Frontiers in Public Health (Oct 2015)
“Little Nudge”: an evaluation of the feasibility of using activity-reminder computer software in office workers to increase movement at work
Abstract
BACKGROUND The amount of time people spend sedentary is linked to health risks, including mortality. This link remains even in people who exercise (Van der Ploegg et al., 2012). There are unique physiological effects that occur due to being sedentary, which are separate from the physiological responses caused by structured exercise (Hamilton et al., 2007). Breaking up periods of sitting is linked with beneficial physiological responses, including reducing post-prandial glucose and insulin responses (Peddie et al., 2013). Novel solutions for facilitating interruptions to periods of sitting in the workplace are needed. DESCRIPTION Aim: To investigate the feasibility and effectiveness of using online exercise-reminder software for increasing frequency of movement in office workers. Design: A follow-up investigation of the impact of “Little Nudge” computer software. Participants were 118 office workers. Intervention: This consisted of computer software which reminded users to ‘stand up and move’, as well as other healthy activities. Newsletters and posters were also used to promote engagement with the software. Outcomes: These were measured via an online questionnaire at baseline and after using the software for three months or more. The primary outcome was self-reported frequency of movement. Secondary outcomes included self-reported frequency of eye-resting, mind-resting, self-reported back pain, neck pain and headaches. Qualitative feedback was collected about users’ experiences of using the software. Results: The following outcomes measured at baseline and three months from 118 participants’ (87 female, 30 male, 1 unknown) were analysed using marginal homogeneity tests. Primary outcome: Self-reported frequency of movement increased significantly (p = 0.000). Secondary outcomes: Self-reported eye-resting increased (p = 0.000), self-reported mind-resting increased but not significantly (p = 0.107). Self-reported back pain (p=0.013) and headaches reduced significantly (p =0.000). Self-reported neck pain (p = 0.218) reduced but not significantly. CONCLUSION This is an acceptable intervention, which increased self-reported frequency of movement and reduced self-reported painful symptoms. There is no control comparison or objective measures of movement, so future research is recommended to assess the effects on different samples using objective measures of movement.
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