| dc.description.abstract | The purpose of this study is to compare the impact of portable body sensing
technology (SW3 Armband) and a physical activity log. Participants’ physical activity
adherence levels were recorded over a six month period. The primary research
involved a six month physical activity programme, entitled, ‘Get Started and Stick
with it’, the programme commenced in October 2010 and finished in April 2011.
Females (n=30) were recruited via a local newspaper and a radio advertisement.
Participants were randomised to an Intervention Group (a), (n=15) or an Intervention
Group (b), (n=15). The Intervention Group (a) (IGa) had the use of the SW3 Armband
and a logbook, while the Intervention Group (b) (IGb) had the use of a logbook only
for the duration of the study. To be eligible to participate in the study the following
criteria applied: (1) age range: 30-50 years, (2) gender: female, (3) location: live in the
Letterkenny or surrounding area, (4) physical activity levels: did not meet the World
Health Organisations (WHO, 2011) minimum recommendations for physical activity,
(5) have access to windows XP. Baseline characteristics for participants in the IGa
showed that 53% were sedentary and 47% were irregularly active, while 33% of
participants in the IGb were sedentary and 67% were irregularly active. Participants
were assessed at Time 1 (T1), Time 2 (T2) and Time 3 (T3) regarding the amount of
physical activity minutes accumulated and were also required to complete a stage of
change (SOC) questionnaire, self-efficacy (SE) questionnaire, social support (SS)
questionnaire and an enjoyment scale at each of the three time periods. The results of
this study specify that the IGb performed a greater amount of moderate and vigorous
intensity minutes of weekly physical activity compared to the IGa. At the end of T3,
the IGb (Mean = 227.75) accumulated nearly three times more moderate and vigorous
minutes of weekly physical activity than that of the IGa (Mean = 90.50). Therefore, a
logbook has proved to be an effective method in promoting physical activity adherence
in comparison to the SW3 Armband. | en |
