Behavior and Behavior MechanismsNCT01811407
Impacts of Public Announcements of Goals and Outcomes on Goal Completion (Commit to Steps)
A study testing Precommitment announcement, Results announcement and Walking program in people with Behavior and Behavior Mechanisms, run by University of Michigan at 1 site in United States.
Trial summary
Physical activity is known to help reduce obesity and the problems that accompany it. Walking has many benefits that make it an excellent way for obese people to increase their physical activity. It is hard, however, for people to stick with walking programs. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 years and olderHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Behavior and Behavior Mechanisms
- What is being tested?
- Precommitment announcement, Results announcement and Walking program
- Type of treatment
- Lifestyle or therapy programme
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 165 participants
- Where
- 1 siteUnited States
- Study dates
- Jul 2013to Apr 2014
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- None posted in the registry
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 18 years and older
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- Has received treatment from a UMHS provider within the previous 6 months.
- BMI ≥ 30
- Age ≥ 18
- Must be sedentary, defined by less than 150 minutes of self-reported activity per week.
- Must have access to a computer with an Internet connection that can accept USB uploads.
- Must have a Facebook account and have at least 50 friends on it.
- Must be able to communicate in English.
Who cannot join
- Currently pregnant
- Unable to comfortably walk at least a block without the assistance of a cane or walker.
- Not competent to sign a consent form.
- Absolute or relative contraindications to walking
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
About this study
Official title: Impacts of Public Announcements of Goals and Outcomes on Goal Completion
Physical activity is known to help reduce obesity and the problems that accompany it. Walking has many benefits that make it an excellent way for obese people to increase their physical activity. It is hard, however, for people to stick with walking programs. Setting specific and challenging walking targets that are combined with timely feedback about discrepancies between desired and actual performance lead to higher performance. There is conflicting theory and evidence about the effects of publicly announcing those targets on commitment to the targets and on performance.
Our research question is whether public announcements reduce the challenge level of commitments people set, and whether the reputational consequence of public announcements is severe enough to increase performance. The investigators propose a controlled trial that will integrate Facebook with the objective monitoring of walking via the use of pedometers to test the effect of public announcements on commitments and step counts.
Read more
All participants will wear a pedometer and upload via the internet for 14 to 15 weeks, depending on their date of randomization. The first 2 to 3 weeks the investigators will determine the participant's baseline step counts. The following 12 weeks, the investigators will recommend a daily step count target based on the median number of steps the participants walked the previous week. Each week, participants will set a commitment by stating the number of days in the following week that he/she will meet the computer-set step count target.
Commitments will be entered into an interface that will link with Facebook. Participants will select who of their Facebook friends will receive their commitments and/or results via Facebook posts. The interface will distribute those posts in a way that fits in with existing online social practices.
There will be 3 experimental conditions. 1.) No public announcements 2.) Public announcement of commitment and 3.) Public announcement of commitment and results. In addition, groups 2 and 3 will provide us with emails of 3 friends or family members who will act as the participant's support team. The investigators will send announcements directly to support team members.
The investigators plan to recruit 165 participants primarily by obtaining lists of potentially eligible University of Michigan Health System patients from the clinical data repository, and sending targeted letters to these patients. Because this research - and the physical activity programs it will inform - aims to reach a large number of people efficiently, enrollment will take place online with a click-through consent document. The investigators have extensive experience with delivering online walking programs in similar populations.
The investigators hope to learn best practices for using public announcements and online social networks to encourage people to exercise more or to otherwise promote wellness.
- Conditions
- Behavior and Behavior Mechanisms
- Being tested
- Precommitment announcement, Results announcement, Walking program
- Medical subject headings
- Behavior
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Precommitment announcementBehavioural
Results announcementBehavioural
Walking programBehavioural
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Private/private | Other | Participants will wear a pedometer for 14-15 weeks and receive a weekly step count target each week. Participants will be required to set a forward-looking commitment each week as to how many days during the following week they will meet their step count target. Commitment and results will be private. Receives: Behavioral: Walking program |
| Public/private | Experimental | Participants will wear a pedometer for 14-15 weeks and receive a weekly step count target each week. Commitments are made as in the Private/Private condition. In addition, one Facebook announcement will be posted at the beginning of the week that says how many days the participant thinks they will meet their walking target the following week. An email will also be sent directly to 3 friends the participant chose with the same announcements. Receives: Behavioral: Precommitment announcement; Behavioral: Walking program |
| Public/public | Experimental | Participants will wear a pedometer for 14-15 weeks and receive a weekly step count target each week. Commitments will be made as in the Private/Private condition. In addition, one message will be posted to Facebook at the beginning of the week that says how many days the participant thinks they will meet their walking target the following week, and how they did on their previous weekly commitment. An email will also be sent directly to 3 friends the participant chose with the same announcements. Receives: Behavioral: Precommitment announcement; Behavioral: Results announcement; Behavioral: Walking program |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
The number of days the participant met the weekly step count target.
Measured: Participants will be followed for 14 to 15 weeks, depending on the date of randomization.
Secondary outcomes (3)
The number of days the participants committed to walking.
Measured: Participants will be followed for 14 to 15 weeks, depending on the date of randomization.
The change in step counts from baseline.
Measured: Participants will be followed for 14 to 15 weeks, depending on the date of randomization.
The number of days the participants wore the pedometer.
Measured: Participants will be followed for 14 to 15 weeks, depending on the date of randomization.
