Feasibility of MyHealthAvatar mobile phone application for reducing prolonged sedentary behaviour in Type 2 diabetes

Objective: Time spent in a prolonged sedentary state can have detrimental health effects in people with Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). The aim of this study was to assess the feasibility of a mobile phone app, MyHealthAvatar, for reducing prolonged sedentary behaviour in people with T2DM. Methods: Twelve individuals with recently diagnosed T2DM were randomised to either an intervention or control group for 8 weeks. The intervention group utilised the app for 8 weeks and the control group continued their normal behaviour. Physical activity and sitting were measured at baseline and during the last intervention week. Health measures were taken at baseline and post-intervention. Semi-structured interviews were carried out post-intervention to gain participant feedback on the usability of the app. Results: The intervention group decreased total sedentary time by 50.52 minutes/day and increased number of breaks from sedentary time by 4.08 breaks per day, standing time by 41.76 minutes/day and light physical activity by 5.28 minutes/day from baseline to post-intervention compared to the control group. Conclusion: MyHealthAvatar has the potential to reduce prolonged sedentary behaviour in individuals with T2DM. The effectiveness of this app requires investigation in a fully powered randomised controlled trial.