ObesityNCT01900392
Financial Incentives for Maintenance of Weight Loss
A study testing Financial incentive in people with Obesity, run by University of Pennsylvania at 1 site in United States.
Trial summary
This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of financial incentives in improving and maintaining weight loss. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 30 to 80 years
- Conditions the study is for
- Obesity
- What is being tested?
- Financial incentive
- Type of treatment
- Lifestyle or therapy programme
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 191 participants
- Where
- 1 siteUnited States
- Study dates
- Sep 2013to Feb 2016
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- Yes, posted in the registrySummary in the doctors' view
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 30 to 80 years
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- Adults age 30-80
- BMI between 30 and 45 prior to starting Weight Watchers
- Have a documented weight loss of at least 5kg in the past 4-6 months before enrolling
- Stable health
Who cannot join
- Substance abuse
- Bulimia nervosa or related behaviors
- Pregnancy or breast feeding
- Medical contraindications to counseling about diet, physical activity, or weight reduction
- Unstable mental illness
- Screen positive for pathological gambling on the basis of the 10 item DSM-IV criteria (excluded if meets 5 or more criteria)
- Individuals unable to read consent forms or fill out surveys in English
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
United States1 site
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19104
About this study
Official title: A Randomized Trial of Financial Incentives for Maintenance of Weight Loss
This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of financial incentives in improving and maintaining weight loss.
Read the detailed description
Study participants will be obese volunteers recruited from a major community-based weight loss program (Weight Watchers), who have lost at least 5kg during the 4-6 months prior to enrolling in the study. Among these participants, the following will be assessed: 1. The effectiveness of a daily lottery-based financial incentive, relative to the control group, on weight loss and weight maintenance; 2. The effectiveness of a direct payment incentive, relative to the control group, on maintenance of weight loss; 3. Assess the comparative effectiveness of lottery-based and direct payment financial incentives on weight loss and maintenance; 4. The degree to which weight loss is maintained in the intervention groups relative to usual care during the 6 months following cessation of the intervention will also be determined.
During Phase I, incentives will be provided to some study participants (direct payment and lottery arm) for the first 6 months and subjects will be followed for 6 more months to examine effects following cessation of incentives.
- Conditions
- Obesity
- Being tested
- Financial incentive
- Medical subject headings
- Obesity
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Financial incentiveBehavioural
Participants in the direct payment and lottery arms will receive financial incentives as part of the intervention. See arm descriptions for more detail.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Control Arm | No intervention | No other financial incentive other than for the 3-, 6-, 9-, \& 12-month weigh-ins and surveys. Participants will receive daily feedback for months 1-6 and will be observed without intervention in Phase II (months 7-12). Two weigh-ins will be required during Phase II, one at 9 months and the other at 12 months. |
| Direct payment | Experimental | In addition to the incentives for the 3-, 6-, 9-, \& 12-month weigh-ins, participants who meet their daily goal will be eligible to receive an incentive for each day their goal is met during the first 6 months of the study. All daily incentive earnings will be paid out after verifying participants' weights during an in person weigh in at a Weight Watchers location at months 3 and 6. Winnings will be proportional to weight loss. For example, if a participant's goal was to lose 6 pounds by month 3, but he/she only lost 3 pounds, that participant would only receive 50% of their total eligible winnings.
Similar to the control arm, participants will receive daily feedback for months 1-6 and will be observed without intervention in Phase II (months 7-12). The weigh-ins at 9- and 12-months will also be required. Receives: Behavioral: Financial incentive |
| Lottery | Experimental | In addition to the incentives for the 3-, 6-, 9-, \& 12-month weigh-ins, participants who meet their daily goal will be eligible for the daily lottery during the first 6 months of the study. The expected daily winning for the lottery is the same as for the direct payment arm. All daily incentive earnings will be paid out after verifying participants' weights during an in person weigh in at a Weight Watchers location at months 3 and 6. Winnings will be proportional to weight loss. For example, if a participant's goal was to lose 6 pounds by month 3, but he/she only lost 3 pounds, that participant would only receive 50% of their total eligible winnings.
