Researchers wanted to see if personalized text messages could help people living with HIV who are 50 or older stay physically active. The study involved 118 people initially, with 92 continuing into the later phase. All participants received motivational interviewing, but half also got daily text messages tailored to their specific exercise barriers, while the other half received general educational messages.
After 28 weeks, the group receiving the tailored text messages maintained their level of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity, averaging about 49 minutes per day. The group receiving only educational messages saw their activity decrease, averaging about 41 minutes per day. The tailored-message group also reported feeling more confident about exercising and better about their overall health.
It's important to be cautious because the number of people who completed the full 28-week study was relatively small—only 22 in the tailored-message group and 25 in the control group. The study didn't report on safety or whether people had any problems with the messages. We also don't know if the benefits would last beyond the 28 weeks studied.
This research suggests that adding personalized text support to existing counseling might be a helpful way to encourage ongoing exercise for older adults with HIV. However, more research with larger groups and longer follow-up is needed to confirm these early findings.
