Online Sharing of Physical Activity: Does It Accelerate the Impact of a Health Promotion Program?

Influence on health behavior from peers is well known and it has been shown that participants in an online physical activity promotion program are generally more successful when they share their achievements through an online community. However, more detailed insights are needed into the mechanisms that explain the influence of a community on physical activity level (PAL). This paper discusses a detailed analysis of a data set of participants in an online physical activity promotion program. The analysis focuses on a method to compare community members with non-community members that eliminates to a large extent factors that dilute the community effect. We create statistical models that describe the PAL increase at the end of the program. A comparison of these models shows that community members not only have a higher PAL at the start of the program, but also that the PAL increase is significantly greater compared to non-community members. The results further support the hypothesis that stimulating participants to share their achievements with peers makes physical activity programs more successful to help people achieve a healthy activity level.