The Effectiveness of a Mobile Phone–Based Physical Activity Program for Treating Depression, Stress, Psychological Well-Being, and Quality of Life Among Adults: Quantitative Study

JMIR mHealth and uHealth · 8 authors, 6 centres

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TL;DR

This randomized controlled trial evaluated a 4-week mobile phone-based physical activity program in 68 adults.

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The intervention group (n=41) used the program ~3 times/week for ~30 minutes at home. Repeated-measures ANOVA and t-tests were used for analysis. A significant main effect of time on depression scores was found (F(1,60)=15.63; P=.003; ηp²=0.21). Within-group analysis showed a significant decrease in depression scores for the treatment group (from 7.08 to 4.64; P=.03; Cohen d=0.50) and a significant decrease in perceived stress (from 2.95 to 2.72; P=.04; Cohen d=0.46), but not for the waitlist group. No significant changes were found for overall psychological well-being (P=.35) or quality of life (P=.07). The findings provide evidence that the digital intervention can reduce depressive symptoms and perceived stress, suggesting it may be a cost-effective, accessible option for mental health support.

STUDY TYPE

RCT

SPECIALTY

psychiatry

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AI pipeline

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100% · A

ORIGINAL PAPER

PMC10337328

The Effectiveness of a Mobile Phone–Based Physical Activity Program for Treating Depression, Stress, Psychological Well-Being, and Quality of Life Among Adults: Quantitative Study

JMIR mHealth and uHealth

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ABSTRACT

Background Depression is a substantial global health problem, affecting >300 million people and resulting in 12.7% of all deaths. Depression causes various physical and cognitive problems, leading to a 5-year to 10-year decrease in life expectancy compared with the general population. Physical activity is known to be an effective, evidence-based treatment for depression. However, people generally have difficulties with participating in physical activity owing to limitations in time and accessibility. Objective To address this issue, this study aimed to contribute to the development of alternative and innovative intervention methods for depression and stress management in adults. More specifically, we attempted to investigate the effectiveness of a mobile phone–based physical activity program on depression, perceived stress, psychological well-being, and quality of life among adults in South Korea. Methods Participants were recruited and randomly assigned to the mobile phone intervention or waitlist group. Self-report questionnaires were used to assess variables before and after treatment. The treatment group used the program around 3 times per week at home for 4 weeks, with each session lasting about 30 minutes. To evaluate the program’s impact, a 2 (condition) × 2 (time) repeated-measures ANOVA was conducted, considering pretreatment and posttreatment measures along with group as independent variables. For a more detailed analysis, paired-samples 2-tailed t tests were used to compare pretreatment and posttreatment measurements within each group. Independent-samples 2-tailed t tests were conducted to assess intergroup differences in pretreatment measurements. Results The study included a total of 68 adults aged between 18 and 65 years, who were recruited both through web-based and offline methods. Of these 68 individuals, 41 (60%) were randomly assigned to the treatment group and 27 (40%) to the waitlist group. The attrition rate was 10.2% after 4 weeks. The findings indicated that there is a significant main effect of time ( F 1,60 =15.63; P =.003; η p 2 =0.21) in participants’ depression scores, indicating that there were changes in depression level across time. No significant changes were observed in perceived stress ( P =.25), psychological well-being ( P =.35), or quality of life ( P =.07). Furthermore, depression scores significantly decreased in the treatment group (from 7.08 to 4.64; P =.03; Cohen d =0.50) but not in the waitlist group (from 6.72 to 5.08; P =.20; Cohen d =0.36). Perceived stress score of the treatment group also significantly decreased (from 2.95 to 2.72; P =.04; Cohen d =0.46) but not in the waitlist group (from 2.82 to 2.74; P =.55; Cohen d =0.15). Conclusions This study provided experimental evidence that mobile phone–based physical activity program affects depression significantly. By exploring the potential of mobile phone–based physical activity programs as a treatment option, this study sought to improve accessibility and encourage participation in physical activity, ultimately promoting better mental health outcomes for individuals with depression and stress.

CITATION EXPORT

Hyungsook Kim, Kikwang Lee, Ye Hoon Lee et al.. The Effectiveness of a Mobile Phone–Based Physical Activity Program for Treating Depression, Stress, Psychological Well-Being, and Quality of Life Among Adults: Quantitative Study. JMIR mHealth and uHealth. (2023). https://doi.org/10.2196/46286

AUTHORS

8 · 6 CENTRES

Hyungsook Kim, Kikwang Lee, Ye Hoon Lee, Yoonjung Park, Yonghyun Park, Yeonwoo Yu, Jaeyoung Park, Sihyeon Noh

1 Hanyang Digital Healthcare Center Hanyang University Seoul Republic of Korea
2 Department of Cognitive Sciences School of Intelligence Hanyang University Seoul Republic of Korea
3 Graduate School of Public Policy Hanyang University Seoul Republic of Korea
4 Department of Sport, Health, and Rehabilitation College of Physical Education Kookmin University Seoul Republic of Korea
5 Division of Global Sport Industry Hankuk University of Foreign Studies Gyeonggi-do Republic of Korea
6 Department of Health & Human Performance University of Houston Houston, TX United States

EDITOR / REVIEWER

Lorraine Buis, Osullivan Michael, Boyun Woo, Heetae Cho