Pilot Testing of a Nudge-Based Digital Intervention (Welbot) to Improve Sedentary Behaviour and Wellbeing in the Workplace

The effectiveness of an intervention using LAWE (loveliness and well-being of employees) app to improve the employee's mental well-being

Background

Organizations are increasingly seeking comprehensive approaches to improve employee mental well-being (EMW). This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of interventions delivered through the "Loveliness and Well-being of Employees" (LAWE) app, focusing on five key predictors: "Keep Learning," "Connect," "Take Notice," "Be Active," and "Given".

Methods

A quasi-experimental intervention was conducted with 110 participants (53 in the intervention group and 57 in the non-intervention group) from the Kerman University of Medical Sciences in Southeastern Iran. Participants were recruited from a census of all employees at four schools. The intervention involved an Android-based app designed to enhance EMW through pre-designed tasks. Six standard tools were used to assess EMW and its predictors. Data analysis was performed using IBM SPSS Statistics 28, employing Independent Samples T-Test, paired-samples t-test, one-way ANOVA, Spearman correlation coefficient and analysis of covariance (ANCOVA).

Results

The intervention group showed a significant increase in mean EMW score, from 52.26±8.61 to 60.01±6.95 (P<0.01). Based on ANCOVA analysis, the post-intervention mean score was significantly higher in the intervention group compared to the non-intervention group by 0.219 points (P<0.01). The mean score of all predictors, except "Take Notice" (P=0.17), also significantly improved in the intervention group. Additionally, post-intervention comparison between the two groups revealed significant differences in mean EMW score (P<0.01), as well as in the mean scores for "Keep Learning" (P<0.05), "Given" (P<0.01), and "Connect" (P<0.01).

Conclusion

The LAWE app provides a desirable and comprehensive platform for improving the EMW in organizations. It significantly improves most of the key predictors of EMW, making it a valuable resource for organizations aiming to promote employee well-being.

Promoting Stair Use is Possible by Displaying Signs, Even for Stairs of 80 or 105 Steps

Installing signs is known to be effective in encouraging people to use stairs instead of escalators. However, it has been reported that the effectiveness of such signs is diminished as the number of stairs increases, and no effect was reported at 44 steps. Thus, this study examined whether stair use could be promoted even with 80 or 105 steps by presenting specific numerical values for the health benefits of using stairs. At two universities with parallel escalators and stairs (105 and 80 steps, respectively), we installed signs stating, "Going up one flight of stairs increases your life span by 4 seconds." A one-week baseline period was followed by a one-week intervention using signs displayed to passersby. Follow-up data were also collected for one week immediately after removing the signs. Measurements were collected Monday through Friday from 7:30 to 9:15 a.m. The number of passersby was recorded by categorizing them into four attributes: male and female students, and male and female faculty/staff. A total of 25,065 observations (963 stair users vs. 24,102 escalator users) at University A and 25,677 observations (1020 stair users vs. 24,657 escalator users) at University B were recorded. Sign installation promoted stair use at University A (odds ratio [OR], 1.513; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.307-1.752) and University B (OR, 1.221; 95% CI, 1.046-1.425). However, there was no effect of the sign installation on the population with attributes that had a high percentage of stair use prior to this study, implying that there is a ceiling effect on the effectiveness of such signs. The implication of the findings is that it is effective to provide detailed information to passersby on the health benefits of stair use for stairs with 80 or 105 steps.

Nudging digital physical activity breaks for home studying of university students-A randomized controlled trial during the COVID-19 pandemic with daily activity measures

University students are of particular public health interest because they are at high risk for physical inactivity and sedentary behaviors. In conjunction with the COVID-19 pandemic, sedentariness and physical inactivity were reinforced, as the pandemic led to an increase in home studying. Physical activity (PA) breaks have been identified as promoting factors for university students' physical and mental health. Therefore, the present study explored an approach to nudge students to take PA breaks at home while studying. The purpose was to test the effectiveness of digital nudging for PA breaks for 10 days using a randomized intervention design during the COVID-19 pandemic. It included an intervention group who received daily digital motivational prompts for PA break videos and a minimal intervention control group who got low-level access to PA break videos via a one-time link sent to the media library. Using a sample of university students in the southwest of Germany (n = 57), two-level binary logistic regression models were calculated to predict daily participation in PA breaks during the intervention period depending on the nudging intervention, as well as previous participation in PA breaks, the general PA level of the subjects before the intervention, the time spent on PA and on home studying in a day, the kind of day during the intervention (weekday vs. weekend), and the students' age. Results revealed that the digital nudging intervention did not show any significant effect on the likelihood to participate in PA breaks on a given day (0.69 ≤ β ≤ 0.75, p > 0.3). Instead, an individual-level effect revealed that the longer a student studied at home over the course of a day, the more likely he or she was to take a PA break (1.07 ≤ β ≤ 1.11, p < 0.001). Current findings show that individual characteristics such as daily time spent on home studying, which can change over the course of the intervention phase, are relevant considerations within nudging intervention in university setting. This provides initial insights especially for digital PA breaks for students during home studying.

