How often do
you say “just text me”? In our plugged-in world, communicating through text
message is the new normal. Many stores have even jumped on the texting
bandwagon and use text messages to alert customers about upcoming sales.
The opportunities to communicate through text message are seemingly endless. A
new study of a texting intervention sought to determine whether texting could
help people increase their activity and lead healthier lives.
The study,
published in the Journal of the American
Heart Association, included 48 men and women ages 18-69 years old. All of
the participants had risk factors for heart disease. The participants’ baseline
activity was established during week one with activity trackers. The study was
then conducted in two phases.
In the first
phase, the participants were randomly assigned to either unblinded or blinded activity
tracking. Unblinded tracking allowed participants to see their activity data
through a smartphone interface, while the blinded trackers were unable to see
their activity data. In phase two, the unblinded participants were randomly
assigned into one of two groups, smart texts versus no smart texts (the
control). The smart texts group received coaching text messages three times per
day, while the control group did not receive coaching text messages. The “smart
texts” incorporated the patients name and personal details to provide
encouragement based on their current level of activity. All participants had a
goal of 10,000 steps per day.
The phase
one data revealed no significant difference in steps between the unblinded
trackers and blinded trackers. The phase two data, however, demonstrated a
significant difference between participants receiving smart texts compared to
those who did not. Overall, those who received text messages walked an average
of 2,534 more steps per day than those who did not receive a text message. Additionally,
81 percent of those receiving text messages reached their 10,000-steps-a-day
goal, compared with only 44 percent of those not receiving text messages.
Bottom Line:
While the market for activity trackers has grown, people may need more than an
activity tracker to stay motivated to move more. Evidence has shown that text
messages can help patients remember to take medications, stop smoking and
request help at the first sign of medical problems. Text messaging may also
prove to be a useful tool to inspire and motivate people to lead healthier
lives through increased physical activity.
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