The Role of Online Communities in Promoting Physical Activity:

A Survey on User Preferences and Perceived Impact

Jennifer Hachiya

Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, The Open University, Milton Keynes, U.K.

Keywords: Digital Platforms, Physical Activity, Health Communities, Health Promotion, User Engagement.

Abstract: The primary objective of this online survey is to understand differences in user profile, user preferences and

perceived impact among the European population. The sample groups were based on the most recent report

of the European country with the highest and lowest levels of physical activity (PA). The cross-sectional

online survey population of Portugal residents and Finland residents was selected by simple random sampling.

Responses were collected from the open-source tool LimeSurvey. IBM Statistical Package for Social Sciences

Statistics was used to analyse the acquired data. A total of 538 responses were considered with 48.4% of

respondents residing in Portugal, and 51.4% residing in Finland. About 38.5% of the general survey popula-

tion regularly practice exercise, and 39.7% regularly engage in PA. Regarding the level of online community

experience, responses were distributed between medium, moderately low, and very low. Overall, there is a

significant relationship between both sample groups when it comes to PA, common emotions using online

communities, user perception, preferences and openness. Our survey results provide evidence to support that

country of residence is related to user PA and highlight the importance of considering demographic factors to

understand general population lifestyle choices.

1 INTRODUCTION

The goal of this survey is to understand the potential

user perceptions and preferences when using online

communities (OC) aiming at promoting physical

activity (PA).

Various studies have reported on the potential and

importance of PA-driven OC (Duncan et al., 2018;

Kalgotra et al., 2021; Parker et al., 2021) and its

influence on behaviour change (Manzoor et al., 2016;

Resnick et al., 2010). However, these studies are

often theory-based (Popp & Woratschek, 2016;

Vandelanotte et al., 2019), reflecting incoherence and

lack of understanding of user preferences and

perceived impact when using OC for PA promotion

(Rayward et al., 2021).

Contemplating the undeniable importance of user

participation in effective OC (Manzoor et al., 2016;

Resnick et al., 2010), there is an increased necessity

to fulfil user needs. This is especially relevant in a

digital dimension where there is constant supply but

no assurance that it meets user demands.

https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1991-6580

Taking into account the persistent problem of

users’ long-term engagement (Edney et al., 2017;

Kolt et al., 2020), there is likely an opportunity for

PA-related OC optimisation. It is projected that the

results of this survey will contribute to the creation of

a conceptual framework for analysing the driving

forces behind sustained participation in OC (Seddon

et al., 2008).

MATERIALS

AND

METHODS

Our main survey research question is: “What are the

OC user preferences and perceived impact of

residents of Portugal and Finland?”. The following

detailed questions were broken down from the main

survey research question:

(1) Do users’ academic level and employment

status influence their experience with OC?

(2) How do users’ country of residence compare

in terms of user profiles?

(3) Are there variations in user preferences and

perceived impact based on country of residence?

Hachiya, J.

The Role of Online Communities in Promoting Physical Activity: A Survey on User Preferences and Perceived Impact.

DOI: 10.5220/0013121600003911

Paper published under CC license (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0)

In Proceedings of the 18th International Joint Conference on Biomedical Engineering Systems and Technologies (BIOSTEC 2025) - Volume 2: HEALTHINF, pages 441-448

ISBN: 978-989-758-731-3; ISSN: 2184-4305

441

2.1 Development of the Online Survey

The research instrument used in this phase of the

study is the online survey that was planned, written,

tested, and officially published. Our research question

and goals are best served by an online survey because

it enables the effective collection of data from an

adequate sample.

The purpose of the online survey is to identify

essential criteria for developing and managing an OC

aimed at promoting PA, focusing specifically on

content that fosters user participation (Bishop, 2015),

strengthens interdependence (Zhang et al., 2020), and

enhances long-term user retention (Edney et al., 2017;

Kolt et al., 2020). These findings may inform the

development of more effective PA-related OC.

The primary objective of this online survey is to

understand differences in user profile, user preferences

and perceived impact among the European population

who have reported the lowest and the highest PA levels

(Special Eurobarometer SP525: Sport and Physical

Activity—Data Europa EU, n.d.).

Moreover, the secondary objective of this online

survey is to recognise what are the user preferences

of the European population with the lowest reported

PA. Namely, finding what OC content and features

this population rather see available in PA-related OC

to make them more appealing, reliable and/or

trustworthy for regular, long-term engagement.

Finally, the third objective of this online survey is

to identify the perceived impact of a population when

it comes to PA-related OC. The disseminated survey

can be consulted in Table 1 (Appendix A).