Development of a responsive website to promote behavior changes in computer users

ABSTRACT The increase in the use of technology for prolonged periods, both inside and outside of work, is associated with a sedentary lifestyle, a risk factor for several health problems. Change in this behavior can be promoted with the use of technologies. We aim to develop an interactive responsive website to promote behavioral changes in computer users. From a literature review, modifiable risk factors associated with health problems in computer users were identified. Messages were created to increase knowledge and promote behavioral changes in users. These messages include recommendations regarding breaks, adjustments in the workplace, physical exercise, hydration, among others. The messages are personalized, and the user includes personal information and current lifestyle habits. All this information was implemented in an interactive responsive website developed in JavaScript language and Node.js engine. The responsive website was developed, including the proposed features, and is available online. Future studies can evaluate the effectiveness of the responsive website in promoting behavioral changes among computer users, improving their health and quality of life.

Desenvolvimento de um site responsivo para promover mudanças comportamentais em usuários de computador

RESUMO O crescimento do uso da tecnologia fez com que os trabalhadores passassem a usar o computador por longos períodos, dentro e fora do trabalho. O uso prolongado de computadores está associado a um estilo de vida sedentário, sendo um fator de risco para diversos problemas de saúde. Porém, a transformação deste comportamento pode ser promovida por meio de tecnologias, como um site responsivo interativo que visa promover mudanças comportamentais em usuários de computador. A partir de um levantamento bibliográfico, foram identificados fatores de risco modificáveis associados aos problemas de saúde nessa população. Em seguida, foram criadas mensagens para ampliar o conhecimento e promover mudanças comportamentais nos usuários. Essas mensagens incluem recomendações a respeito de pausas, ajustes no posto de trabalho, exercícios físicos, hidratação, dentre outras. As mensagens podem ser personalizadas, bastando que, para isso, o usuário inclua informações pessoais e hábitos de vida atuais. Todas as informações foram implementadas em um site responsivo interativo desenvolvido em linguagem JavaScript e motor Node.js. O site responsivo foi desenvolvido, incluindo as funcionalidades propostas, e está disponível online. Em estudos futuros, poderá ser testada a efetividade do site para promover mudanças comportamentais nos usuários de computador, melhorando sua saúde e qualidade de vida.

Personalization of Intervention Timing for Physical Activity: Scoping Review

BACKGROUND

The use of sensors in smartphones, smartwatches, and wearable devices has facilitated the personalization of interventions to increase users' physical activity (PA). Recent research has focused on evaluating the effects of personalized interventions in improving PA among users. However, it is critical to deliver the intervention at an appropriate time to each user to increase the likelihood of adoption of the intervention. Earlier review studies have not focused on the personalization of intervention timing for increasing PA.

OBJECTIVE

This review aims to examine studies of information technology-based PA interventions with personalized intervention timing (PIT); identify inputs (eg, user location) used by the system for generating the PIT, the techniques and methods used for generating the PIT, the content of the PA intervention, and delivery mode of the intervention; and identify gaps in existing literature and suggest future research directions.

METHODS

A scoping review was undertaken using PsycINFO, PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science databases based on a structured search query. The main inclusion criteria were as follows: the study aimed to promote PA, included some form of PIT, and used some form of information technology for delivery of the intervention to the user. If deemed relevant, articles were included in this review after removing duplicates and examining the title, abstract, and full text of the shortlisted articles.

RESULTS

The literature search resulted in 18 eligible studies. In this review, 72% (13/18) of the studies focused on increasing PA as the primary objective, whereas it was the secondary focus in the remaining studies. The inputs used to generate the PIT were categorized as user preference, activity level, schedule, location, and predicted patterns. On the basis of the intervention technique, studies were classified as manual, semiautomated, or automated. Of these, the automated interventions were either knowledge based (based on rules or guidelines) or data driven. Of the 18 studies, only 6 (33%) evaluated the effectiveness of the intervention and reported positive outcomes.

CONCLUSIONS

This work reviewed studies on PIT for PA interventions and identified several aspects of the interventions, that is, inputs, techniques, contents, and delivery mode. The reviewed studies evaluated PIT in conjunction with other personalization approaches such as activity recommendation, with no study evaluating the effectiveness of PIT alone. On the basis of the findings, several important directions for future research are also highlighted in this review.