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. 2019 Feb:77:46-60.
doi: 10.1016/j.cct.2018.12.011. Epub 2018 Dec 18.

Rationale and design of Smart Walk: A randomized controlled pilot trial of a smartphone-delivered physical activity and cardiometabolic risk reduction intervention for African American women

Rodney P Joseph  1 , Barbara E Ainsworth  2 , Sonia Vega-López  3 , Marc A Adams  4 , Kevin Hollingshead  5 , Steven P Hooker  6 , Michael Todd  7 , Glenn A Gaesser  8 , Colleen Keller  9
Affiliations

Rationale and design of Smart Walk: A randomized controlled pilot trial of a smartphone-delivered physical activity and cardiometabolic risk reduction intervention for African American women

Rodney P Joseph et al. Contemp Clin Trials. 2019 Feb.

Abstract

Background: African American (AA) women perform low levels of physical activity (PA) and are disproportionally burdened by cardiometabolic disease conditions when compared to White women and the U.S. population as a whole. These disparities emphasize the need for innovative and effective interventions to increase PA and reduce cardiometabolic disease risk among AA women. Recent evidence suggests that mobile health (mHealth) interventions have the potential to increase PA and reduce cardiometabolic disease risk factors. Few studies have examined the efficacy of mHealth PA interventions among racial/ethnic minorities, including AA women. This represents a missed opportunity given the reported success of technology-delivered PA interventions in predominately White populations and the high use of technology among AA women.

Objective: To describe the design, theoretical rationale, and cultural relevance of Smart Walk, a culturally sensitive smartphone-delivered PA intervention for AA women.

Design and methods: Smart Walk is an 8-month, randomized controlled pilot trial designed to increase PA and reduce cardiometabolic disease risk among AA women. Sixty physically inactive AA women with obesity will be assigned to receive either a culturally relevant intervention designed to increase PA (by targeting leisure-time, household chore/task-related, and occupational PA) or a culturally relevant wellness attention-matched control condition. Outcomes will be assessed at baseline, 4 months, and 8 months, and include feasibility and acceptability of the PA intervention and evaluation of effects on PA and cardiometabolic risk factors.

Summary: Smart Walk represents a culturally relevant, theory-based approach to promote PA and reduce cardiometabolic disease risk in AA women.

Keywords: Cardiometabolic health; Exercise; Interventions; Minority health; eHealth; mHealth.

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Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.. Smart Walk intervention model.
Figure 2.
Figure 2.. Screenshots of the Smart Walk smartphone application.
(a) Home screen. (b) Example personal profile page, (c) Example multi-media module, (d) Example discussion board prompt.
Figure 3.
Figure 3.. Screenshots of the Smart Walk PA tracker/self-monitoring tool.
(a) Upper box: Illustration of how daily minutes of MVPA are displayed in the activity tracker; Lower box: Illustration of donut graph used to show progress towards the weekly goal of 150 minutes of at least moderate-intensity PA. (b) Upper graph: Illustration how daily minutes of MVPA are displayed over a period of 2 weeks; Lower graph: Illustration of weekly PA levels over a 4 week period, pink line represents 150 minutes of MVPA. (c) Illustration of how non-Fitbit measured MVPA is entered into the tracking feature.
Figure 4.
Figure 4.. Screenshots of the Smart Health smartphone application.
(a) Home screen. (b) Example personal profile page, (c) Example multi-media module, (d) Example discussion board prompt.
Figure 5.
Figure 5.
Study schema and participant flow diagrams.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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