Adequate sleep is crucial for mood regulation and injury prevention in high school female athletes, yet many in this demographic experience insufficient sleep. This study aimed to assess the feasibility and preliminary effects of a multicomponent AI-supported mobile health (mHealth) intervention that provided personalized sleep feedback to high school female soccer players.
Study Overview
The pilot randomized controlled trial involved 25 high school female soccer players from a single team. The trial began with a baseline period of four weeks, followed by random allocation to either an intervention group or a control group. The intervention group received AI-generated personalized feedback based on their sleep data collected via Fitbit, while the control group received nonpersonalized sleep information.
The primary efficacy outcome measured was sleep efficiency, with secondary outcomes including total sleep time (TST), wake after sleep onset (WASO), subjective sleep quality, and daytime sleepiness. Exploratory outcomes included mood state and sports injury severity.
Results
All participants completed the trial, with 100% success in message delivery and questionnaire completion across both groups. The intervention group reported a median of 26 valid Fitbit wear nights, compared to 22 in the control group. Notably, the change in sleep efficiency favored the intervention group, with a Hodges-Lehmann between-group difference of 2% (95% CI 0.50%-4%; P=.046; r=0.35).
Additionally, nominal differences were observed in the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI-J) total score and sleep difficulty score, as well as in exploratory outcomes like REM sleep duration.
What this study does not show
This study does not establish long-term effects or health outcomes resulting from the AI-generated sleep feedback intervention, as it primarily focuses on feasibility and preliminary efficacy.
Evidence scorecard
- Analytic validity: Established
- Clinical validity: Established
- Clinical utility: Partial
The evidence is based on a human randomized controlled trial.