An Incentive-based mHealth Application for Physical Activity

This 12-week single-arm pilot study in the UK evaluated an incentive-based mobile health (mHealth) physical activity (PA) intervention using the ORBIT model. The study focused on two groups: "users," who agreed to aggregate data analysis via the Caterpillar Health app, and "participants," who consented to individualized data collection, including demographic and health information. The app, launched in Leeds and later across the UK, used step tracking and offered rewards such as movie tickets and gym passes for meeting personalized step goals. The app's design, guided by the COM-B model, incorporated behaviour change techniques such as real-time feedback, social support, and gamification to promote PA and user engagement. The study assessed the app's user uptake and effectiveness in increasing PA and engagement.