Effects of vibrotactile feedback on sedentary behaviors in adults: A pilot randomized controlled trial

Abstract

No effective and easily implemented intervention strategies for reducing sedentary behavior have been established. This pilot trial (UMIN000024372) investigated whether vibrotactile feedback reduces sedentary behavior. Twenty-six adults aged 30–69 years who were sedentary ≥8 h/day were randomly assigned to control (n = 13) or vibration (n = 13) groups. Participants wore a monitor 9 h daily for seven-day periods at baseline (week zero), during the intervention (weeks one, three, five, and seven), and after the intervention (week eight). During the eight-week intervention, vibration-group participants were notified by a vibration through the monitor whenever continuous sedentary time reached ≥30 min; they also received weekly reports of their sedentary patterns. Control-group participants did not receive feedback. The primary outcome was change in total sedentary time. Changes in longer bouts of sedentary time (≥35 min) were also assessed. No significant difference was found in the change in total sedentary time (control: −17.5 min/9 h, vibration: −9.1 min/9 h; p = 0.42). Although no significant differences were observed in sedentary time in longer bouts, vibration-group participants exhibited significantly lower sedentary time (– 21.6 min/9 h, p = 0.045). Thus, vibration feedback does not appear to offer any advantages in reducing total sedentary time.