IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jijerp/v19y2022i15p9474-d878429.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Feasibility of a Social Network-Based Physical Activity Intervention Targeting Vocational School Students: A Pilot Study

Author

Listed:
  • Liane Günther

    (Institute of Medical Sociology, Centre for Health and Society, Medical Faculty, Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf, Moorenstraße 5, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany)

  • Sarah Schleberger

    (Institute of Medical Sociology, Centre for Health and Society, Medical Faculty, Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf, Moorenstraße 5, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany)

  • Claudia R. Pischke

    (Institute of Medical Sociology, Centre for Health and Society, Medical Faculty, Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf, Moorenstraße 5, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany)

Abstract

Globally, four out of five adolescents do not meet the recommendations for physical activity (PA). Moving large segments of young adults from inactivity to activity is essential to reach the global target of a 15% relative reduction in inactivity by 2030 worldwide. This study aimed to examine the feasibility of a social network-based PA intervention (WALK2gether) in vocational school students. Fourteen students from one vocational school in the city of Duesseldorf were instructed to walk ten thousand steps per day over six weeks. Applied behavior change techniques were self-monitoring of steps and social comparison via a pedometer app and a Facebook group. Indicators of feasibility were documented. The intervention was minimally resource intensive, with a total of 92 h spent by the research staff. The recruitment rate was 19.2% and loss-to-follow up 28.6%. Our data revealed no significant change in the target behavior PA from baseline to follow-up. The target population did not interact in the Facebook group, while a moderate use of the pedometer app was noted. Although the results ought to be interpreted with caution due to the small sample size, the findings suggest that the WALK2gether intervention was partially feasible, but not appropriate for the target group.

Suggested Citation

  • Liane Günther & Sarah Schleberger & Claudia R. Pischke, 2022. "Feasibility of a Social Network-Based Physical Activity Intervention Targeting Vocational School Students: A Pilot Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(15), pages 1-12, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:19:y:2022:i:15:p:9474-:d:878429
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/19/15/9474/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/19/15/9474/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Annabelle Kuipers & Gitte C. Kloek & Sanne I. de Vries, 2021. "Understanding Vocational Students’ Motivation for Dietary and Physical Activity Behaviors," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(4), pages 1-12, February.
    2. Liane Günther & Sarah Schleberger & Claudia R. Pischke, 2021. "Effectiveness of Social Media-Based Interventions for the Promotion of Physical Activity: Scoping Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(24), pages 1-14, December.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Rafael Marfil-Carmona & Manuel Ortega-Caballero & Félix Zurita-Ortega & José Luis Ubago-Jiménez & Gabriel González-Valero & Pilar Puertas-Molero, 2021. "Impact of the Mass Media on Adherence to the Mediterranean Diet, Psychological Well-Being and Physical Activity. Structural Equation Analysis," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(7), pages 1-13, April.
    2. Eduardo Melguizo-Ibáñez & Félix Zurita-Ortega & José Luis Ubago-Jiménez & Pilar Puertas-Molero & Gabriel González-Valero, 2022. "Motivational Climate, Anxiety and Physical Self-Concept in Trainee Physical Education Teachers—An Explanatory Model Regarding Physical Activity Practice Time," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(19), pages 1-13, October.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:19:y:2022:i:15:p:9474-:d:878429. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.