Pilot Trial of an Acceptance-Based Behavioral Intervention to Promote Physical Activity Among Adolescents.
Jocelyn E Remmert, Amanda Woodworth, Larissa Chau and 3 others
PMID 30004269WHAT IT FOUND
In 12-year-olds with low activity, a school-based counseling, exercise, and Fitbit program was feasible and acceptable.
Fitbit data showed more steps and moderate activity over 12 weeks, but accelerometers found increases in both groups.
Key findings
01The pilot retained 85% of participants, and 100% of acceptance-group students completed all counseling sessions.
02Students who received counseling, cycle exercise, and Fitbit self-monitoring increased Fitbit steps by about 1,200 steps per day and moderate activity by 12 minutes per day over 12 weeks.
03Accelerometer data did not match the Fitbit trend: both groups increased moderate activity, by 7.25 minutes per day in the intervention group and 11.99 minutes per day in the self-monitoring group.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
This was a pilot with 20 participants, so it cannot show that the intervention caused the activity changes. Students were assigned by class schedule, not randomised, and baseline moderate-to-vigorous activity differed by about 7 minutes per day. The group receiving counseling also received cycle exercise and Fitbit self-monitoring, so the contribution of any single component cannot be separated. No formal statistical tests were done for physiological outcomes because the sample was small. Fitbit Flex 2 was not fully validated in adolescents and may overestimate activity; battery problems caused missing data. All participants were 12-year-old students with low activity, so results may not apply to older or more active adolescents. Interventionists were not school nurses, and counseling fidelity, supervision, and acceptance-skill use were not measured. Accelerometer results increased in both groups, conflicting with the Fitbit trend.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that acceptance-based counseling alone caused the activity gains. The participants received counseling, cycle exercise, and Fitbit self-monitoring together, the study had 20 participants, allocation was not random, and the counseling component was not measured separately.