Using Self-Motivating Messages to Encourage People to Exercise More

Physical Activity Clinical Trial

Official title:

Using Self-Motivating Messages to Encourage People to Exercise More

Clinical Trial Details — Status: Completed

Administrative data

• NCT number: NCT02903849
• Other study ID #: 2016080382
• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• First received: September 13, 2016
• Last updated: May 8, 2017
• Start date: September 2016
• Est. completion date: January 2017

Study information

• Verified date: May 2017
• Source: Washington University School of Medicine
• Contact: n/a
• Is FDA regulated: No
• Study type: Interventional

Clinical Trial Summary

The investigators are interested in using personalized, self-motivating messages to motivate people to exercise more.

Description:

The investigators are interested in using personalized, self-motivating messages to motivate people to exercise more. Through a partnership with a university, the investigators are running a large-scale, randomized field controlled trial aimed at increasing exercise frequencies during a 100-day challenge. The primary purpose of this study is to test whether sending people motivating messages they wrote to themselves in the past can keep them engaged in the challenge and motivate them to exercise more frequently. One week into the challenge, employees who have signed up for the challenge will receive an email inviting them to participate in a short activity. Employees who click on the link will be directed to a survey. Once they finish reading the first introductory page and click "next", they will be randomly assigned to one of two groups. In the control group, employees will be encouraged to write down what they think will motivate them to walk more after 20, 50, and 90 days into the Challenge. These employees will receive standard reminders on the 20th, 50th, and 90th day of the challenge. In the treatment group, employees will be encouraged to write down motivating messages that they will receive on the 20th, 50th, and 90th day of the Challenge.

All employees who are exposed to either the control or the treatment condition will be included in the analysis.

The investigators plan to explore moderators based on (a) employees' demographics (age, gender, ethnicity, position), (b) employees' participation in previous challenges, and (c) employees' health condition and fitness level prior to the challenge (such as how actively they have been participating in other wellness activities, their health statistics).

Recruitment information / eligibility

• Status: Completed
• Enrollment: 324
• Est. completion date: January 2017
• Est. primary completion date: December 2016
• Accepts healthy volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers
• Gender: All
• Age group: 18 Years and older

Eligibility

Inclusion Criteria:

• Employees who click on the link inviting them to participate in an activity and are assigned to either the treatment or control condition

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Physical Activity

Intervention

Behavioral:
• Drafting Motivational Messages
Write down three motivating messages
• Control Reminders
Receive standard reminders at three points during the challenge
• Treatment Reminders
Receive reminders containing the messages they leave themselves at three points during the challenge

Locations

Country	Name	City	State
United States	Hengchen Dai	Saint Louis	Missouri

Sponsors (2)

Lead Sponsor	Collaborator
Washington University School of Medicine	University of California, Los Angeles

Country where clinical trial is conducted

United States, 

Outcome

Type	Measure	Description	Time frame	Safety issue
Primary	Activity Level	Number of steps taken each day, as recorded in participants' online portal.	Through study completion, 100 days
Secondary	Body Mass Index (BMI)	Most recent BMI in pounds (weight) and inches (height) as entered by participant, an expected average of 2 months after study start. Obtaining the data is dependent on the ability to obtain the data from the online portal.	After the 100-day challenge ends
Secondary	Cholesterol	Most recent total, low, and high cholesterol levels in mg/dl as entered by participant, an expected average of 2 months after study start. Obtaining the data is dependent on the ability to obtain the data from the online portal.	After the 100-day challenge ends
Secondary	Blood Pressure	Most recent systolic and diastolic levels in mmHg as entered by participant, an expected average of 2 months after study start. Obtaining the data is dependent on the ability to obtain the data from the online portal.	After the 100-day challenge ends
Secondary	Stress	Most recent self-reported stress level on a 1-5 scale (with 1 indicating "Relaxed" and 5 indicating "Highly Stressed") as entered by participant, an expected average of 2 months after study start. Obtaining the data is dependent on the ability to obtain the data from the online portal.	After the 100-day challenge ends