Effectiveness of a Blended Intervention to Promote Physical Activity Among Office Employees: Randomized Controlled Trial

Background: Regular moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) reduces the risk of noncommunicable diseases, yet one-third of adults globally fail to meet MVPA recommendations. Office employees, among the least active groups, face heightened risks due to prolonged sedentary behavior and barriers like lack of time, fatigue, and low motivation. Although scalable, web-based interventions frequently face challenges, such as low engagement, high attrition, and limited personalization. Blended interventions, combining digital tools with interactive components, show promise but lack robust evidence among office employees.

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a theory- and evidence-based blended intervention in increasing MVPA among office employees.

Methods: This 24-week, 3-arm randomized controlled trial included 141 office employees, randomized equally into blended (web-based+electronic workshops [e-workshops]), web-based only, and control groups. The intervention was developed using the intervention mapping framework, ensuring a systematic, evidence- and theory-based design tailored to the needs of the target population. All participants accessed a study website; the control group used the “Library” module with general MVPA information, while intervention groups also accessed a tailored, theory-driven “Intervention” module. The blended group additionally attended 3 live e-workshops (weeks 2, 4, and 8). MVPA was objectively measured using hip-worn accelerometers at baseline (T1), postintervention (12 wk, T2), and follow-up (24 wk, T3). Retention, engagement, and acceptability were assessed. Analyses followed the intention-to-treat principle, and generalized linear mixed models were used to evaluate between-group differences at T2 and T3, adjusted for baseline MVPA, sex, and ActiGraph LEAP (Ametris) wear time.

Results: A total of 141 participants (mean age 32.1, SD 9.2 y; 75/141, 53.2% female) were randomized evenly across groups with comparable baseline characteristics, except for sex (P=.002). The blended group showed significantly greater MVPA increases than the control at T2 (β coefficient=0.247, 95% CI 0.013‐0.480; P=.04) and T3 (β coefficient=0.373, 95% CI 0.139‐0.607; P=.002), and greater increases than the web-based at T2 (β coefficient=0.287, 95% CI 0.062‐0.512; P=.01) and T3 (β coefficient=0.368, 95% CI 0.138‐0.597; P=.002). Sensitivity analyses confirmed the robustness of these findings. Retention and engagement rates were 83% and 56%, respectively. Participants reported high acceptability across all domains.

Conclusions: A blended intervention integrating tailored web content with interactive e-workshops significantly increased MVPA at T2 and T3 compared with both web-based and control groups. This success stems from the rigorous intervention mapping framework, which systematically identified effective behavior change and habit formation theories, while the blended approach addressed key limitations of traditional and web-based methods. These findings underscore the potential of evidence- and theory-based blended approaches to address common barriers to MVPA and promote sustainable MVPA in workplace settings, offering promising opportunities for broader scalability and personalization.