Mobile Health-Health Action Process Approach Based Intervention on Sedentary Behaviour and Stress in Office Workers

Effects of a Mobile Health-Health Action Process Approach Based Intervention on Sedentary Behaviour and Stress Among Desk-Basked Office Working Adults

This study will explore the effectiveness of a Health Action Process Approach (HAPA) mobile health (mHealth) intervention on reducing sedentary behaviour and perceived stress in desk-based office workers. Half of participants will receive a mHealth HAPA intervention consisting of a theory-driven behavioural counselling session and weekly HAPA based worksheets delivered through a mobile application. The other half of participants will act as a control group and will receive no intervention or information past the letter of information. The study will take place over eight weeks, with the first four weeks acting as the intervention period and a follow-up at the end of week eight.

This two-arm, repeated measure randomized control trial will randomize participants into two groups, an intervention group and a no-contact control group in an attempt to reduce sedentary behaviour in desk-based office workers. The study will last for eight weeks, comprising of a four week intervention period and a follow-up at week eight.

Participants will be full time desk-based office workers primarily recruited from large businesses and corporations. The primary objective of the study is to reduce sedentary behaviour, while the secondary objective is to determine if a theory-based behaviour change intervention tailored to workplace sedentary would affect general stress levels of desk-based office workers over the course of the intervention.

The intervention group will receive an initial theory-based behaviour change counselling session through video chat and then continued through a mobile application where weekly worksheets will be delivered to a participant's mobile phone and encourage the participant to create their own personal and specific action plans and coping strategies. The control group will receive no intervention or further instruction past the letter of information.

Sedentary behaviour will be collected in the form of duration of time spent sitting, frequency of sedentary behaviour breaks, and duration of sedentary behaviour breaks. These variables will be measured through a sedentary behaviour and perceived stress questionnaires that will be delivered through a downloadable mobile phone application.

Outcome measures will be compared within and between groups to detect differences. Participants will be recruited through emails to relevant liaisons and senior executives as well as through emails directly to office working employees in the London area.

Inclusion Criteria:

• 18 years of age or older
• full-time employee in a desk-based office job (work from home accepted)
• have access to a smartphone with internet connection
• can read and write in English

Exclusion Criteria:

• any medical or physical limitation that would prevent standing, stretching, and/or light physical activity