Tying Devices as a Means of Increasing Exercise

Not Applicable

Completed

• Conditions: Healthy
• Interventions: Behavioral: Control; Behavioral: Forced Tying Intervention; Behavioral: Suggested Tying Intervention

• Registration Number: NCT01410812
• Lead Sponsor: University of Pennsylvania

Brief Summary

The investigators propose that healthy behaviors such as exercise could be increased through the use of tying devices - mechanisms that force a coupling of addictive activities (listening to the next chapter of a page-turner novel) with engagement in a healthy behavior (exercise).

Detailed Description

The study will test the effect of the following treatments as a means of increasing gym attendance over 10 weeks: 1. Participants receive access to 4 iTunes audio novels on their own iPods and prompted to listen to those novels only when exercising at the gym; 2: Participants receive 4 iTunes audio novels for a loaned iPod that they will only have access to at the gym; 3: Participants receive weekly emails asking them about their exercise.

Basic Information
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Recruitment & Eligibility
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Study & Design
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Trial Locations

Study Timeline

• Study First Submitted: 2011-08-03
• Study First Submitted QC: 2011-08-04
• Study First Posted: 2011-08-05
• Study Start: 2011-09
• Primary Completion: 2011-12
• Study Completion: 2012-09
• Results First Submitted: 2017-06-06
• Status Verified: 2018-01
• Results First Submitted QC: 2018-12-17
• Last Update Submitted: 2018-12-17
• Results First Posted: 2018-12-19
• Last Update Posted: 2018-12-19

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: COMPLETED
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 226

Inclusion Criteria

• Stable health as determined by the screening of their medical history
• Own an iPod
• An interest in exercising more regularly
• Belong to the Pottruck Gym at University of Pennsylvania
• Interested in exercising more through the use of aerobic exercise machines

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Exclusion Criteria

• Recent myocardial infraction
• congestive heart failure
• uncontrolled hypertension
• self-report of 6 or more alcoholic beverages per day or use of any illicit drugs
• bulimia nervosa or related behaviors
• diabetes medication

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Study & Design

• Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Design: PARALLEL

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
Control	Control	Control group of participants who do not receive any intervention but are weighed at the beginning and end of a 10 week period and receive weekly emails asking them about their exercise. They also receive the equivalent cash value of 4 iTunes audio novels
Forced Tying	Forced Tying Intervention	Receives same treatment as the control group. However, in addition to receiving the cash, they also receive 4 iTunes audio novels for a loaned iPod that they will only have access to at the gym. They are told they may only listen to these novels only when at the gym in order to increase their attendance.
Suggested Tying	Suggested Tying Intervention	Receive same treatments as control group, but instead of receiving cash they receive 4 iTunes audio novels for their own iPods. Further, they are prompted to try to listen to those novels only when exercising at the gym in order to increase their attendance.

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Average Weekly Gym Attendance From Baseline to Week 9	9 weeks

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Dollar Amount Participants Would Pay for Enrollment	9 weeks	Willingness to pay is measured as the dollar amount a participant would pay to be enrolled in a program such as the treatment. Participant who would pay more are said to be more willing to pay, as opposed to those who would pay less or not at all.

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

University of Pennsylvania; 🇺🇸 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States