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Original article
Using Web 2.0 applications to promote health-related physical activity: findings from the WALK 2.0 randomised controlled trial
  1. Gregory S Kolt1,
  2. Richard R Rosenkranz2,
  3. Corneel Vandelanotte3,
  4. Cristina M Caperchione4,
  5. Anthony J Maeder5,
  6. Rhys Tague6,
  7. Trevor N Savage1,
  8. Itallie Anetta Van3,
  9. W Kerry Mummery7,
  10. Christopher Oldmeadow8,
  11. Mitch J Duncan9
  1. 1 School of Science and Health, Western Sydney University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
  2. 2 Department of Food, Nutrition, Dietetics and Health, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas, USA
  3. 3 School of Human Health and Social Sciences, Central Queensland University, Rockhampton, Queensland, Australia
  4. 4 School of Health and Exercise Science, University of British Columbia, Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada
  5. 5 School of Health Science, Flinders University, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
  6. 6 School of Computing, Engineering and Mathematics, Western Sydney University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
  7. 7 Faculty of Physical Education and Recreation, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
  8. 8 Hunter Medical Research Institute, University of Newcastle, Newcastle, Australia
  9. 9 School of Medicine and Public Health, Priority Research Centre for Physical Activity and Nutrition, Faculty of Health and Medicine, University of Newcastle, Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia
  1. Correspondence to Professor Gregory S Kolt, School of Science and Health, Western Sydney University, Locked Bag 1797, Penrith, Sydney, NSW 2751, Australia; g.kolt{at}westernsydney.edu.au

Abstract

Background/Aim Web 2.0 internet technology has great potential in promoting physical activity. This trial investigated the effectiveness of a Web 2.0-based intervention on physical activity behaviour, and the impact on website usage and engagement.

Methods 504 (328 women, 126 men) insufficiently active adult participants were randomly allocated to one of two web-based interventions or a paper-based Logbook group. The Web 1.0 group participated in the existing 10 000 Steps programme, while the Web 2.0 group participated in a Web 2.0-enabled physical activity intervention including user-to-user interaction through social networking capabilities. ActiGraph GT3X activity monitors were used to assess physical activity at four points across the intervention (0, 3, 12 and 18 months), and usage and engagement were assessed continuously through website usage statistics.

Results Treatment groups differed significantly in trajectories of minutes/day of physical activity (p=0.0198), through a greater change at 3 months for Web 2.0 than Web 1.0 (7.3 min/day, 95% CI 2.4 to 12.3). In the Web 2.0 group, physical activity increased at 3 (mean change 6.8 min/day, 95% CI 3.9 to 9.6) and 12 months (3.8 min/day, 95% CI 0.5 to 7.0), but not 18 months. The Logbook group also increased physical activity at 3 (4.8 min/day, 95% CI 1.8 to 7.7) and 12 months (4.9 min/day, 95% CI 0.7 to 9.1), but not 18 months. The Web 1.0 group increased physical activity at 12 months only (4.9 min/day, 95% CI 0.5 to 9.3). The Web 2.0 group demonstrated higher levels of website engagement (p=0.3964).

Conclusions In comparison to a Web 1.0 intervention, a more interactive Web 2.0 intervention, as well as the paper-based Logbook intervention, improved physical activity in the short term, but that effect reduced over time, despite higher levels of engagement of the Web 2.0 group.

Trial registration number ACTRN12611000157976.

  • Physical activity
  • Randomised controlled trial
  • Accelerometer

This is an Open Access article distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/

https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2016-096890

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    Footnotes

    • Contributors GSK, WKM, AJM, CV, MJD and CMC conceived the project and procured the project funding. GSK led the coordination of the trial. GSK, RRR. AJM, CV, MJD, CMC and WKM assisted with the protocol design. TNS managed the trial including data collection with data management from AVI. AJM and RT developed the IT platform for the trial and MJD performed the sample size calculations. CO conducted the initial analysis for this paper. GSK, MJD, RRR and CO interpreted the data. GSK, MJD and CMC drafted the manuscript, and all authors read, edited and approved the final manuscript.

    • Funding This trial was funded by the National Health and Medical Research Council (Project grant number 589903). The funder did not have any role in the study other than to provide funding. MJD (ID 100029) and CV (ID 100427) are supported by a Future Leader Fellowship from the National Heart Foundation of Australia.

    • Competing interests None declared.

    • Ethics approval Ethical approval for the WALK 2.0 trial was granted by the Human Research Ethics Committees of Western Sydney University (Reference Number H8767) and Central Queensland University (H11/01-005). All participants gave consent to participate.

    • Provenance and peer review Not commissioned; externally peer reviewed.

    • Data sharing statement The data set supporting the conclusions of this article will not be shared at present as it is still being used for analysis of other outcomes for the WALK 2.0 randomised controlled trial.

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