Does the use of the FITBIT accelerometer increase physical activity levels?

Abstract

The purpose of this research was to determine if the FITBIT accelerometer altered physical activity levels in those wearing the accelerometer versus those not wearing the device. There were 21 subjects in this study, recruited from the University of Central Oklahoma's employee wellness program, the kinesiology department faculty, and the wellness center staff. Nine - teen participants completed the Human Activity Profile (HAP) survey to measure physical activity levels pre - and post - experimentation. Ten subjects received a FITBIT accelerometer to wear for six weeks, while the other nine subjects made up the control group and did not use an accelerometer. Results of this study revealed no significant difference between the FITBIT and the control groups HAP maximum activity scores (MAS) (p = 0.16), and HAP adjusted activity scores (AAS)(p = 0.0.179). There was not a significant difference for the main effect for time (p = 0.367), main effect for group (p = 0.98), or interaction of time by group (p = 0.389). Steps did not significantly change across time for the FITBIT group (p = 0.41). The FITBIT group did have a smaller effect size than the control group for MAS (d = 0.325, d = 0.587) and for AAS (d = 0.054, d = 0.565). In conclusion the FITBIT group did not have significantly different physical activity levels compared to the control group, but the FITBIT group did have lower effect sizes, which meant the physical activity levels decreased less than the control group's activity levels.