Impact of a digital activity tracker-based workplace activity program on health and wellbeing

Chronic disease is endemic within the Australian community. 3.6 million Australians have diabetes or pre-diabetes with the number increasing by 7% each year. Fifty three percent of Australians have one or more chronic diseases. Increasing levels of activity has proved relatively straightforward, especially through workplace physical activity interventions. What is still not certain are the short, and long-term, health benefits arising from these workplace activity challenges. Research into workplace activity challenges is beset with a number of methodological obstacles that may, in part, explain why consistent outcomes have not been found from studies of this type. The aim of this study was to assess whether participation in a 16-week activity challenge would result in measurable changes in lipid profile, blood glucose, renal function, blood pressure, weight and health and wellbeing as measured using a health and wellbeing assessment. The study demonstrated that participants could increase their levels of activity and maintain at least 10,000 steps a day for a period of 16 weeks. The study also identified that participants in teams were significantly more active than those participating as individuals. Furthermore, attrition from the activity challenge was greater amongst participants not in a team. This demonstrated the importance of social interactions, support and possibly other factors that being part of a group brought to the experience of participating in the activity challenge. In addition to the above, the challenge resulted in reductions in non-HDL cholesterol, and triglyceride concentrations and health and wellbeing score.