Social Goals and Individual Incentives to Promote Walking in Older Adults

Physical Activity Clinical Trial

Official title:

Social Goals and Individual Incentives to Promote Walking in Older Adults (Way to Walk II)

Clinical Trial Details — Status: Completed

Administrative data

• NCT number: NCT01643538
• Other study ID #: 69924
• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• First received: July 16, 2012
• Last updated: March 4, 2014
• Start date: August 2012
• Est. completion date: September 2013

Study information

• Verified date: February 2014
• Source: University of Pennsylvania
• Contact: n/a
• Is FDA regulated: No
• Health authority: United States: Institutional Review Board
• Study type: Interventional

Clinical Trial Summary

The goal of this randomized and controlled trial is to test whether a financial incentive of a donation to achieve a social goal is more effective to motivate and sustain a daily walking habit than the same dollar value given to an older adult. The investigators will achieve this using a novel computer platform utilizing a digital pedometer-internet interface.

Recruitment information / eligibility

• Status: Completed
• Enrollment: 94
• Est. completion date: September 2013
• Est. primary completion date: July 2013
• Accepts healthy volunteers: No
• Gender: Both
• Age group: 65 Years and older

Eligibility

Inclusion Criteria:

• Adult 65 years of age and older

• Can read and speak English

• Access to a personal computer with high-speed internet connection and functional Universal Serial Bus (USB) port for the study duration

• Able to walk 1/4 mile (i.e., 2 to 3 blocks) without stopping

• No pedometer use in last 30 days

Exclusion Criteria:

Major medical conditions including:

• serious heart and lung diseases

• diabetes requiring insulin therapy

• severe arthritis

• neurologic disorders

• dementia

• heavy alcohol use

• recent knee or spinal surgery

Study Design

Allocation: Randomized, Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment, Masking: Open Label, Primary Purpose: Health Services Research

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Physical Activity

Intervention

Behavioral:
• Financial incentive
Participants will receive a direct financial incentive in the amount of $20 for each week when their daily pedometer step count equals or exceeds their goal at least 5 out of 7 days.
• Social Goal
Participants will be asked to identify a charity to which they would like to donate the payment for reaching their walking goal. Each week they will be asked to designate which charity should receive a donation if they meet or exceed their goal. If they meet the goal, they will be notified that a donation of $20 in their name has been sent to the charity.
• Personal financial incentives & social goals
Participants will be able to allocate their reward for reaching their walking goal: the $20 reward can be divided between personal financial incentive and a charitable donation. Each week, the participant will be asked to choose whether to keep, give, or split the reward, if they meet or exceed their goal. If they choose to send some of the money to charity, they will be asked to identify a charity to which they would like to donate the payment. If they meet their goal, they will be notified by email or mail (based on their preference), that a donation of the selected amount has been sent to the charity.
• daily pedometer use and weekly feedback
Daily use of pedometer for 5 months. Walking goal set based on level of walking during 2-week run-in period. Weekly feedback provided on meeting walking goal - defined as achieving goal number of steps for 5 of 7 days per week.

Locations

Country	Name	City	State
United States	University of Pennsylvania	Philadelphia	Pennsylvania

Sponsors (2)

Lead Sponsor	Collaborator
University of Pennsylvania	Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

Country where clinical trial is conducted

United States, 

Outcome

Type	Measure	Description	Time frame	Safety issue
Primary	mean proportion of days that step per day goals were attained		16 weeks	No
Secondary	mean number of steps per day		16 weeks	No
Secondary	mean proportion of days that step per day goals were attained during follow-up		4 weeks	No