Journal article
Do Fitness Apps Need Text Reminders? An Experiment Testing Goal-Setting Text Message Reminders to Promote Self-Monitoring
Journal of health communication, Vol.23(4), pp.379-386
2018
Handle:
https://hdl.handle.net/2376/114108
PMID: 29601270
Abstract
Fitness tracking apps have the potential to change unhealthy lifestyles, but users' lack of compliance is an issue. The current intervention examined the effectiveness of using goal-setting theory-based text message reminders to promote tracking activities on fitness apps. We conducted a 2-week experiment with pre- and post-tests with young adults (n = 50). Participants were randomly assigned to two groups-a goal-setting text message reminder group and a generic text message reminder group. Participants were asked to use a fitness tracking app to log physical activity and diet for the duration of the study. Participants who received goal-setting reminders logged significantly more physical activities than those who only received generic reminders. Further, participants who received goal-setting reminders liked the messages and showed significantly increased self-efficacy, awareness of personal goals, motivation, and intention to use the app. The study shows that incorporating goal-setting theory-based text message reminders can be useful to boost user compliance with self-monitoring fitness apps by reinforcing users' personal goals and enhancing cognitive factors associated with health behavior change.
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Details
- Title
- Do Fitness Apps Need Text Reminders? An Experiment Testing Goal-Setting Text Message Reminders to Promote Self-Monitoring
- Creators
- Shuang Liu - a The Edward R Murrow College of Communication , Washington State University , Pullman , USAJessica F Willoughby - a The Edward R Murrow College of Communication , Washington State University , Pullman , USA
- Publication Details
- Journal of health communication, Vol.23(4), pp.379-386
- Academic Unit
- Strategic Communication, Department of
- Publisher
- United States
- Identifiers
- 99900547462601842
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Journal article