Accepted for/Published in: JMIR Research Protocols
Date Submitted: Jun 1, 2020
Date Accepted: Aug 21, 2020
Twitter-based Social Support added to Fitbit Self-monitoring for Decreasing Sedentary Behavior: Protocol for A Randomized Controlled Pilot Trial with Women Patients from a Women’s Heart Clinic
ABSTRACT
Background:
Prolonged sitting is an independent risk behavior for chronic disease. With most interventions focusing on physical activity and exercise, there is a separate need for investigation into innovative and accessible interventions to decrease sedentary behavior throughout the day. Twitter is a social-media based platform with application for health communications and fostering of social support for health behavior change.
Objective:
This pilot study aims to test the feasibility and acceptability of delivering daily, research-based behavior change strategies within private Twitter groups to foster peer-to-peer support and decrease sedentary behavior throughout the day in women with heart conditions. The Twitter group is combined with a Fitbit for self-monitoring activity and compared to a Fitbit-only-control group.
Methods:
In a 2-group design, participants are randomized to a Twitter plus Fitbit treatment group or a Fitbit-only control group. Participants are recruited via the Stanford Research Repository System, screened for eligibility, and then invited to a study information session. After consenting, participants are randomized. All participants receive 13 weeks of weekly step goals and a Fitbit. The treatment group participants, placed in a private Twitter support group, receive daily automated behavior change “tweets”, and regular automated encouragement via text to communicate with the group (i.e., praise text for those who tweet the group, and encouragement to tweet text for those who do not tweet). Fitbit data are collected daily throughout the treatment and follow-up period. Surveys and accelerometer data are collected at baseline, treatment end (13 weeks), and 8.5 weeks post-treatment.
Results:
Of 858 people screened, 113 met eligibility, 68 came to an information session, and 45 consented to participate in this pilot study. One participant dropped out of the intervention; full follow-up data were obtained on 86.7% of the sample.
Conclusions:
This pilot study is assessing feasibility and acceptability of delivering theory-based behavior change strategies in a Twitter social support group to decrease sedentary behavior. Findings will inform a larger evaluation. With an accessible, tailorable, and flexible platform, Twitter-delivered interventions offer potential for many treatment variations and titrations testing the effects of different behavior change strategies, peer-group makeup, and health behaviors of interest. Clinical Trial: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02958189; https://register.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02958189
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