Associations of Accelerometer-measured Physical Activity, Sedentary Behaviour and Different Types of Smartphone Apps Usage among University Students: A 7-day Tracking Study

Associations of Accelerometer-measured Physical Activity, Sedentary Behaviour and Different Types of Smartphone Apps Usage among University Students: A 7-day Tracking Study | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article Associations of Accelerometer-measured Physical Activity, Sedentary Behaviour and Different Types of Smartphone Apps Usage among University Students: A 7-day Tracking Study Mengyao Shi, Zuhang Zhao, Xiang Fan This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-7315546/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Published Journal Publication published 27 Nov, 2025 Read the published version in BMC Public Health → Version 1 posted 11 You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Background Previous studies suggest that total screen time does not comprehensively predict health behavior. The effects on health behaviors vary by app type. This study examines the association of different app categories (social, entertainment, game, education) related to physical activity (PA) and sedentary behavior (SB) patterns among university students. Methods This study followed 345 university students aged 18–22 for 7 days. Physical activity (PA), and sedentary behavior (SB) were objectively measured using the ActiGraph GT3X-BT accelerometer. Smartphone app usage was tracked via objective daily survey logs. After the 7-day tracking period, semi-structured interviews were conducted to gather detailed information on app usage and physical activity. Data analysis was performed using SPSS 26.0 and R software. Results In 248 participants (139 males, 109 females), Males had higher daily energy expenditure and more sedentary time (ST) compared to females, who spent more time in light-intensity physical activity (LPA) but less in vigorous-intensity physical activity (VPA). Males showed a positive correlation between entertainment app usage and ST (r = 0.271, p = 0.017) and a negative correlation with sedentary interval (SI) (r = -0.266, p = 0.019). In females, social app usage correlated with increased LPA (r = 0.321, p < 0.001) and VPA was positively correlated with screen time (ST) (r = 0.195, p = 0.042). App usage also influenced SB patterns, particularly in active individuals. After controlling for confounding factors, gaming app usage in males who inactive decreased LPA (0.341 min, p = 0.036). In females, social app usage increased LPA (0.112 min, p = 0.018) but decreased VPA (0.012 min, p = 0.011) in those who inactive. ST was linked to an increase in ST and to a decrease in SI time in both genders. Conclusions Implementation of digital health interventions should be content-specific and take into account application type, gender and active status to promote sustainable active lifestyles that go beyond traditional strategies to reduce screen time. Accelerometer-measured Physical activity Sedentary behaviour Smartphone apps Digital health Full Text Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Cite Share Download PDF Status: Published Journal Publication published 27 Nov, 2025 Read the published version in BMC Public Health → Version 1 posted Editorial decision: Revision requested 03 Oct, 2025 Reviews received at journal 25 Sep, 2025 Reviews received at journal 21 Sep, 2025 Reviews received at journal 19 Sep, 2025 Reviewers agreed at journal 12 Sep, 2025 Reviewers agreed at journal 12 Sep, 2025 Reviewers agreed at journal 05 Sep, 2025 Reviewers invited by journal 26 Aug, 2025 Editor assigned by journal 26 Aug, 2025 Submission checks completed at journal 25 Aug, 2025 First submitted to journal 25 Aug, 2025 You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. 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Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-7315546","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":507743691,"identity":"ab08d8ee-eb3b-4f85-85e8-435b80b8bdcf","order_by":0,"name":"Mengyao Shi","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Shanghai Jiao Tong University","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Mengyao","middleName":"","lastName":"Shi","suffix":""},{"id":507743692,"identity":"38e55e57-45e6-47aa-bee9-a3e257cd1db7","order_by":1,"name":"Zuhang Zhao","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Hangzhou water sports center","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Zuhang","middleName":"","lastName":"Zhao","suffix":""},{"id":507743694,"identity":"41626aac-07af-4d27-bb6c-ac779538065e","order_by":2,"name":"Xiang Fan","email":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAZAAAAAyAQMAAABI0h/eAAAABlBMVEX///8AAABVwtN+AAAACXBIWXMAAA7EAAAOxAGVKw4bAAAA40lEQVRIiWNgGAWjYBAC9gYGBmYQg5+BIQFEMzYQ0sJzAKpFsoEhsYE0LQYHIKqJ0MJ+9vDngorD8sbnDzx/zMNgI7vhAPOzB3i18OSlSc84c9hw242ExGYehjTjDQfYzA3wabFnyDFj5m1LY9x2gwGk5XDihgM8bBJ4beF/Y/yZ91+a/eb+AyAt/4nQIpFjIM3bYJO4gQHssAPEaHljJs1zzCZ5BtAvM+cYJBvPPMxmRsBhOcafeWokbPv7zyR8eFNhJ9t3vPkZXi3IuhOAscMAjSbiAPsB4tWOglEwCkbBiAIALghHUxHGFxYAAAAASUVORK5CYII=","orcid":"","institution":"Shanghai Jiao Tong University","correspondingAuthor":true,"prefix":"","firstName":"Xiang","middleName":"","lastName":"Fan","suffix":""}],"badges":[],"createdAt":"2025-08-07 06:53:34","currentVersionCode":1,"declarations":"","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-7315546/v1","doiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-7315546/v1","draftVersion":[],"editorialEvents":[{"content":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-025-25588-7","type":"published","date":"2025-11-27T15:57:59+00:00"}],"editorialNote":"","failedWorkflow":false,"files":[{"id":97178425,"identity":"68ee2b4f-6e7b-431b-8cbd-2f66becc09af","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-12-01 16:09:52","extension":"pdf","order_by":1,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"manuscript-pdf","size":1127180,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"Manuscript.