One-year outcome of an interactive internet-based physical activity intervention among university students

Abstract

Objective: The purpose of the present study was to evaluate whether improvement in physical activity of students following a 4-month intervention of a university course was maintained 8 months later.

Methods: Data on 77 students who responded to our scheduled inquiries completely through 1 year were analyzed. Participants of the intervention group (n=49) using the internet-based physical activity program exhibited significant increases in energy expenditures measured by IPAQ compared with the no-treatment control group (n=28) through 1 year.

Results: Participants who did not engage in regular university sports activities (baseline: 450±351kcalday(-1); post: 587±320kcalday(-1); 8-month follow-up: 580±394kcalday(-1)) only exhibited significant increases in energy expenditures compared with those of the control group (baseline: 498±341kcalday(-1); post: 414±242kcalday(-1); 8-month follow-up: 347±275kcalday(-1)).

Conclusion: These results suggested that an internet-based interactive intervention could become a helpful tool in promoting and maintaining physical activity in the long term.

Keywords: Follow-up; Interactive learning system; Internet-based intervention; Physical activity; University course.