Effects on secondary outcomes following a three-month personalized app-based lifestyle intervention among working adults: a three-armed randomized controlled trial.
A three-month personalized app-based lifestyle intervention among working adults increased exercise minutes in both intervention groups, while the app-plus-coaching group additionally improved vegetable intake, fruit and vegetable intake, time in bed, and sleep duration compared to controls.
Key Findings
Results
Both intervention groups significantly increased minutes of exercise per week compared to the control group.
App group increased exercise by β = 15.7 min/week (95% CI: 3.5, 27.9) compared to control
App-coach group increased exercise by β = 13.8 min/week (95% CI: 1.4, 26.1) compared to control
Study population was office workers and bus drivers (n = 209) randomized 1:1:1 to app, app-coach, or control group
Participants were on average 48.2 years old and 42% were female
Analysis used robust linear regression with the control group as the reference
Results
Participants in the app-coach group significantly increased vegetable intake and combined fruit and vegetable intake compared to the control group.
Vegetable intake increased by β = 51.8 g/day (95% CI: 2.5, 101.1) in the app-coach group vs. control
Combined fruit and vegetable intake increased by β = 87.7 g/day (95% CI: 8.9, 166.6) in the app-coach group vs. control
The app-only group did not show statistically significant differences in dietary outcomes compared to control
No other dietary outcomes differed significantly between groups
Results
Participants in the app-coach group increased both time in bed and sleep duration compared to the control group.
Time in bed increased by β = 0.43 h/night (95% CI: 0.05, 0.81) in the app-coach group vs. control
Sleep duration increased by β = 0.40 h/night (95% CI: 0.01, 0.78) in the app-coach group vs. control
The app-only group did not show statistically significant differences in sleep outcomes compared to control
The intervention duration was three months
Results
No statistically significant differences between groups were found for alcohol consumption, stress, or smoking outcomes.
The study examined alcohol, stress, and smoking as secondary outcomes alongside physical activity, diet, and sleep
Neither the app group nor the app-coach group differed from control on these outcomes
The authors noted that 'no other outcomes differed between groups'
The three-month intervention period may have been insufficient to detect changes in these behaviors
Methods
The personalized app-based intervention was conducted as a three-armed randomized controlled trial among working adults including office workers and bus drivers.
Total sample size was n = 209 participants
Participants were randomized 1:1:1 to app-only, app plus monthly coaching, or control group
The intervention lasted three months
Mean participant age was 48.2 years and 42% were female
The intervention was personalized, in contrast to most lifestyle interventions which are standardized
Conclusions
The authors concluded that the effects on physical activity, diet, and sleep were limited but that even small behavioral changes can benefit health.
Authors stated: 'While the effects seen on physical activity, diet and sleep were limited, even small behavioural changes can benefit health'
The authors noted that 'the effect of coaching needs further evaluation'
Authors concluded that 'future personalized app-based interventions have potential to improve lifestyle behaviours'
The added benefit of coaching over the app alone was observed for dietary and sleep outcomes but not for exercise
What This Means
This research suggests that a personalized smartphone app designed to improve lifestyle habits can help working adults increase the amount of exercise they do each week. In a three-month study of 209 office workers and bus drivers, participants who used the app exercised about 14–16 more minutes per week compared to those who received no intervention. When monthly coaching sessions were added alongside the app, participants also ate more vegetables, spent more time in bed, and slept longer — improvements not seen in the app-only group. However, no significant changes were detected for alcohol use, stress levels, or smoking in either intervention group.
This research suggests that adding human coaching to a digital health app can broaden its benefits beyond physical activity to include diet and sleep. The differences observed were modest — for example, roughly half an hour more of sleep per night and about 88 grams more fruit and vegetables per day — but the authors note that even small improvements in health behaviors can have meaningful long-term health benefits at both the individual and societal level.
The study highlights that personalized digital health tools have real potential to support healthier lifestyles among working adults, though the specific contribution of coaching versus the app alone warrants further investigation. Future research with longer follow-up periods may help clarify whether these changes are sustained and whether harder-to-change behaviors like smoking and alcohol use can also be influenced by such interventions.
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Eke H, Söderberg D, Sjöblom L, Bonn S, Trolle Lagerros Y. (2026). Effects on secondary outcomes following a three-month personalized app-based lifestyle intervention among working adults: a three-armed randomized controlled trial.. Scientific reports. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-026-54919-w