University of Twente Student Theses
How to deal with weather as a barrier for physical activity: Master thesis Health Sciences
Boot, S.F. (2024) How to deal with weather as a barrier for physical activity: Master thesis Health Sciences.
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| Full Text Status: | Access to this publication is restricted |
| Embargo date: | 26 November 2026 |
| Abstract: | Background: Physical activity (PA) is essential for health, yet many people remain inactive. In the Netherlands, 56% of adults don’t meet PA guidelines, raising chronic disease risks and healthcare costs. Weather often discourages outdoor PA, suggesting that weather-tailored interventions may help. This study examines whether weather-specific coaching messages can better promote PA than non-tailored messages. Aim: To assess if weather-tailored coaching messages are more effective at promoting PA among Dutch adults than non-tailored messages. Method: A four-week single-case experimental design (SCED) with an ABAB structure compared non-tailored and weather-tailored coaching messages. Participants received daily SMS coaching messages, wore Fitbit trackers to monitor PA, and completed short daily online questionnaires on motivation and relevance. At the end of the experiment, a survey collected feedback on the accuracy and impact of the coaching messages. Results: Five highly active, educated women participated in the study. Results for physical activity were mixed, with some increases but no statistically significant changes. Participants rated tailored messages positively, on average between 6.4 and 7.1 out of 10, indicating a preference for tailored messages over non-tailored ones. However, this preference did not translate into measurable increases in PA. Conclusion: Weather-tailored messages did not significantly boost PA, likely due to participants’ already high activity levels. Future research should involve more diverse samples and consider individual behaviour. |
| Item Type: | Essay (Master) |
| Faculty: | TNW: Science and Technology |
| Subject: | 01 general works |
| Programme: | Health Sciences MSc (66851) |
| Link to this item: | https://purl.utwente.nl/essays/104579 |
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