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B-MOBILE - Reducing Sedentary Time in Overweight/Obese Individuals

Sean Chiu // 251083533

What was the rationale for doing the study? (3 marks)

Excessive sedentary time (SED) is directly linked to those individuals who are
overweight and obese. Sedentary behaviors include those of which require low
energy while lying or sitting down. There are minimal studies that look into limiting
SED, none of which have used the smartphone. The rationale of this study is to
experiment and observe if the use of smartphones will lower SED among individuals
who are overweight and/or obese.

Briefly explain the design of the study (3 marks)

This study included 30 participants (male and female) who were between the ages of 21 to 70
and had a BMI ≥ 25, indicating overweight/ obese. Participants reached the research center 5
times over a 4 week period. The first visit was to undergo measurements as well as a
questionnaire. The second included a 10-minute educational lesson on the benefits of
reducing SED. Participants then received an Android smartphone with the B-MOBILE
application. They were briefly presented with a tutorial on the features of the phone
and app. An armband tracking sedentary time was also given and worn throughout
the experiment. There were 3 different conditions within the program that lasted 7
days each, consecutive. After each condition was completed, participants would
return to the center to recharge their armband as well as randomly receive their next
condition. In the final visit, each participant completed an overall survey. There was
an incentive for each visit to the center which was a $20 honorarium, adding up to
$100 at the end of the experiment.

Briefly describe the intervention used (3 marks)

B-MOBILE was the intervention used in this experiment. This application in each of
the smartphones was designed like an accelerometer. There were 3 different
conditions of which the program tested (3 min. walking break after 30 min. SED, 6
min. walking break after 60 min. SED, and 12 min. walking break after 120 min.
SED, all SED times were continuous). The smartphone would time how long the
individual would be in SED for and give a notification for the required increment of
exercise after sedentary time has expired. In the notification, participants would have
the option to perform, silence or delay [another 30 minutes] the walking break. After
a goal was completed, then a “Go light” would be rewarded on the display. The
armband each participant wore was used to measure time in SED and their physical
activity intensity.

What outcomes were measured? (2 marks)

The primary outcomes measured were the percentages of time the participants had
spent in SED as well as the changes from baseline time in sedentary for each of the
3 physical activity breaks. The secondary outcome that was measured was the
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change in light to moderate to vigorous intensity in each physical activity break

throughout the experiment.

What did the authors find? (3 marks)

The authors found that the time spent in sedentary behavior had decreased in all
three activity breaks compared to baseline times. This means that each participant
had shown more time active and less time in sedentary throughout the experiment.
In regards to the intensity of activity, increases were shown in each of the 3 physical
activity breaks. Also, comparisons showed that the 3-minute break produced greater
increases in the time spent doing light physical activity compared to the 12-minute
activity break. This shows that a shorter duration of activity was more preferred
among the participants.

How confident are you in the findings being reported? Please explain your
answer (3 marks)
I am confident in the findings being produced. This experiment had a lot of control in
the intervention and there was minimal room for error. Having 2 devices in the
intervention provided more accurate results among participants as it gave 2 sources
of information. The 2 devices were the armband and the smartphone. The
smartphone tracked the exercise needed and time while the armband also tracked
time as well as intensity. This provides accurate results from 2 sources. Another
strength included the background of the participants. In the experiment, there was a
variety of different lifestyles being observed. 18 were employed and for the 12 that
were not, 4 were retired, 3 were looking for employment and 1 of them was a
student. Having this variety reaches out to all different types of people out in the
public, therefore making me more confident in the accuracy of the study. An
improvement for another study would be to include data post-experiment.

What are the implications of the study findings? (3 marks)

The implications of the study findings are that having an intervention revolving
around a smartphone provides notable reductions in sedentary time among those
who are obese/overweight. Having short and frequent activity breaks is very effective
in lowering SED as well as increasing physical activity, overall promoting a healthier
lifestyle for those overweight/obese. These breaks are shown to be more effective
than occasional and longer breaks.

Work Cited
Bond DS, Thomas JG, Raynor HA, Moon J, Sieling J, et al. (2014) B-MOBILE - A
Smartphone-Based Intervention to Reduce Sedentary Time in Overweight/
Obese Individuals: A Within-Subjects Experimental Trial. PLoS ONE 9(6):
e100821. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0100821
JITAI - Reducing Sedentary Behaviour in Obese Adults
Sean Chiu // 251083533
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What was the rationale for doing the study? (3 marks)

Briefly explain the design of the study (3 marks)

Briefly describe the intervention used (3 marks)

What outcomes were measured? (2 marks)

What did the authors find? (3 marks)

How confident are you in the findings being reported? Please explain your
answer (3 marks)

What are the implications of the study findings? (3 marks)