Short- and Long-term Effects of a Mobile Phone App in Conjunction With Brief In-Person Counseling on Physical Activity Among Physically Inactive Women

Key Points Question Does use of a mobile phone–based physical activity education application (app) in conjunction with brief in-person counseling result in an increase of accelerometer-measured physical activity for 3 months and maintaining activity for an additional 6 months? Findings In this randomized clinical trial of 210 community-dwelling physically inactive women, the intervention achieved a statistically and clinically significant increase in total steps and time spent performing moderate to vigorous physical activity compared with the control group in the first 3 months. However, the group who continued use of the app, as compared with the group who discontinued app use, experienced no statistically significant effect on maintaining the increased activity in the following 6 months. Meaning The combination of a mobile phone app and brief in-person counseling increased objectively measured physical activity over 3 months, but use of the app for an additional 6 months did not help to maintain increased activity.