Facebook Intervention To Improve Physical Activity Level Among Youth

Abstract Background Physical activity level decreases during the transition from late adolescence to young adulthood. Social media are nowadays widely used and part of many people’s daily routines and the interventions on these websites have the possibilities to be integrated into those routines without becoming a burden. The aim of this study was to assess physical activity level among medical students and to assess the possibilities of using social media intervention with an aim to improve physical activity among them. Methods Prospective study was conducted during October of 2016 at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade, Serbia. The study included 375 first and fifth-year students. At the baseline, students filled in the questionnaire regarding social and lifestyle characteristics as well as their physical activity. Physical activity was assessed using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ). After completing the questionnaire, students were asked to join a Facebook discussion group. The intervention consisted of motivation for physical activity through motivational pictures, texts, and discussions. The second assessment was done after one month. Based on the reported physical activity level students were divided into two groups: sufficient (>600MET-minutes/week) and insufficient physical activity (≤600 MET-minutes/week). Results Total of 85.4% of students were sufficiently active at the baseline, while 90.4% were sufficiently active after one month. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that students who were part of the Facebook group (OR: 3.51, 95% CI: 1.46-8.43) and students who had sufficient physical activity at the baseline (OR: 5.44, 95% CI: 2.44-12.13) had a higher likelihood to be sufficiently active after one month. Conclusions Social media can be used for interventions targeting lifestyle change among young adults and activities on these websites can be adjusted to meet the needs of the target population. Key messages Intervention on social media could lead to lifestyle change. Interventions on social media could be adjusted to fit the target population.