2.2 Finding the Target Population

The survey was officially tested by the research

supervisor and two other members of the scientific

community, one month before its official release on

December 15th, 2022.

After all questions and respective answers were

verified and approved, the survey received the

necessary adjustments and was approved for

dissemination in Portugal, and Finland.

Upon selection of the appropriate method of

consent, we provided participants with a suitable user

agreement notice to participate in the online survey in

compliance with the RPDG European laws. The user

agreement plainly stated the objective of the study,

the duration of the overall online survey phase, terms

of privacy, data handling procedures, and the

possibility to insert contact details, if participants

desire to receive updates on the final study results.

The survey was distributed online and

disseminated for eight weeks, starting on December

, 2022, and ending on February 15th, 2023.

The cross-sectional online survey population of

Portugal residents (Group A) and Finland residents

(Group B), aged between 18 and 65 years old, was

selected by simple random sampling.

As of 2021, the total population of Portugal was

10,343,066 (4 920 220 male; 5,422,846 female), and

the total population of Finland was 5,548,241.

Henceforth, the sample size was estimated by

assuming a mean population of 10,343,066 in

Portugal and 5,548,241 in Finland, effect size of 5%,

with a confidence level of 95%. The country’s

population data was found by using the Portuguese

statistical database INE (Instituto Nacional de

Estatística, 2022), and the Finnish statistical database

Tilastokeskus (Statistics Finland, 2022).

The target public for the survey sample gave

special emphasis on responses from the population

resident in Portugal. To identify online survey

participants, we contacted higher education

institutions in Portugal and Finland to request online

survey participation—both staff, student and alumni

participation. Additionally, we contacted universities

which have Erasmus partnership with our university

filiation to request dissemination of the online survey.

We also reached out to the Sports and Health Ministry

of both Portugal and Finland.

To reach a wide and varied range of respondents,

the survey was shared online, on social media (i.e.,

personal profiles, academic groups, or groups with

other miscellaneous topics). Additionally, we decided

to make the survey anonymous to encourage survey

participants to provide more truthful and accurate

responses.

The estimated sample size for each geographical

region was 385 individuals for each region (a total of

770 individuals in the two European countries of

Portugal and Finland). This survey sample size was

projected using power calculation to ensure a

statistically appropriate study enrolment target to

obtain meaningful results, representative of the

countries’ population.

Furthermore, the following inclusion criteria was

considered: age groups 18 and over; male and female;

resident population of Portugal or Finland; data as of

2021. Individuals with the following criteria were

excluded: non-English or non-Portuguese speakers;

country of residence is not Portugal or Finland;

illiterate individuals.

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2.3 Data Collection and Analysis Tools

The survey was distributed online and disseminated

for eight weeks, starting on December 15

, 2022, and

ending on February 15th, 2023.

Responses were exported from the open-source

tool LimeSurvey in FormsUA and exported into

Microsoft Excel (version 16.56). Duplicates were

removed, as well as participants whose responses

were incomplete or did not comply with the inclusion

and exclusion criteria. The software IBM Statistical

Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) Statistics

(version 24) was used to analyse the acquired data.

Each option was individually coded, and a

quantitative analysis method of frequencies for all

survey questions. The complete statistical breakdown

can be accessed in Appendix B.

3 RESULTS

A total of 1512 responses were recorded. 974 out of

those 1512 responses were invalidated due to

incompletion, therefore only 538 responses were

considered. Moreover, 38.3% (N=206) of female

participants and 61.7% (N=332) of male participants.

When it comes to country of residence, 48.4%

(N=261) reside in Portugal, and 51.4% (N=277)

reside in Finland.

The survey aimed to understand residents of

Portugal and Finland’s preferences and perceived

impact when using OC aiming at promoting PA. This

was accomplished by identifying specific

demographic factors such as country of residence,

academic level, employment status, user perception,

preferences and openness towards OC.

While certain BCT and user engagement

strategies and their frequencies have been previously

identified in digital platforms (DP), here we aimed to

know if the population in our study recognises their

presence in the form of perceived impact.

3.1 General Survey Population

The majority of the general survey population among

both countries of residence belongs to the 25-34 age

groups (45.5%), followed by age groups 18-24

(24.9%). This is valuable information because it helps

us understand youth’s tendencies regarding OC,

especially because they are the forthcoming

generation of adults (Patton et al., 2018).

