Personalized text messages to help young adults move more
Efficacy of Precision Text Messaging to Increase Physical Activity in Insufficiently-Active Young Adults
This project sends tailored text messages based on your phone and wearable data to help young adults who are not active move more and sit less.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Michigan at Ann Arbor NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Ann Arbor, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11136520 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
You would wear an activity tracker and allow the study to use phone and weather data to learn your activity patterns. The team uses computer algorithms to decide when and what text messages to send so messages fit your daily routine and the weather. Messages are adjusted over time based on how you respond so the dosing becomes more personal. The aim is to nudge you to be more active and prevent gradual weight gain.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are adults 21 and older who are currently insufficiently active, own a smartphone, and are willing to wear an activity tracker and receive text messages.
Not a fit: People who are already regularly active, who do not use a smartphone or wearable, or who do not want to receive texts are unlikely to benefit from this program.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this approach could help participants increase daily activity, reduce sedentary time, and slow weight gain that raises heart disease risk.
How similar studies have performed: The team’s pilot work showed feasibility and some promising signals, and other digital-texting activity programs have produced mixed but sometimes positive results.
Where this research is happening
Ann Arbor, United States
- University of Michigan at Ann Arbor — Ann Arbor, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Conroy, David E. — University of Michigan at Ann Arbor
- Study coordinator: Conroy, David E.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.