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7315546/v1_covered_05ea28a8-cc09-488d-a708-b571bf3515bd.pdf"}],"financialInterests":"No competing interests reported.","formattedTitle":"Associations of Accelerometer-measured Physical Activity, Sedentary Behaviour and Different Types of Smartphone Apps Usage among University Students: A 7-day Tracking Study","fulltext":[],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":false,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":false,"hideJournal":false,"highlight":"","institution":"","isAcceptedByJournal":true,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":true,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":true,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"bmc-public-health","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"pubh","sideBox":"Learn more about [BMC Public Health](http://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/)","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"https://www.editorialmanager.com/pubh/default.aspx","title":"BMC Public Health","twitterHandle":"@BMC_series","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"em","reportingPortfolio":"BMC Series","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true},"keywords":"Accelerometer-measured, Physical activity, Sedentary behaviour, Smartphone apps, Digital health","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-7315546/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-7315546/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"\u003ch2\u003eBackground\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003ePrevious studies suggest that total screen time does not comprehensively predict health behavior. The effects on health behaviors vary by app type. This study examines the association of different app categories (social, entertainment, game, education) related to physical activity (PA) and sedentary behavior (SB) patterns among university students.\u003c/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eMethods\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis study followed 345 university students aged 18\u0026ndash;22 for 7 days. Physical activity (PA), and sedentary behavior (SB) were objectively measured using the ActiGraph GT3X-BT accelerometer. Smartphone app usage was tracked via objective daily survey logs. After the 7-day tracking period, semi-structured interviews were conducted to gather detailed information on app usage and physical activity. Data analysis was performed using SPSS 26.0 and R software.\u003c/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eResults\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn 248 participants (139 males, 109 females), Males had higher daily energy expenditure and more sedentary time (ST) compared to females, who spent more time in light-intensity physical activity (LPA) but less in vigorous-intensity physical activity (VPA). Males showed a positive correlation between entertainment app usage and ST (r\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.271, p\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.017) and a negative correlation with sedentary interval (SI) (r = -0.266, p\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.019). In females, social app usage correlated with increased LPA (r\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.321, p\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.001) and VPA was positively correlated with screen time (ST) (r\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.195, p\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.042). App usage also influenced SB patterns, particularly in active individuals. After controlling for confounding factors, gaming app usage in males who inactive decreased LPA (0.341 min, p\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.036). In females, social app usage increased LPA (0.112 min, p\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.018) but decreased VPA (0.012 min, p\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.011) in those who inactive. ST was linked to an increase in ST and to a decrease in SI time in both genders.\u003c/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eConclusions\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eImplementation of digital health interventions should be content-specific and take into account application type, gender and active status to promote sustainable active lifestyles that go beyond traditional strategies to reduce screen time.\u003c/p\u003e","manuscriptTitle":"Associations of Accelerometer-measured Physical Activity, Sedentary Behaviour and Different Types of Smartphone Apps Usage among University Students: A 7-day Tracking Study","msid":"","msnumber":"","nonDraftVersions":[{"code":1,"date":"2025-09-02 06:11:48","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-7315546/v1","editorialEvents":[{"type":"communityComments","content":0},{"type":"decision","content":"Revision requested","date":"2025-10-03T11:54:22+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvitedReview","content":"","date":"2025-09-26T03:12:17+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvitedReview","content":"","date":"2025-09-22T00:36:54+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvitedReview","content":"","date":"2025-09-20T00:11:55+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"149718635164920939807644393731867330050","date":"2025-09-12T23:02:40+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"253388202887307894783467683587786729904","date":"2025-09-12T06:45:17+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"336415010875516896322382540457577451593","date":"2025-09-05T10:58:13+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewersInvited","content":"","date":"2025-08-26T06:16:32+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorAssigned","content":"","date":"2025-08-26T06:11:07+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"checksComplete","content":"","date":"2025-08-25T15:34:58+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"submitted","content":"BMC Public Health","date":"2025-08-25T15:31:20+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""}],"status":"published","journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"bmc-public-health","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"pubh","sideBox":"Learn more about [BMC Public Health](http://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/)","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"https://www.editorialmanager.com/pubh/default.aspx","title":"BMC Public Health","twitterHandle":"@BMC_series","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"em","reportingPortfolio":"BMC Series","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true}}],"origin":"","ownerIdentity":"04d3b4a0-aa3f-4326-b632-72087355c33a","owner":[],"postedDate":"September 2nd, 2025","published":true,"recentEditorialEvents":[],"rejectedJournal":[],"revision":"","amendment":"","status":"published-in-journal","subjectAreas":[],"tags":[],"updatedAt":"2025-12-01T16:02:50+00:00","versionOfRecord":{"articleIdentity":"rs-7315546","link":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-025-25588-7","journal":{"identity":"bmc-public-health","isVorOnly":false,"title":"BMC Public Health"},"publishedOn":"2025-11-27 15:57:59","publishedOnDateReadable":"November 27th, 2025"},"versionCreatedAt":"2025-09-02 06:11:48","video":"","vorDoi":"10.1186/s12889-025-25588-7","vorDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-025-25588-7","workflowStages":[]},"version":"v1","identity":"rs-7315546","journalConfig":"researchsquare"},"__N_SSP":true},"page":"/article/[identity]/[[...version]]","query":{"redirect":"/article/rs-7315546","identity":"rs-7315546","version":["v1"]},"buildId":"8U1c8b4HqxoKbykW_rLl7","isFallback":false,"isExperimentalCompile":false,"dynamicIds":[84888],"gssp":true,"scriptLoader":[]}