It was important to learn more about the age

groups of this particular population because not only

is it a crucial demographic in our society, but it also

makes up a sizeable portion of the working

population, often undergoing a transitional phase of

life, and found at the forefront of technology

adoption.

Gender predominance of our survey respondents

comprised a high male percentage (61.71%). This

may be explained by the fact that men spend more

time (Goswami & Dutta, 2016; Sun et al., 2020)—

thus being more likely and available to respond to an

online survey.

Moreover, it was quite encouraging to find that

our respondents consisted mostly of participants with

an academic level of a bachelor’s degree (34.1%),

followed up by high school (28%), which matches

general population statistics data for the previously

identified most influent age groups in this survey

population (OECD, 2022). Also, finding that most of

our survey respondents consist of full-time workers

(45.3%) provided additional certification that our data

is not tied to a specific niche and consists of an

important and large segment of the population

composed by demographic balance.

Exercise-wise, a little over one-third of the

general survey population responded that they

regularly (38.5%) practice any form of PA in a sports

context or sport-related setting (such as swimming,

training in a fitness centre or a sports club, or running

in the park), followed by sometimes (25.4%).

Likewise, the general survey population responded

that they regularly (39.7%) engage in any sort of PA

(such as walking or cycling from one place to another,

gardening, etc), followed by sometimes (30.6%). This

might indicate that there is a balance between a more

and less athletic survey population, with varying

levels of experience, emphasising the importance to

continue investigating any potential underlying

causes for these various responses.

However, one must keep in mind that respondents

might have a hard time distinguishing the exercise

question from the PA one. Previous research (Lynch

& Soukup, 2016) has found that in real-world context

there is global nomenclature misperception among

terminologies such as physical education, health and

physical education, physical literacy and health

literacy.

Regarding respondents’ level of OC experience

using social media or apps for PA, the data was quite

balanced, with about three-fourths of responses

scattered between medium (27.5%), moderately low

(26.3%), and very low (24.9%). Knowing there is a

balanced distribution of OC user experience,

indicating that some respondents use OC more often,

while others do not OC at all or only do so

occasionally is quite relevant because it can help

The Role of Online Communities in Promoting Physical Activity: A Survey on User Preferences and Perceived Impact

443

understand how to better tailor OC content and

features. That is, providing a more personalized

experience by including more guidance and

instructions on how to use the DP, increasing basic

support, and assuring users that they are being

presented with reliable, trustworthy information.

About users’ most common emotion when using

social media, 56.2% of respondents reported feeling

indifferent, followed by positive (31.7%) and

negative (9.8%). This is helpful information because,

with deeper understanding, OC might be able to

improve user experience, retain users in the DP and

receive higher levels of positive word-of-mouth and

representation of its users, thus increasing its reach.

3.2 Influence of Academic Level and

Employment Status

In the real-life context of the population resident in

Portugal, 57% are enrolled in a bachelor's program

and 33% are enrolled in a master’s program (OECD,

2022). These numbers correspond to the high

percentage of survey respondents enrolled in tertiary

programmes, with 42% master’s and 24% bachelor’s

students. The same can be noted with the Finnish

respondents, where 69% of residents of Finland are

enrolled in a bachelor’s and 25% in a master’s

programme (OECD, 2022), also corresponding to

44% of survey respondents enrolled as bachelor’s and

20% as master’s students.

Statistical tests found that there is a significant

relationship between the academic level of survey

respondents and exercise level, common emotion

using OC, and user preferences. This might be

indicative of several factors. When it comes to

exercise level, the academic level may indicate higher

time management constraints, more consciousness of

health concerns, increased awareness of the benefits

of PA, or a superior socioeconomic status that allows

for accessibility to exercise facilities (Juvinyà-Canal

et al., 2020; Kwak et al., 2009; Syväoja et al., 2013).

Moreover, the relationship between academic

level and variables such as common emotion using

OC and user preferences could be associated with

divergence in user expectations due to digital

literacy—hence a more analytical approach to using

OC (J. T. E. Richardson et al., 2003). Likewise, the

level of exposure to DP could shape the perception

of quality, technical knowledge, or information needs

(Cardoso et al., 2013; Selwyn, 2008).

Statistical tests also encountered a significant

relationship between the employment status of survey

respondents and level of OC experience, common

emotion using OC, user perception, user preferences,

and user openness. This could mean a few things.

