Adherence
Using a smartphone application to track steps and set goals significantly increases daily physical activity (step count) compared to receiving standard physical activity advice alone.
Download a free step-tracking app on your smartphone. Set a daily goal of 10,000 steps. Carry your phone with you during waking hours. The app will automatically track your steps and show you your progress. This simple intervention can increase your daily step count by over 1,000 steps compared to just being told to exercise more.
After adjusting for possible explanatory variables, there was still evidence of a significant treatment effect (P = 0.009), where the difference in mean improvement in mean daily step count from week 1 to week 8 inclusive was 1029 (95% CI 214 to 1843) steps per day favouring the intervention.
Why this rating
Randomized Controlled Trial with high completion rate (86%), though limited by small sample size and short duration.
Source
Effectiveness of a smartphone application to promote physical activity in primary care: the SMART MOVE randomised controlled trial
Liam Glynn et al. · British Journal of General Practice · 2014
This is one finding among thousands. Every one is graded and traced to its source, so you can see what the evidence actually supports. Browse the research →