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted14 Mar 2013 (estimated)
- Study startJul 2013
- Primary completionApr 2014
- Study completionApr 2014
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Behavior and Behavior MechanismsStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- More trials run by University of MichiganThe sponsor's other registered studies.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Health services research
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Enrolment
- 165 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- University of Michigan
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Paul J. Resnick, University of Michigan
- Investigators
- Paul J Resnick, PhD, Principal investigator, University of Michigan
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT01811407
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- 9010
- Status last verified
- Dec 2014
- First submitted
- 14 Feb 2013
- Last updated
- 3 Dec 2014
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 3 Dec 2014. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Impacts of Public Announcements of Goals and Outcomes on Goal Completion
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT01811407
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- 9010
- Conditions
- Behavior and Behavior Mechanisms
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 165 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- University of MichiganUniversity, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
- Study start
- Jul 2013
- Primary completion
- Apr 2014 (actual)
- Study completion
- Apr 2014 (actual)
- First posted
- 14 Mar 2013 (estimated)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
Physical activity is known to help reduce obesity and the problems that accompany it. Walking has many benefits that make it an excellent way for obese people to increase their physical activity. It is hard, however, for people to stick with walking programs. Setting specific and challenging walking targets that are combined with timely feedback about discrepancies between desired and actual performance lead to higher performance. There is conflicting theory and evidence about the effects of publicly announcing those targets on commitment to the targets and on performance.
Our research question is whether public announcements reduce the challenge level of commitments people set, and whether the reputational consequence of public announcements is severe enough to increase performance. The investigators propose a controlled trial that will integrate Facebook with the objective monitoring of walking via the use of pedometers to test the effect of public announcements on commitments and step counts.
All participants will wear a pedometer and upload via the internet for 14 to 15 weeks, depending on their date of randomization. The first 2 to 3 weeks the investigators will determine the participant's baseline step counts. The following 12 weeks, the investigators will recommend a daily step count target based on the median number of steps the participants walked the previous week. Each week, participants will set a commitment by stating the number of days in the following week that he/she will meet the computer-set step count target.
Commitments will be entered into an interface that will link with Facebook. Participants will select who of their Facebook friends will receive their commitments and/or results via Facebook posts. The interface will distribute those posts in a way that fits in with existing online social practices.
There will be 3 experimental conditions. 1.) No public announcements 2.) Public announcement of commitment and 3.) Public announcement of commitment and results. In addition, groups 2 and 3 will provide us with emails of 3 friends or family members who will act as the participant's support team. The investigators will send announcements directly to support team members.
The investigators plan to recruit 165 participants primarily by obtaining lists of potentially eligible University of Michigan Health System patients from the clinical data repository, and sending targeted letters to these patients. Because this research - and the physical activity programs it will inform - aims to reach a large number of people efficiently, enrollment will take place online with a click-through consent document. The investigators have extensive experience with delivering online walking programs in similar populations.
The investigators hope to learn best practices for using public announcements and online social networks to encourage people to exercise more or to otherwise promote wellness.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Health services research
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Number of arms
- 3
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Private/private | Other | Behavioral: Walking programParticipants will wear a pedometer for 14-15 weeks and receive a weekly step count target each week. Participants will be required to set a forward-looking commitment each week as to how many days during the following week they will meet their step count target. Commitment and results will be private. |
| Public/private | Experimental | Behavioral: Precommitment announcement, Behavioral: Walking programParticipants will wear a pedometer for 14-15 weeks and receive a weekly step count target each week. Commitments are made as in the Private/Private condition. In addition, one Facebook announcement will be posted at the beginning of the week that says how many days the participant thinks they will meet their walking target the following week. An email will also be sent directly to 3 friends the participant chose with the same announcements. |
| Public/public | Experimental | Behavioral: Precommitment announcement, Behavioral: Results announcement, Behavioral: Walking programParticipants will wear a pedometer for 14-15 weeks and receive a weekly step count target each week. Commitments will be made as in the Private/Private condition. In addition, one message will be posted to Facebook at the beginning of the week that says how many days the participant thinks they will meet their walking target the following week, and how they did on their previous weekly commitment. An email will also be sent directly to 3 friends the participant chose with the same announcements. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 years and older
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (7 listed)
- Has received treatment from a UMHS provider within the previous 6 months.
- BMI ≥ 30
- Age ≥ 18
- Must be sedentary, defined by less than 150 minutes of self-reported activity per week.
- Must have access to a computer with an Internet connection that can accept USB uploads.
Key exclusion criteria (4 listed)
- Currently pregnant
- Unable to comfortably walk at least a block without the assistance of a cane or walker.
- Not competent to sign a consent form.
- Absolute or relative contraindications to walking
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| Precommitment announcement | Behavioural | Public/private, Public/public |
| Results announcement | Behavioural | Public/public |
| Walking program | Behavioural | Private/private, Public/private, Public/public |
Primary outcome
The number of days the participant met the weekly step count target.
Time frame: Participants will be followed for 14 to 15 weeks, depending on the date of randomization.
3 secondary outcomes
The number of days the participants committed to walking.
Time frame: Participants will be followed for 14 to 15 weeks, depending on the date of randomization.
The change in step counts from baseline.
Time frame: Participants will be followed for 14 to 15 weeks, depending on the date of randomization.
The number of days the participants wore the pedometer.
Time frame: Participants will be followed for 14 to 15 weeks, depending on the date of randomization.
Results and safety
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 3 Dec 2014.
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
Paul J Resnick, PhD principal investigator
University of Michigan
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Precommitment announcement, Results announcement and Walking program in people with Behavior and Behavior Mechanisms, run by University of Michigan at 1 site in United States.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 7 inclusion and 4 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 3 Dec 2014. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in United States. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
The number of days the participant met the weekly step count target. (time frame: Participants will be followed for 14 to 15 weeks, depending on the date of randomization.). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 3 Dec 2014.