When it comes to the level of OC experience,

employment status may indicate advanced access to

technology due to work-related technology use, or

time constraints (Lunau et al., 2014; Macassa et al.,

2016; Popham & Mitchell, 2007). Employment status

may also play a role concerning common emotion

using OC, user perception, user preferences and user

openness because of digital literacy, which could

determine user expectations using DP, therefore

influencing how people perceive quality, technical

proficiency, as well as information needs, and health

demands (S. Y. Lee et al., 2015; Pulakka et al., 2018).

3.3 Influence of Country of Residence

Levels of experience using OC scores in the residents

of Portugal and Finland were equally spread among

medium, moderately low and very low (30.69% to

21.84%). This is possibly representative of the

general population’s digital literacy—which is not

expected to be high. According to Eurostat (2022),

individuals with basic overall digital skills make up

26.76% of the population in Portugal, and 31.04% in

Finland. Similarly, individuals with low overall

digital skills make up 12.64% of the population in

Portugal, and 12.58% in Finland (Eurostat, 2022).

Undoubtedly, the majority of residents of

Portugal and Finland’s self-reported common

emotion using OC is indifferent, with a score of

50.19% and 62.09% respectively. Although

respondents may genuinely feel indifferent about the

topic at hand, they might also self-report indifference

in scale surveys for other reasons (Vetschera &

Kainz, 2013), such as an incorrect grasp of the topic

or available responses, or a desire to hide one's

genuine thoughts or sentiments.

However, residents of Portugal appear to self-

report more positive results (40.23%) than residents

of Finland (23.83%), and residents of Finland appear

to self-report more negative ones (12.64%) than

residents of Portugal (6.90%). This coincides with the

grouped scores of the subsequent survey questions.

There is a significant relationship between

residents of Portugal and Finland when it comes to

PA level, common emotion using OC, user

perception, user preferences and user openness.

Among users’ perception of OC, residents of

Portugal mostly believe that current OC is easy to use

and hold motivational value (mean score of 2.64 or

higher), whilst residents of Finland believe that

current OC are easy to use and hold motivational

value (mean score of 2.74 or higher). This suggests

that ease of use (i.e., UX design, responsivity, etc) is

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not problematic in the usage of PA-related OC and

that current OC provide satisfactory features for user

navigation.

Likewise, respondents believe that OC hold

motivational value, which suggests the value of PA-

related OC is acknowledged—confirming previous

studies (Elloumi et al., 2018; Resnick et al., 2010). On

the other hand, indicators such as providing

trustworthy information, advocating accountability,

connecting with its users, and endorsing connection

among users received a lower score than average,

suggesting these variables are scarce among OC.

Among users’ preferences of OC, residents of

Portugal mostly believe that OC should provide

trustworthy information, be easy to use, hold

motivational value, advocate accountability, connect

with its users and endorse connection (mean score of

3.05 or higher), whilst residents of Finland believe

that OC should provide trustworthy information, be

easy to use, hold motivational value, and advocate

accountability (mean score of 3.12 or higher).

Comparing, and contrasting results between

users’ perception and users’ preferences of OC

suggest that indeed indicators previously mentioned

(i.e., providing trustworthy information, advocating

accountability, connecting with its users, and

endorsing connection among users) should be further

considered and developed by OC.

Among users’ openness towards OC, residents of

Portugal believe that they are likely to start using,

continue using or recommend using social media or

apps for PA to others (mean score of 2.91 or higher),

whilst residents of Finland believe that they are likely

to start using, continue using or recommend using

social media or apps for PA to others (mean score of

2.69 or higher). Besides, users’ openness to OC

further enhances the value that both populations

attribute to DP when it comes to PA (Goodyear et al.,

2023; Smith Anderson-Bill et al., 2011).

3.4 Variations in User Preferences and

Perceived Impact

Considering the statistical analysis of this survey,

there is a substantial correlation between residents of

Finland and Portugal in terms of user perception and

user preferences.

Country of residence may affect how users

perceive OC due to factors such as access to

technology, economic factors, regulatory

environment, cultural differences, and language

accessibility. Based on the global innovation index

that evaluates innovative capacities based on the

cultural characteristics of different countries, Finland

is positioned as an innovation leader, whereas

Portugal is considered a low-innovative country

(Moonen, 2017). This is relevant because the level of

innovation of a country is directly connected to its

openness and broad-minded nature (Hofstede &

Bond, 1984; H. S. Lee et al., 2022).

This is especially relevant because the

relationship between every single variable in the user

perception group (i.e., advocate accountability,

connect with its users, endorse connection between

users, hold motivational value, are easy to use, and

provide trustworthy information) was found to be

statistically significant.

