The 'Sit Less' program combining in-person counseling, Fitbit tracking, and tailored text messages was feasible and acceptable in cardiometabolic disease patients and showed possible improvements in sedentary behavior and glycemic outcomes, supporting evaluation in larger trials.
The Sit Less intervention demonstrated high feasibility and acceptability, with 95% of randomized participants completing the study.
Sit Less participants showed greater reductions in total sedentary time compared to controls, though the difference was not statistically significant.
Sit Less participants showed greater reductions in prolonged sedentary bouts compared to controls, with none reaching statistical significance.
Hemoglobin A1c was statistically significantly lower in the Sit Less group compared to the control group.
Continuous glucose monitoring outcomes showed directional improvements in the Sit Less group but did not reach statistical significance.
Self-efficacy for moderate physical activity was statistically significantly lower in the Sit Less group compared to controls.
The Sit Less intervention consisted of multiple components targeting sedentary behavior reduction over 12 weeks.
This research tested a 12-week program called 'Sit Less' designed to help people with heart disease or type 2 diabetes spend less time sitting. The program combined a one-time in-person counseling session, a Fitbit activity tracker, a smart water bottle, and personalized text messages sent weekly. Participants were compared to a control group that received only an informational booklet from the American Heart Association. The study found that the program was very well-received: nearly all participants finished the study (95%), most responded to text messages (81%), wore their Fitbits consistently, and 88% said they were satisfied with the program. In terms of health outcomes, Sit Less participants sat less and stood up more often than the control group, but these differences were not large enough to be statistically certain given the small number of participants (37 total). However, one important finding did reach statistical significance: blood sugar control (measured by HbA1c) was meaningfully better in the Sit Less group, with an average reduction of 0.4 percentage points compared to controls. Trends in continuous glucose monitoring data pointed in the same direction, though those did not reach statistical significance. One unexpected finding was that self-efficacy for moderate physical activity was actually lower in the Sit Less group, which the researchers noted as a point for further investigation. This research suggests that a technology-assisted, text message-supported program to reduce sitting time is practical and well-accepted by people with cardiometabolic disease, and may offer modest benefits for blood sugar control. Because this was a small pilot study, the findings are preliminary and the researchers call for larger trials with more participants to confirm whether these promising trends are real and meaningful effects.
Park C, Dietrich M, Larsen B, Mayberry L, Doyle A, Ahn S, et al.. (2026). Feasibility and Preliminary Efficacy of a "Sit Less" Program Leveraging Fitbit Tracking and Tailored Text Messages in Cardiometabolic Disease: Findings From 2 Parallel Randomized Controlled Trials in Coronary Artery Disease and Type 2 Diabetes.. JMIR mHealth and uHealth. https://doi.org/10.2196/56497