Way to Be Active III (Framing Incentives)

Not Applicable

Completed

• Conditions: Sedentary Lifestyle
• Interventions: Behavioral: Financial Incentives; Behavioral: Daily feedback

• Registration Number: NCT02030119
• Lead Sponsor: University of Pennsylvania

Brief Summary

Employers are increasingly looking for opportunities to motivate sedentary employees to become more physically active. Workplace walking programs have had mixed success and typically show most improvement among participants that are already fairly active at a baseline. The goal of this study is to determine whether a financial incentive program can motivate sedentary employees to increase the number of steps they walk per day to meet a minimum threshold.

The primary outcome measure is the proportion of days a minimum activity of 7000 steps or more is achieved. Outcomes will be assessed each week for 3 months using incentives followed by 3 months of follow-up without incentives. Secondary outcomes will include the average steps walked per day.

Detailed Description

Not available

Study Timeline

• Study First Submitted: 2013-12-20
• Study First Submitted QC: 2014-01-07
• Study First Posted: 2014-01-08
• Study Start: 2014-02
• Primary Completion: 2014-09
• Study Completion: 2014-09
• Status Verified: 2017-09
• Results First Submitted: 2017-09-21
• Results First Submitted QC: 2017-10-26
• Last Update Submitted: 2017-10-26
• Results First Posted: 2017-12-02
• Last Update Posted: 2017-12-02

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: COMPLETED
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 281

Inclusion Criteria

1. Age greater than 18.
2. Participant will need an iPhone or Android smartphone to be able to use the Moves App for tracking steps

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Exclusion Criteria

1. A score of "high" on the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) activity level scale
2. BMI less than 27
3. Pregnant or lactating
4. Participation in another physical activity study

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Study & Design

• Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Design: PARALLEL

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
Gain Framing	Daily feedback	Participants will be told that they will earn money for each day they walk at least 7000 steps. Each participant will receive either an email or text message (based on the participant's preference) stating whether or not he/she achieved the goal for the prior day and can collect the earnings. Non-adherent participants will receive messages about how much they would have earned had they met their target step goal.
Control	Daily feedback	The participant will receive either an email or text message (based on the participant's preference) stating whether the participant achieved their goal for the prior day.
Loss Framing	Financial Incentives	The participants will be told that their account has been credited a certain amount of money for the upcoming 30 days. However, for each day they do not meet their goal of at least 7000 steps, they will lose a small portion of that money. The participant will receive either an email or text message (based on the participant's preference) stating whether the participant achieved the goal for the prior day. Non-adherent participants will receive messages about how much the participant would have kept had they met the target step goal.
Gain Framing	Financial Incentives	Participants will be told that they will earn money for each day they walk at least 7000 steps. Each participant will receive either an email or text message (based on the participant's preference) stating whether or not he/she achieved the goal for the prior day and can collect the earnings. Non-adherent participants will receive messages about how much they would have earned had they met their target step goal.
Loss Framing	Daily feedback	The participants will be told that their account has been credited a certain amount of money for the upcoming 30 days. However, for each day they do not meet their goal of at least 7000 steps, they will lose a small portion of that money. The participant will receive either an email or text message (based on the participant's preference) stating whether the participant achieved the goal for the prior day. Non-adherent participants will receive messages about how much the participant would have kept had they met the target step goal.
Daily Lottery	Financial Incentives	Each participant will be entered into a lottery daily, but participants will only be eligible to collect their winnings if they walked at least 7000 steps the day before. Participants will receive either an email or text message (based on the participant's preference) stating whether or not they won the lottery and if they met their target step goal. If both occur, the participant will be told how much money he or she won. Non-adherent participants will receive messages about how much they would have won had they met the target step goal.
Daily Lottery	Daily feedback	Each participant will be entered into a lottery daily, but participants will only be eligible to collect their winnings if they walked at least 7000 steps the day before. Participants will receive either an email or text message (based on the participant's preference) stating whether or not they won the lottery and if they met their target step goal. If both occur, the participant will be told how much money he or she won. Non-adherent participants will receive messages about how much they would have won had they met the target step goal.

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Proportion of Days Each Individual Walks 7000 Steps Per Day or More	Throughout the 6 month study	The primary outcome measure is the mean proportion of participant-days a minimum activity of 7000 steps or more is achieved. Outcomes will be assessed each week for 3 months using incentives followed by 3 months of follow-up without incentives.

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Average Number of Steps Per Day	Throughout the 6 month study	Secondary outcomes include average number of steps each individual takes per day throughout the 13-week intervention and additional 13-week follow-up periods.

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

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