2021

Kettunen, Eeva; Makkonen, Markus; Kari, Tuomas; Critchley, Will

Life-long physical activity patterns are established during teenage years, so promoting physical activity is important. Sport and wellness technology has potential for promoting physical activity. Yet, research concerning its use among teenage populations is sparse. This intervention study investigated whether using a sport and wellness technology application could affect teenagers' physical activity intention, its antecedents, and the effects of these antecedents on intention. The study uses the theory of planned behavior (TPB) combined with self-efficacy as a theoretical model. The results showed no statistically significant difference between the intervention and control group in terms of the means and variances of the four constructs (attitude, subjective norm, self-efficacy, and intention) in the theoretical model. However, there was a statistically significant difference in the effect of self-efficacy on intention in the intervention group. Using sport and wellness technology in physical activity interventions among teenagers has potential and further research is warranted.