Use of Facebook in physical activity intervention programme A test of self-determination theory

The use of information and communications technology in physical activity intervention programmes has been found to be effective in some instances. We conducted afield study to examine the changes to activity level and psychological consequences of incorporating social network interactions into physical activity intervention programme using the self-determination theory framework. Sixty-two students from a local university in Singapore were allocated into four groups comprising a control group, a 3 hours physical activity intervention group, a 3 hours physical activity intervention group linked via Facebook, and a 1 hour physical exercise intervention group linked via Facebook. Measures on the level of physical activity, perceived autonomy, competency, relatedness, enjoyment and vitality were taken before and after the intervention programme. Repeated ANOVA and MANOVA analyses were conducted. The results showed that participants in the two groups with the 3 hours physical activity intervention reported a significant increase in the level of physical activity level compared to participants in other groups. Although the use of social network sites did not have any material effect on the physical intervention programmes, it enhanced competence and enjoyment in the activity. This suggests that the use of social network sites in physical activity intervention programmes yielded some positive psychological effects but the maximization of benefits need to be studied