Similar to the control arm, participants will receive daily feedback for months 1-6 and will be observed without intervention in Phase II (months 7-12). The weigh-ins at 9- and 12-months will also be required. Receives: Behavioral: Financial incentive |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Change in Weight From Baseline to 6 Months
Measured: 6 months
Change in Weight From Baseline to 12 Months
Measured: 12 months
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted16 Jul 2013 (estimated)
- Study startSep 2013
- Primary completionAug 2015
- Study completionFeb 2016
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Posted resultsParticipant flow, outcome measures and adverse events reported by the sponsor.
- Publications (21)Papers the sponsor has linked to this study.
- Other trials for ObesityStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- More trials run by University of PennsylvaniaThe 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
- Single blind
- Who is masked
- Investigator
- Enrolment
- 191 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- University of Pennsylvania
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- Duke University, National Institute on Aging (NIA)
- Responsible party
- Sponsor
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT01900392
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- 816917
- Other IDs
- 1R01AG045045-01
- Status last verified
- Sep 2018
- First submitted
- 26 Jun 2013
- Last updated
- 27 Sep 2018
- Results posted
- Yes, on ClinicalTrials.gov
- Data monitoring committee
- Yes
Publications
Clinical Guidelines on the Identification, Evaluation, and Treatment of Overweight and Obesity in Adults--The Evidence Report. National Institutes of Health. Obes Res. 1998 Sep;6 Suppl 2:51S-209S. No abstract available.
PubMed 9813653Office of the Surgeon General (US); Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (US); Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (US); National Institutes of Health (US). The Surgeon General's Call To Action To Prevent and Decrease Overweight and Obesity. Rockville (MD): Office of the Surgeon General (US); 2001. Available from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK44206/
PubMed 20669513Flegal KM, Carroll MD, Ogden CL, Johnson CL. Prevalence and trends in obesity among US adults, 1999-2000. JAMA. 2002 Oct 9;288(14):1723-7. doi: 10.1001/jama.288.14.1723.
PubMed 12365955Ogden CL, Carroll MD, Curtin LR, McDowell MA, Tabak CJ, Flegal KM. Prevalence of overweight and obesity in the United States, 1999-2004. JAMA. 2006 Apr 5;295(13):1549-55. doi: 10.1001/jama.295.13.1549.
PubMed 16595758Adams KF, Schatzkin A, Harris TB, Kipnis V, Mouw T, Ballard-Barbash R, Hollenbeck A, Leitzmann MF. Overweight, obesity, and mortality in a large prospective cohort of persons 50 to 71 years old. N Engl J Med. 2006 Aug 24;355(8):763-78. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa055643. Epub 2006 Aug 22.
PubMed 16926275Yan LL, Daviglus ML, Liu K, Stamler J, Wang R, Pirzada A, Garside DB, Dyer AR, Van Horn L, Liao Y, Fries JF, Greenland P. Midlife body mass index and hospitalization and mortality in older age. JAMA. 2006 Jan 11;295(2):190-8. doi: 10.1001/jama.295.2.190.
PubMed 16403931Daviglus ML, Liu K, Yan LL, Pirzada A, Manheim L, Manning W, Garside DB, Wang R, Dyer AR, Greenland P, Stamler J. Relation of body mass index in young adulthood and middle age to Medicare expenditures in older age. JAMA. 2004 Dec 8;292(22):2743-9. doi: 10.1001/jama.292.22.2743.
PubMed 15585734Finkelstein EA, Trogdon JG, Brown DS, Allaire BT, Dellea PS, Kamal-Bahl SJ. The lifetime medical cost burden of overweight and obesity: implications for obesity prevention. Obesity (Silver Spring). 2008 Aug;16(8):1843-8. doi: 10.1038/oby.2008.290. Epub 2008 May 29.
PubMed 18535543Nordmann AJ, Nordmann A, Briel M, Keller U, Yancy WS Jr, Brehm BJ, Bucher HC. Effects of low-carbohydrate vs low-fat diets on weight loss and cardiovascular risk factors: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Arch Intern Med. 2006 Feb 13;166(3):285-93. doi: 10.1001/archinte.166.3.285.
PubMed 16476868Gardner CD, Kiazand A, Alhassan S, Kim S, Stafford RS, Balise RR, Kraemer HC, King AC. Comparison of the Atkins, Zone, Ornish, and LEARN diets for change in weight and related risk factors among overweight premenopausal women: the A TO Z Weight Loss Study: a randomized trial. JAMA. 2007 Mar 7;297(9):969-77. doi: 10.1001/jama.297.9.969.
