Testing Strategies for Increasing Exercise

Obesity Clinical Trial

Official title:

Testing Strategies for Increasing Exercise

Clinical Trial Details — Status: Completed

Administrative data

• NCT number: NCT01139541
• Other study ID #: WalkStation1
• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• First received: June 3, 2010
• Last updated: August 17, 2015
• Start date: June 2010
• Est. completion date: January 2011

Study information

• Verified date: August 2015
• Source: Harvard University
• Contact: n/a
• Is FDA regulated: No
• Health authority: United States: Institutional Review Board
• Study type: Interventional

Clinical Trial Summary

The purpose of the study is to learn more about effective ways to motivate people to increase their non-exercise energy expenditure exercise. This is an important research question because obesity and weight-related issues are increasingly becoming a problem in America. This project will address this research question by testing the effect of group dynamics in motivating employees who are predominantly sedentary to use Walkstations at work. The Walkstations are treadmills that move at a very slow rate (maximum 2miles / hour) and are attached to a work station (i.e. with computer and telephone); they therefore are designed to increase energy spent not through heavy exercise, but through small changes in posture and movement associated with routines in daily life (called nonexercise activity thermogenesis or NEAT). The proposed study is designed to build upon previous research (Levine et al., 2005) suggesting the role of NEAT-enhanced behaviors in weight loss.

In this study, the investigators are interested in the impact of group dynamics on the propensity to use the Walkstations. Participants in the active arms will be asked to use the Walkstations for at least 3 hours per week. They will do so by signing up for a time slot. During their session, they will be asked to log into the scheduling system to indicate that they are using the Walkstation. Walkstation usage will be assessed by log-in data: employees will log-in to the phone and computer when they use the Walkstation. This log-in data is work-station specific; therefore the investigators will be able to tell when a given subject used the Walkstation.

Subjects will be randomly assigned to one of three conditions:

1. Individual. In the individual condition, participants will not be part of a team. They will receive weekly email feedback on their Walkstation performance (e.g. number of time slots they signed up for, and number of times they showed up for the time slot.) Participants will also receive a wellness tip in each email. (see appendix for a sample email)

2. Pairs. In the pair condition, participants will be randomly assigned to a partner. They will receive the same feedback as those in the individual condition, for both themselves AND their partner.

3. Group. In the group condition, participants will be randomly assigned to a group of 5 people. They will receive the same feedback as those in the individual condition, for both themselves AND each member of their group.

Recruitment information / eligibility

• Status: Completed
• Enrollment: 224
• Est. completion date: January 2011
• Est. primary completion date: January 2011
• Accepts healthy volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers
• Gender: Both
• Age group: 18 Years to 70 Years

Eligibility

Inclusion Criteria:

• Must pass the ParQ

• Must be employee of BCBS Massachusetts

Exclusion Criteria:

• Failing the ParQ

• Not being an employee of BCBS Massachusetts

Study Design

Allocation: Randomized, Endpoint Classification: Efficacy Study, Intervention Model: Factorial Assignment, Masking: Open Label, Primary Purpose: Treatment

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Obesity
• Sedentary Lifestyle

Intervention

Behavioral:
• Social walking intervention
In this intervention, we are interested in the impact of group dynamics on the propensity to use the Walkstations. The intervention consists of 4 levels: control, individual, pair, and group.

Locations

Country	Name	City	State
United States	Blue Cross Blue Shield Massachusetts	Boston	Massachusetts

Sponsors (2)

Lead Sponsor	Collaborator
Harvard University	Blue Cross Blue Shield

Country where clinical trial is conducted

United States, 

Outcome

Type	Measure	Description	Time frame	Safety issue
Primary	WalkStation usage	Frequency with which the participant uses the WalkStation	3 months	No
Secondary	Creativity	Creativity measured on versus off the WalkStation.	3 months	No
Secondary	Focus	Focus, as measured when person is on versus off the WalkStation.	3 months	No
Secondary	Health Behaviors Survey	Survey of health-related behaviors to be completed by participant.	pre-baseline	No
Secondary	WalkStation Usage	Frequency with which the participant uses the WalkStation	6 months	No
Secondary	Health Behaviors Survey	Survey of health-related behaviors to be completed by participant.	baseline	No
Secondary	Health Behaviors Survey	Survey of health-related behaviors to be completed by participant.	6 months	No
Secondary	Creativity	Creativity measured on versus off the WalkStation.	baseline	No
Secondary	Focus	Focus, as measured when person is on versus off the WalkStation.	baseline	No