Interactive simulation can affect activity intentions in T2DM

(HealthDay)—An interactive, personalized simulation can change behavioral intentions among individuals with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), according to a study published in the January to June issue of JMIR Diabetes.

Bryan Gibson, D.P.T., Ph.D., from the University of Utah in Salt Lake City, and colleagues conducted a within-subjects experiment to test the efficacy of an interactive, personalized simulation that demonstrated the acute effect of physical activity on blood glucose. Potential participants were directed through seven tasks, including baseline intentions, interactive simulation, and post-simulation outcome expectancy. The authors examined whether participants' outcome expectancies regarding walking would shift toward the outcome presented in the interactive stimulation, and whether intentions to walk increased. A total of 1,335 individuals provided complete data.

The researchers observed an increase in participants' intentions to walk in the coming week, with increases in general intention and minutes of walking in the past week versus those planned for the coming week (mean difference, 33.5 minutes). On examination of qualitative feedback and data from the drawing task, some participants were found to have difficulty understanding the website, leading to a post-hoc subset analysis. In this analysis, the effects regarding outcome expectancies were stronger.

"A novel interactive simulation is efficacious in changing the outcome expectancies and behavioral intentions of adults with T2DM," the authors write. "We discuss applications of our results to the design of mobile health interventions."