Feasibility and preliminary effects of a peer-led motivationally-embellished workplace walking intervention: A pilot cluster randomized trial (the START trial).

Walking interventions can be effective in increasing physical activity amongst physically inactive employees. However, despite their promising potential regarding sustainability and scalability, peer-led workplace walking interventions have not been tested. We evaluated a peer-led workplace group walking intervention designed to engage physically inactive employees. A 16-week pilot cluster randomized controlled trial consisted of enhanced (5 worksites; n = 50 participants) and minimal treatment (3 worksites; n = 47) conditions. All participants were provided with a Fitbit Zip and information on health benefits of walking. Enhanced treatment participants had access to a mobile phone app incorporating behavior change techniques, were trained on principles of autonomous motivation, and had a peer leader trained in a motivationally supportive communication style. Feasibility assessments included recruitment and drop-out rates, assessment completion rates, training acceptability (walkers and peer leaders), and intervention acceptability (walkers only). Outcomes assessed included movement-related behaviors (assessed via activPAL devices), cardio-metabolic risk factors, motivation to walk, and well-being, and these measures were taken at baseline and post-intervention. The results supported intervention feasibility. Preliminary efficacy evidence was mixed. Markers of cardio-metabolic risk improved in the enhanced treatment only. Autonomous motivation increased in both conditions. There were no changes in step counts, standing, and sitting time, or well-being. Further fine tuning is needed before a definitive RCT. Australian and New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry: ACTRN12618000807257.

A self-determination approach to the understanding of motivation in physical education.

BACKGROUND: It is widely acknowledged that Physical Education (PE) can play a potentially important role in enhancing public health by creating positive attitudes toward exercise and by promoting health-related fitness programmes. However, these initiatives will have limited success if students are not motivated to participate actively in their PE lessons. AIM: A sequence of motivational processes, proposed by Vallerand (1997), was tested in this study. The sequence has the form 'social factors-->psychological mediators-->types of motivation-->consequences'. SAMPLE: Participants were 424 British students aged 14-16 years from Northwest England. METHOD: Questionnaires were used to measure cooperative learning, self-referenced improvement, and choice of tasks (social factors), perceived competence, autonomy, and relatedness (psychological mediators), intrinsic motivation, identification, introjection, external regulation, and amotivation (types of motivation), and boredom, effort, and future intention to exercise (consequences). RESULTS: A SEM analysis showed that perceived competence was the major psychological mediator. Intrinsic motivation was related to positive consequences, whereas external regulation and amotivation were predictors of negative consequences. A multisample analysis indicated that the model was largely invariant across gender. CONCLUSIONS: The findings underline the importance of perceived competence and intrinsic motivation in compulsory PE.