Incentivizing Planning & Output in Exercising

Not Applicable

Completed

• Conditions: Healthy
• Interventions: Behavioral: Incentivizing planning; Behavioral: Incentivizing exercise

• Registration Number: NCT03742765
• Lead Sponsor: University of Pennsylvania

Brief Summary

This study will test whether incentivizing pre-workout activities (i.e., planning workouts) is more effective than incentivizing actual workouts. This study has two conditions: planning condition (with incentives for planning) vs. output (with incentives for working out). The focus of the incentives will be reinforced by three text messages per week and weekly emails.

Detailed Description

Gym members register online to participate in a 28-day workout program. Upon registration, participants are assigned to one of two conditions (a condition that incentivizes planning or a condition that incentivizes workouts). Upon registration, participants are prompted to create a workout schedule and are given tips about how to create a workout habit. Over the 28-day intervention period, participants receive text message reminders prior to their scheduled workouts and emails reminding them of their schedules. In both conditions, participants receive points every day that they go to the gym, which can be redeemed for a gift card after the intervention period. In the planning condition, participants can receive bonus points for responding to each of three text messages each week asking about their plans for going to the gym. In the output condition, participants receive bonus points for their first three workouts each week.

Study Timeline

• Study Start: 2018-01-31
• Study First Submitted: 2018-11-13
• Study First Submitted QC: 2018-11-13
• Study First Posted: 2018-11-15
• Primary Completion: 2019-02-28
• Study Completion: 2019-02-28
• Status Verified: 2020-06
• Last Update Submitted: 2020-06-09
• Last Update Posted: 2020-06-11

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: COMPLETED
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 1200

Inclusion Criteria

• Has 24 Hour Fitness gym membership

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Exclusion Criteria

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Study & Design

• Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Design: PARALLEL

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
Incentivizing Planning	Incentivizing planning	Participants will receive three texts each week asking a question to help plan for the next workout, and will receive 500 points for each text they answer. These bonus points are on top of points participants receive for each workout (200 points per workout).
Incentivizing Exercise	Incentivizing exercise	Participants will receive three texts each week asking a question about their workout. Regardless of whether or not they respond to the texts, participants receive 500 bonus points for their first three workouts during the week. These bonus points are on top of points participants receive for each workout (200 points per workout).

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Gym visits per week	During the 10-weeks post-intervention	Number of times the participant goes to the gym
Whether or not a participant visits the gym in a given week	During the 10-weeks post intervention	Binary variable capturing whether or not a participant had any gym visits in a given week

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Gym visits per week	During the 52-weeks post-intervention	Number of times the participant goes to the gym
Whether or not a participant visits the gym in a given week	During the 52-weeks post-intervention	Binary variable capturing whether or not a participant had any gym visits in a given week

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

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