Experimental Manipulation of Intervention Timing to Improve Adolescents’ Receptivity to Physical Activity

Objective: Digital interventions may serve as an opportune modality for improving physical activity. However, their lack of empirical decision points is an evidence gap in the optimization of digital physical activity interventions. Given that adolescents are most likely to complete their exercise between the hours of 5pm-8pm, digital prompts could occur before or during this time to maximize engagement with the intervention and exercise. The current study experimentally manipulated the timing of a digital physical activity intervention to understand the effects of intervention timing on exercise attainment.Methods: Ten adolescents completed a seven-day baseline monitoring period and TAGS, a 20-day temporally-augmented digital intervention. These participants were matched to participants who previously completed a 20-day non-temporally tailored digital intervention (NUDGE intervention; n=10). All participants wore an accelerometer to measure their physical activity. Participants completed questionnaires about their satisfaction with the TAGS intervention, perceptions regarding the usability of the TAGS intervention, and acceptability of the TAGS protocol. The investigator assessed the feasibility and acceptability of TAGS. The investigator performed multilevel models to evaluate the effect of the TAGS intervention on physical activity compared to the NUDGE. The investigator also compared pre-intervention to intervention changes in physical activity within the TAGS group.Results: The TAGS intervention was mostly feasible and acceptable. Adolescents showed adequate levels of engagement with the TAGS-specific intervention components. Preliminary efficacy data suggest no greater benefit of TAGS on physical activity compared NUDGE. Further, pre-intervention to intervention changes in Moderate-to-Vigorous Physical Activity (MVPA) for the TAGS group were small (approximately a two-minute change). TAGS demonstrated a small effect (d=0.37) on MVPA compared to matched attention control participants.Conclusions: The main outcome of this study is a feasible and acceptable digital physical activity intervention for adolescents with evidence of small improvement in MVPA from pre-intervention to intervention as well as greater levels of MVPA compared to matched attention control participants. TAGS shows promise for future trials with additional refinements given participants’ engagement with the system and the MVPA improvements relative to its minimalistic structure. Further optimization of TAGS will prepare the intervention for additional, more rigorous testing.

Grantor dc:publisher

University of Kansas

Year dc:date.issued

2022

Author dc:creator

• Ortega, Adrian

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Cushing, Christopher C

• Clinical psychology
• Digital interventions
• Exercise
• Youth

Statement dc:rights

• Copyright held by the author.

Language dc:language.iso

en

Dc Identifier Other

http://dissertations.umi.com/ku:18543

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:kuscholarworks.ku.edu:1808/38928