Connect app

Loadsol insole sensors (novel gmbh, Munich, Germany) were placed inside each participant’s typical running shoes bilaterally to measure peak force in Newtons (N).¹⁵ (link) Peak force data were collected at 100 Hz and transmitted through Bluetooth connection to a 6^th generation iPod Touch (Apple, California, USA) using the pedoped Loadsol application (Version 1.4.72, novel gmbh, Munich, Germany). The Loadsol insoles have been shown to yield comparable peak force data compared to an instrumented treadmill for running (ICCs: 0.78-0.92) and reliable between sessions (ICCs: 0.88-0.93).¹⁶ (link) Burns, et al.¹⁷ (link) showed equally compelling data in support of Loadsol use to measure ground reaction forces by comparisons to hopping, walking and running on a force platform and an instrumented treadmill.
A Garmin Forerunner 25 GPS watch with Garmin Connect app (Version 4.5.1, Garmin International Inc., Olathe, KS) was used to determine running pace and cadence. Similar types of Garmin watches with GPS technology were validated as a measure of distance (absolute percent error: 0.74%) and as a reliable measure of cadence (ICC: 0.93).^18,19 The MetroTimer app (Version 3.3.2, ONYX Apps, United States) was used on the iPod Touch to provide auditory cadence cueing. Body mass measurements were taken using a digital scale.

Perceived usefulness of intervention components was assessed in the post-intervention online survey using questions (see Supplementary material) derived from previous online-delivered physical activity interventions.^{34 ,40 (link)} Parents were asked: ‘How useful were the following programme components in helping you to increase your physical activity over the past 6 weeks?’ Programme components rated included the introductory session, mobile text messages, Garmin Vivofit 3 activity tracker for parents, Garmin Vivofit Jr activity tracker for children, Garmin Connect app for parents, Garmin Vivofit Jr app for children and the family steps challenge log poster. Perceived usefulness was rated by all parents, mothers and fathers using a 5-point Likert scale (1 = not at all useful to 5 = very useful). Based on data distribution, response options were grouped into very/quite useful, somewhat useful and not/little useful.