A Group-Based Walking Study Using WeChat to Enhance Physical Activity Among Older Adults

The aim for the study is to use the function WeRun in the application WeChat to encourage physical activity and social engagement among community dwelling older adults. The investigators asked participants in the social engagement group to use the WeRun function in WeChat to track their daily walking steps and to compare their performance with their group members for 4 weeks. To encourage social engagement among their group members, the daily walking steps were calculated and the participant who has the highest step count in the group will be indicated each day.Those in the control group will only use the WeRun function in WeChat to track their own walking steps.

The investigators expected that the participants in the social contact group will walk more often and report more social activities than those in the control group, who will not compete with their peers in daily walking. To test these predictions, daily walking steps and the total walking steps per week were obtained and compared across groups. The nature and the extent of change was analyzed over the four weeks. Exercise self-efficacy was measured using a measure based on Bandura's model. Social engagement was measured using the short Lubben Social Network Scale, a self report measure of social engagement on a 12-item scale, and physical activity was measured using International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ), a self-report measure of physical activity on a 12-item scale.

Inclusion criteria

• Participants who are 60 or older who have a cellphone, with either android or iPhone system with data plan.
• They must be fit enough to walk for at least 20 minutes at a time.
• English speaking

Exclusion criteria

• Unable to walk more than 20 minutes;
• do not have smart phone with data plan.
• younger than 60