The Effect of an Acute Sedentary Behaviour Reducing Intervention on Subjective Well-Being among University Students: A Pilot Randomized Trial

Background: The effect of sedentary behaviour (SB) on subjective well-being (SWB), particularly through a SB-reducing intervention largely remains unknown. This pilot trial examined whether an acute intervention designed to reduce SB would enhance SWB in a sample of university students. Methods: A three-week (i.e., baseline, intervention, follow-up) randomized controlled pilot trial was conducted. Thirty-two sedentary university students were randomized to an acute behavioural counseling intervention (n = 17) or control group (n = 15). Behavioural counseling grounded in the health action process approach aimed at reducing daily SB for 1 week. Device-measured outcomes (i.e., steps, standing, sitting, sit-to-stand transitions), self-reported SBs (i.e., self-compared, domain-specific), and SWB measures (i.e., affect, life satisfaction, subjective vitality, overall SWB) were assessed weekly. Results: Repeated-measures ANOVAs revealed non-significant medium-to-large effects for self-reported SBs (i.e., 0.116 ≤ ηp2 ≤ 0.253), device-measured standing time (i.e., ηp2 = 0.161), and life satisfaction and overall SWB (i.e., 0.141 ≤ ηp2 ≤ 0.178) favouring the treatment group over the control group. Conclusions: Overall, this acute intervention was ineffective in reducing SB among university students. Comparatived to previous acute SB-inducing interventions, results suggest that SB-reducing interventions may require more robust treatment application than the current pilot study. Strategies such as prompts/cues, repeated intervention delivery, and longer intervention periods are recommended. Strategies that promote larger non-convenient sampling (e.g., longer recruitment periods) also are recommended. Taken together, these strategies will increase treatment effects and statistical power of subsequent intervention trials.