Document Type

Journal Article

Department/Unit

Department of Sport and Physical Education

Title

The effects of text message content on the use of an internet-based physical activity intervention in Hong Kong Chinese adolescents

Language

English

Abstract

© 2015 Taylor and Francis Group, LLC. This study examined the effects of text message content (generic vs. culturally tailored) on the login rate of an Internet physical activity program in Hong Kong Chinese adolescent school children. A convenience sample of 252 Hong Kong secondary school adolescents (51% female, 49% male; M age = 13.17 years, SD = 1.28 years) were assigned to one of 3 treatments for 8 weeks. The control group consisted of an Internet physical activity program. The Internet plus generic text message group consisted of the same Internet physical activity program and included daily generic text messages. The Internet plus culturally tailored text message group consisted of the Internet physical activity program and included daily culturally tailored text messages. Zero-inflated Poisson mixed models showed that the overall effect of the treatment group on the login rates varied significantly across individuals. The login rates over time were significantly higher in the Internet plus culturally tailored text message group than the control group (β = 46.06, 95% CI 13.60, 156.02; p =.002) and the Internet plus generic text message group (β = 15.80, 95% CI 4.81, 51.9; p =.021) after adjusting for covariates. These findings suggest that culturally tailored text messages may be more advantageous than generic text messages on improving adolescents website login rate, but effects varied significantly across individuals. Our results support the inclusion of culturally tailored messaging in future online physical activity interventions.

Publication Date

2015

Source Publication Title

Journal of Health Communication

Volume

20

Issue

9

Start Page

1041

End Page

1051

Publisher

Taylor & Francis

DOI

10.1080/10810730.2015.1018580

Link to Publisher's Edition

http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/10810730.2015.1018580

ISSN (print)

10810730

ISSN (electronic)

10870415

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