, or "message" their peers through the website.
Media-assisted fitness program	Media-assisted fitness program	The media condition evaluates the effects of informational and motivational messages on physical activity by supplementing the basic program tools with promotional media, including: "high arousal" videos encouraging physical activity, real-time email notifications about upcoming fitness workshops, and informational graphics with exercise tips and motivational messages. In the media condition, participants receive two videos on the website and one informational graphic that encourage physical activity on a weekly basis.
Basic fitness program	Basic fitness program	The control condition provides study participants with online tools for enrolling in offline fitness workshops offered by the university's recreation department and recording their progress in the program. All fitness workshops are pre-programmed in an online calendar. Upon clicking a workshop, participants can read a detailed description and register for it directly on the calendar. The registration then triggers a confirmation email sent to the participant immediately and a reminder email 12 hours before the workshop starts. In addition, an online tracking tool is built that participants can use to keep a daily journal of their health activities and fitness status.

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Fitness workshop enrollment	Up to 3 months	Participants' enrollment in fitness workshops is recorded when participants digitally confirm their workshop registration. Workshop instructors confirm the attendance of enrolled participants. Enrollment is assessed up to 3 months from date of randomization.

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Change from baseline in participants' self-reported physical activity level	Baseline and 3 months	At the baseline and post-program (3 months) online surveys, participants answer the question: "On how many of the past 7 days did you participate in physical activity for at least 30 minutes that did not make you sweat or breathe hard, such as fast walking, slow bicycling, and skating?" Responses to the question range from 0 to 7.