Using Social Incentives and Gamification for Weight Loss Promotion

Obesity Clinical Trial

Official title:

Using Social Incentives and Gamification for Weight Loss Promotion

Clinical Trial Details — Status: Completed

Administrative data

• NCT number: NCT02564445
• Other study ID #: 823326
• Status: Completed
• Phase: Phase 3
• First received: September 29, 2015
• Last updated: December 19, 2016
• Start date: January 2016
• Est. completion date: December 2016

Study information

• Verified date: December 2016
• Source: University of Pennsylvania
• Contact: n/a
• Is FDA regulated: No
• Health authority: United States: Institutional Review Board
• Study type: Interventional

Clinical Trial Summary

This is a 36-week, three-arm randomized, controlled trial using a team-based model to compare two weight loss programs to control. Each intervention will use insights from behavioral economics to leverage social incentives and gamification.

Description:

Obesity is a leading risk factor for morbidity and mortality affecting more than one in three adults in the United States. Modifiable health behaviors contribute to this growing epidemic. Insights from behavioral economics have shown promise for motivating behavior change through the use of financial incentives. However, social incentives or those influences that impact individuals to adjust their inherent behaviors based on social ties and connections have not been well examined. Social incentives are a more patient-centered approach that leverages and enhances the existing connections and influences on the individual. Since one individual's behavior change is connected to many others within their network, social incentives have the potential to be a scalable intervention that impacts the community. Gamification, or the use of game design in non-game situations, is often used in the real world, but its effectiveness is unknown. In this study, investigators will conduct a 36-week, three-arm, randomized, controlled trial using a team-based model to compare two weight loss programs to control. Each intervention will use insights from behavioral economics to leverage social incentives and gamification.

Recruitment information / eligibility

• Status: Completed
• Enrollment: 196
• Est. completion date: December 2016
• Est. primary completion date: September 2016
• Accepts healthy volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers
• Gender: Both
• Age group: 18 Years to 70 Years

Eligibility

Inclusion Criteria:

• Age 18 to 70 years

• Ability to read and provide informed consent

• Has an iPhone 4 or newer

• Have self-reported body mass index of 30 or greater and in-person body mass index of 28 or greater

Exclusion Criteria:

• Conditions that would make participation infeasible such as inability to provide informed consent, illiteracy or inability to speak, read, and write English

• Conditions that would make participation unsafe such as current treatment for drug or alcohol use, myocardial infarction or stroke within the last 6 months, metastatic cancer, pregnant, breastfeeding or plan to become pregnant during study period, previous diagnosis of an eating disorder, or history of unsafe weight loss practices

• Already enrolled in another weight loss study

• Any other medical conditions or reasons that they could not complete a 36-week weight loss program

Study Design

Allocation: Randomized, Endpoint Classification: Efficacy Study, Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment, Masking: Single Blind (Investigator), Primary Purpose: Treatment

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Body Weight
• Obesity
• Physical Activity
• Weight Loss

Intervention

Behavioral:
• Gamification
All participants will be entered with their teammate into a game that includes points and levels
• Share Data with PCP
Weight and step count data will be shared with the participant's primary care physician
• Feedback on weight
Participants will use a wireless weight scale to weigh-in at home and receive feedback on weight.
• Feedback on step counts
Participants will use a smartphone application that uses accelerometers within the phone to track step counts and receive feedback on step counts

Locations

Country	Name	City	State
n/a

Sponsors (1)

Lead Sponsor	Collaborator
University of Pennsylvania

Outcome

Type	Measure	Description	Time frame	Safety issue
Primary	Change in weight in pounds		24-week primary intervention period	No
Secondary	Change in weight in pounds		12-week follow-up period	No
Secondary	Physical activity (mean daily steps)		24-week primary intervention period	No
Secondary	Physical activity (mean daily steps)		12-week follow-up period	No