PubMed 17341711Methods for voluntary weight loss and control. NIH Technology Assessment Conference Panel. Consensus Development Conference, 30 March to 1 April 1992. Ann Intern Med. 1993 Oct 1;119(7 Pt 2):764-70.
PubMed 8363212Giuffrida A, Torgerson DJ. Should we pay the patient? Review of financial incentives to enhance patient compliance. BMJ. 1997 Sep 20;315(7110):703-7. doi: 10.1136/bmj.315.7110.703.
PubMed 9314754Kane RL, Johnson PE, Town RJ, Butler M. A structured review of the effect of economic incentives on consumers' preventive behavior. Am J Prev Med. 2004 Nov;27(4):327-52. doi: 10.1016/j.amepre.2004.07.002.
PubMed 15488364Volpp KG, Gurmankin Levy A, Asch DA, Berlin JA, Murphy JJ, Gomez A, Sox H, Zhu J, Lerman C. A randomized controlled trial of financial incentives for smoking cessation. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2006 Jan;15(1):12-8. doi: 10.1158/1055-9965.EPI-05-0314.
PubMed 16434580Volpp KG, Troxel AB, Pauly MV, Glick HA, Puig A, Asch DA, Galvin R, Zhu J, Wan F, DeGuzman J, Corbett E, Weiner J, Audrain-McGovern J. A randomized, controlled trial of financial incentives for smoking cessation. N Engl J Med. 2009 Feb 12;360(7):699-709. doi: 10.1056/NEJMsa0806819.
PubMed 19213683
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 27 Sep 2018. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- A Randomized Trial of Financial Incentives for Maintenance of Weight Loss
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT01900392
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- 816917
- Conditions
- Obesity
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 191 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- University of PennsylvaniaUniversity, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- Duke University, National Institute on Aging (NIA)
- Study start
- Sep 2013
- Primary completion
- Aug 2015 (actual)
- Study completion
- Feb 2016 (actual)
- First posted
- 16 Jul 2013 (estimated)
- Results
- Posted 27 Sep 2018
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of financial incentives in improving and maintaining weight loss.
Detailed description
Study participants will be obese volunteers recruited from a major community-based weight loss program (Weight Watchers), who have lost at least 5kg during the 4-6 months prior to enrolling in the study. Among these participants, the following will be assessed: 1. The effectiveness of a daily lottery-based financial incentive, relative to the control group, on weight loss and weight maintenance; 2. The effectiveness of a direct payment incentive, relative to the control group, on maintenance of weight loss; 3. Assess the comparative effectiveness of lottery-based and direct payment financial incentives on weight loss and maintenance; 4. The degree to which weight loss is maintained in the intervention groups relative to usual care during the 6 months following cessation of the intervention will also be determined.
During Phase I, incentives will be provided to some study participants (direct payment and lottery arm) for the first 6 months and subjects will be followed for 6 more months to examine effects following cessation of incentives.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Health services research
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Single blind (investigator)
- Number of arms
- 3
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Control Arm | No intervention | –No other financial incentive other than for the 3-, 6-, 9-, \& 12-month weigh-ins and surveys. Participants will receive daily feedback for months 1-6 and will be observed without intervention in Phase II (months 7-12). Two weigh-ins will be required during Phase II, one at 9 months and the other at 12 months. |
| Direct payment | Experimental | Behavioral: Financial incentiveIn addition to the incentives for the 3-, 6-, 9-, \& 12-month weigh-ins, participants who meet their daily goal will be eligible to receive an incentive for each day their goal is met during the first 6 months of the study. All daily incentive earnings will be paid out after verifying participants' weights during an in person weigh in at a Weight Watchers location at months 3 and 6. Winnings will be proportional to weight loss. For example, if a participant's goal was to lose 6 pounds by month 3, but he/she only lost 3 pounds, that participant would only receive 50% of their total eligible winnings. Similar to the control arm, participants will receive daily feedback for months 1-6 and will be observed without intervention in Phase II (months 7-12). The weigh-ins at 9- and 12-months will also be required. |
