Development and testing of an individually-tailored mobile application to promote physical activity in recently retired adults

As the prevalence of major chronic diseases increases with age, and physical activity (PA) typically
declines after retirement, effective interventions to increase PA in this population are timely and
necessary. This project aims to design, develop and test a theory-based smartphone and tablet
application to guide recently retired adults towards a healthier, physically active lifestyle. Recent
research shows that a mobile application providing dynamic and individually-tailored information
and feedback has potential to be an ideal tool to increase PA in this target population. Yet, effective
theory- and evidence-based applications are currently missing. This project aims to fill this
important gap in the current knowledge base. First, the smartphone and tablet application will be
designed based on the Self-Determination and Self-Regulation theories as well as previous research
evidence from focus group interviews with recently retired adults. The application will be developed
through diverse academic and non-academic collaborations. Second, the effectiveness and
feasibility of the application will be tested in a randomized controlled trial on a sample of recently
retired adults. Finally, the application will be adapted (based on the evaluations of the older adults)
and, if proven effective, the application will be disseminated to a large and diverse public, ranging
from intermediary partners to policy makers and the majority of (recently) retired adults.