Social and Financial Incentives to Increase Physical Activity Among Overweight and Obese Veterans

Physical Activity Clinical Trial

Official title:

Evaluating Connected Health Approaches to Improving the Health of Veterans (CDA 15-065)

Clinical Trial Details — Status: Completed

Administrative data

• NCT number: NCT03563027
• Other study ID #: CDX 18-003
• Secondary ID: HX-001922-01
• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Start date: March 19, 2019
• Est. completion date: August 9, 2020

Study information

• Verified date: August 2021
• Source: VA Office of Research and Development
• Contact: n/a
• Is FDA regulated: No
• Study type: Interventional

Clinical Trial Summary

In this randomized, controlled trial the investigators will compare the use of social and financial incentive-based interventions to increase physical activity among overweight and obese Veterans during a 12-week intervention with 8 weeks of follow-up.

Description:

In this 3-arm randomized trial, the investigators will compare the effectiveness of a social incentive-based gamification intervention with and without loss-framed financial incentives to increase physical activity relative to a control among overweight and obese adults Veterans. All Veterans will use a Fitbit wearable device to establish a baseline step count, select a step goal increase of 33% to 50% above baseline and then participate in a 12-week intervention and 8-week follow-up period. The two intervention arms will be entered into a game with points and levels designed using insights from behavioral economics. They will be asked to select a social support partner who will receive weekly updates on their progress in the game. Veterans in one arm will also receive loss-framed financial incentives allocated to an account each week during the intervention and financial incentives taken away each day the step goal was not achieved.

Recruitment information / eligibility

• Status: Completed
• Enrollment: 180
• Est. completion date: August 9, 2020
• Est. primary completion date: June 14, 2020
• Accepts healthy volunteers: No
• Gender: All
• Age group: 18 Years and older

Eligibility

Inclusion Criteria:

• Veterans
• Body mass index of 25 or greater
• Access to smartphone or tablet to sync wearable device data
• Interest in participating in a 20-week physical activity program

Exclusion Criteria:

• Already participating in a physical activity research study
• Unable to provide informed consent
• Unsafe or infeasible to participate
• No access to smartphone or table to sync wearable device data

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Physical Activity

Intervention

Behavioral:
• Social Incentive Gamification
Game-based intervention with points and levels
• Support Sponsor
Participants select a support sponsor to receive weekly updates on progress in the game
• Financial Incentive
Participants receive a loss-framed financial incentive allocated upfront each week and financial incentives taken away each day the goal is not met

Locations

Country	Name	City	State
United States	Corporal Michael J. Crescenz VA Medical Center, Philadelphia, PA	Philadelphia	Pennsylvania
United States	Philadelphia MultiService Center, Philadelphia, PA	Philadelphia	Pennsylvania

Sponsors (1)

Lead Sponsor	Collaborator
VA Office of Research and Development

Country where clinical trial is conducted

United States, 

Outcome

Type	Measure	Description	Time frame	Safety issue
Primary	Change in Mean Daily Steps From Baseline Relative to Control	Daily steps counts	Intervention period of weeks 5 to 12 which excludes the 4-week ramp-up
Secondary	Change in Mean Daily Steps From Baseline Relative to Control	Daily step counts	Follow-up period of weeks 13 to 20
Secondary	Proportion of Participant-days Step Counts Were Achieved Relative to Control	Proportion of days for a participants that their step goal target was achieved	Intervention period of weeks 5 to 12 which excludes the 4-week ramp-up
Secondary	Proportion of Participant-days Step Counts Were Achieved	Proportion of days for a participants that their step goal target was achieved	Follow-up period of weeks 13 to 20