Abstract

Physical activity mHealth apps use a variety of behavioral promotion techniques to increase walking and standing behaviors. Financial rewards and push notifications are the most frequently used techniques in commercialized apps. And they are usually used in combination. However, there are few studies on their combination, and mixed results on the effectiveness of individual techniques. In this study, we examined their interaction and individual effectiveness to determine whether rewards and push notifications are effective in promoting walking and standing behaviors. To do so, 114 college students were randomly assigned to four groups with and without rewards and push notifications. Walking and standing behaviors were measured during a 7-day baseline period, followed by a 21-day intervention in each group. The results showed that the reward group showed significant increase in walking and standing behavior compared to the non-reward group. In terms of intervention satisfaction and usefulness, the rewarded group had higher intervention usefulness, goal satisfaction, and goal usefulness scores than the unrewarded group, but there was no difference in the presence of push notifications. Based on these results, the significance and limitations of the study are discussed.