Field Test of an m-Health Worksite Health Promotion Program to Increase Physical Activity in Taiwanese Employees: A Cluster-Randomized Controlled Trial.

BACKGROUND: Occupational health nurses in workplaces aim to offer evidence-based interventions to increase physical activity among employees to promote health. Mobile health (m-health) interventions have demonstrated effectiveness in increasing physical activity, and the application of m-health solutions in workplaces warrants investigation. We examined the effectiveness of a cell phone/smart device and web-based (m-health) intervention in motivating the employees at financial enterprise firms to increase physical activity. METHODS: This study included employees from 16 banks (n = 194) who were randomly assigned to either (a) an experimental group (6 banks, n = 89), which received an intervention that integrated the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB)-based tailored Short Message Service (SMS) with web-based knowledge or (b) a comparison group (10 banks, n = 105), which received web-based messages alone. Outcomes included psychosocial variables (attitude toward physical activity, normative beliefs, and control beliefs) and the level of physical activity. Data were collected at baseline, immediately after the intervention, and 3 months after the intervention. FINDINGS: The level of physical activity significantly increased in the experimental group (p < .05). TPB variables such as perceived social norms (p < .01) and behavioral control (p < .05) also significantly improved in the experimental group. However, all the effects had a small size (=.05) and diminished in 12 weeks. CONCLUSIONS: In addition to internet-based information, the use of mobile phones/smart devices to encourage employees to exercise for 8 weeks effectively increased employees' physical activity level. More research, specifically addressing workplace culture, is warranted to establish methods for sustaining healthy behaviors to increase physical activity.

Neighborhood environment and physical activity among urban and rural schoolchildren in Taiwan.

The purpose of this study is to investigate the influence of perceived neighborhood environment on physical activity among schoolchildren in urban and rural areas in Taiwan. Five hundred and twenty three children of grades five and six selected from ten primary schools in urban and rural areas participated in the study. A modified International Physical Activity questionnaire short form was used to estimate the children's physical activity level. A Chinese translation of the Neighborhood Environment Walkability Scale assessed environmental attributes. Data analysis included descriptive statistics and analysis of variance and multiple regression models. No significant difference in walkability was found between the urban and rural areas. There was a difference in accessibility to places for physical activity between urban and rural areas, with urban children reporting greater accessibility. The urban children reported more physical activity after school, on holidays and weekends, and also in total amount of physical activity compared with the rural children. In conclusion, accessibility to facilities had a significant impact on the children's physical activity.