Point-of-decision prompts for increasing park-based physical activity: a crowdsource analysis

Prev Med. 2014 Dec:69:87-9. doi: 10.1016/j.ypmed.2014.08.029. Epub 2014 Sep 7.

Abstract

Objective: To examine the potential efficacy of using point-of-decision prompts to influence intentions to be active in a park setting.

Methods: In June 2013, participants from across the U.S. (n=250) completed an online experiment using Amazon's Mechanical Turk and Survey Monkey. Participants were randomly exposed to a park photo containing a persuasive, theoretically based message in the form of a sign (treatment) or an identical photo with no sign (control). Differences in intentions to engage in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity within the park were examined between the two conditions for multiple gender, age, and race groups.

Results: Participants who were exposed to the park photo with the sign reported significantly greater intentions to be active than those who viewed the photo without a sign. This effect was stronger for women and largely null for men, but no differences were observed across age or race groups.

Conclusion: Point-of-decision prompts are a relatively inexpensive, simple, sustainable, and scalable strategy for evoking behavior change in parks and further testing of diverse messages in actual park settings is warranted.

Keywords: Built environment; Crowdsourcing; Parks; Physical activity.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Crowdsourcing / methods*
  • Data Collection
  • Environment Design
  • Exercise*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Photography*
  • Public Facilities / statistics & numerical data*
  • Recreation* / physiology
  • United States
  • Young Adult