Regarding user preferences, country of residence

may have an impact on how users feel OC should

promote accountability, engage with its users, and

support connections between users. The motives for

this are like those previously mentioned, such as

access to technology, economic factors, laws and

regulations, cultural disparities, and communication

accessibility requirements.

Finally, the country of residence presented a

statistically significant relationship with user

openness to start, continue and recommend media or

apps for PA. This may be an additional indicator of

the quality of life and happiness level differences

among these populations—considering Finland is

among the happiest countries in the EU, and Portugal

is among the unhappiest (Eurostat, 2022). When

individuals are more satisfied with their lives, the

more generous and altruistic they are with others

(Park et al., 2017).

In both populations combined, all variable pairs

presented statistically significant relationships with

each other. This suggests that overall, user perception

of the current OC is most likely unmatched by their

preferences. In other words, this may hint at a lack of

overall satisfaction in OC features. This result is

interesting because it might explain why most users

self-reported indifference as the common emotion

towards OC. Indifference, although objectively not

considered a negative nor positive emotion, provides

no motivational value for increasing influence in

digital interventions for PA.

Consequently, and according to the social support

theory, by being in contact with others, users can

obtain empathy, and help, thus highly benefiting from

the social support of others to sustain their physical

and mental well-being (Wang & Gruenewald, 2019).

Indifference towards an OC may withhold these

health benefits, and exposure to new information, and

lead to a weaker sense of identity and a lesser sense

of belonging to the OC (LaCoursiere, 2001; Wright,

2016).

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445

4 LIMITATIONS AND FUTURE

DIRECTIONS

It is crucial for one to recognise that these findings

correspond to the specific elements of this study.

Likewise, to assess how broadly applicable these

conclusions are, additional analysis may be useful.

First, even though we aimed to focus our research

on individuals resident of Portugal and Finland, we

were unable to isolate these subjects of study from the

general population between every single variable in

the survey.

One of the biggest limitations of this study was

undoubtedly the lack of collaboration between

national entities. Connects and word-of-mouth are

some of the most important factors in providing

access and resources to reach out to a greater

audience. However, after many attempts to contact

higher education entities, national health and sports

governmental systems, there was no response.

Without access to credible sources that could bridge

the gap between this and its audience, we were unable

to reach out to enough survey participants from both

target groups and genders.

Moreover, although used interchangeably by

population, the terminology social media and social

messaging system are not the same This difficulty in

differentiating concepts may have been a limitation in

the way survey questions were approached by

respondents. Although we inquired survey

participants about specific social media apps for PA,

we decided not to use that as an analysis variable

because of the scarcity of responses and the difficulty

of respondents to differentiate between the

terminology “online communities” and “social media

apps” – assuming OC and digital messaging apps

consist of the same.

Finally, although validated as reliable variables to

find statistical significance between populations, the

questions in the categorized groups of user

perception, user preferences, and user openness were

based on the author’s previous investigation and

information on the subject rather than on validated

models. The reason for this is that at present, there are

no validated models examining specific variables on

user insight and discernment regarding OC usage.

5 CONCLUSION

In this study, we endeavoured to find corrections

between residents of Portugal and Finland’s

responses, especially when it comes to statistical

significance in divergent responses and means. The

ability to compare these two populations and draw

possible correlations is the most relevant part of the

survey.

The survey was designed to elucidate the general

research objectives and fill specific restrictive gaps

(Arksey & O’Malley, 2005; Levac et al., 2010)

identified in the earliest phases of this research. Those

are the recognition of specific OC qualities that could

help overcome the recurrently stated difficulty of

extending long-term engagement (Edney et al., 2017;

Manzoor et al., 2016; Tague et al., 2014).

Moreover, the survey was conducted to support

the discussion part of this research, to comprehend

how users perceive OC as a potential catalyst for PA

and what kind of relationship the audience has with

OC in general.

Although specific group subjects could enhance

research validity because of their apparent

homogeneity, they would also limit the generalization

of the research population. For that reason, we

decided to investigate different groups in the survey

to provide a diversified online survey analysis and

research discussion. That is, considering the

differences in academic level, and employment status

among both residence groups could provide a

diversified perspective, thus enriching this study.

All things considered, there is evidence which

supports that further investment by OC would be

advantageous. Moreover, for optimal meeting of user

preferences, greater OC development attention

should be concentrated on advocating accountability,

connecting and endorsing connections between users,

increasing motivational value and ease of use, and

ensuring that the provided information is trustworthy.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

This work was supported by Fundação para a Ciência

e Tecnologia (FCT) under the PhD grant

SFRH/BD/144296/2019.

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