App Messages Help People Walk More

Walking helps the heart and muscles stay strong. Yet many folks find it hard to keep using step-counting apps over weeks. This study tested whether personalized messages could boost daily walks.

Researchers posted flyers with a QR code in neighborhoods of Mapo-gu, Seoul. Scanning the code opened a short sign-up form on a phone. After the form, staff checked each person online to see if they qualified. All participants then used the WalkOn app for the next twelve weeks, from April 1 to June 22, 2024. A total of 174 adults were randomly placed into two groups. One group received general health tips and small rewards for meeting step goals. The other group got the same tips and rewards, plus a weekly personal note based on their step count halfway through the week.

The main measures were the weekly rate of reaching a 25,000-step target, the day-to-day step pattern, and how often someone failed to reach the goal for two consecutive weeks. Researchers analyzed the data with generalized estimating equations, linear mixed models, and Cox proportional hazards models. At the end of the trial, 141 of the 174 volunteers, about eighty-one percent, remained active in the program.

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