| Lottery | Experimental | Behavioral: Financial incentiveIn addition to the incentives for the 3-, 6-, 9-, \& 12-month weigh-ins, participants who meet their daily goal will be eligible for the daily lottery during the first 6 months of the study. The expected daily winning for the lottery is the same as for the direct payment arm. All daily incentive earnings will be paid out after verifying participants' weights during an in person weigh in at a Weight Watchers location at months 3 and 6. Winnings will be proportional to weight loss. For example, if a participant's goal was to lose 6 pounds by month 3, but he/she only lost 3 pounds, that participant would only receive 50% of their total eligible winnings. Similar to the control arm, participants will receive daily feedback for months 1-6 and will be observed without intervention in Phase II (months 7-12). The weigh-ins at 9- and 12-months will also be required. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 30 to 80 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (4 listed)
- Adults age 30-80
- BMI between 30 and 45 prior to starting Weight Watchers
- Have a documented weight loss of at least 5kg in the past 4-6 months before enrolling
- Stable health
Key exclusion criteria (7 listed)
- Substance abuse
- Bulimia nervosa or related behaviors
- Pregnancy or breast feeding
- Medical contraindications to counseling about diet, physical activity, or weight reduction
- Unstable mental illness
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Financial incentiveParticipants in the direct payment and lottery arms will receive financial incentives as part of the intervention. See arm descriptions for more detail. | Behavioural | Direct payment, Lottery |
Primary outcome
Change in Weight From Baseline to 6 Months
Time frame: 6 months
Change in Weight From Baseline to 12 Months
Time frame: 12 months
Results and safety
Loading the posted results from ClinicalTrials.gov…
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 27 Sep 2018.
- Posted resultsParticipant flow, baseline, all outcome measures and adverse events.
- Background: PubMed 9813653Clinical Guidelines on the Identification, Evaluation, and Treatment of Overweight and Obesity in Adults--The Evidence Report. National Institutes of Health. Obes Res. 1998 Sep;6 Suppl 2:51S-209S. No abstract available.
- Background: PubMed 20669513Office of the Surgeon General (US); Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (US); Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (US); National Institutes of Health (US). The Surgeon General's Call To Action To Prevent and Decrease Overweight and Obesity. Rockville (MD): Office of the Surgeon General (US); 2001. Available from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK44206/
- Background: PubMed 12365955Flegal KM, Carroll MD, Ogden CL, Johnson CL. Prevalence and trends in obesity among US adults, 1999-2000. JAMA. 2002 Oct 9;288(14):1723-7. doi: 10.1001/jama.288.14.1723.
- Background: PubMed 16595758Ogden CL, Carroll MD, Curtin LR, McDowell MA, Tabak CJ, Flegal KM. Prevalence of overweight and obesity in the United States, 1999-2004. JAMA. 2006 Apr 5;295(13):1549-55. doi: 10.1001/jama.295.13.1549.
- Background: PubMed 16926275Adams KF, Schatzkin A, Harris TB, Kipnis V, Mouw T, Ballard-Barbash R, Hollenbeck A, Leitzmann MF. Overweight, obesity, and mortality in a large prospective cohort of persons 50 to 71 years old. N Engl J Med. 2006 Aug 24;355(8):763-78. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa055643. Epub 2006 Aug 22.
- Background: PubMed 16403931Yan LL, Daviglus ML, Liu K, Stamler J, Wang R, Pirzada A, Garside DB, Dyer AR, Van Horn L, Liao Y, Fries JF, Greenland P. Midlife body mass index and hospitalization and mortality in older age. JAMA. 2006 Jan 11;295(2):190-8. doi: 10.1001/jama.295.2.190.
- Background: PubMed 15585734Daviglus ML, Liu K, Yan LL, Pirzada A, Manheim L, Manning W, Garside DB, Wang R, Dyer AR, Greenland P, Stamler J. Relation of body mass index in young adulthood and middle age to Medicare expenditures in older age. JAMA. 2004 Dec 8;292(22):2743-9. doi: 10.1001/jama.292.22.2743.
- Background: PubMed 18535543Finkelstein EA, Trogdon JG, Brown DS, Allaire BT, Dellea PS, Kamal-Bahl SJ. The lifetime medical cost burden of overweight and obesity: implications for obesity prevention. Obesity (Silver Spring). 2008 Aug;16(8):1843-8. doi: 10.1038/oby.2008.290. Epub 2008 May 29.
- Background: PubMed 16476868Nordmann AJ, Nordmann A, Briel M, Keller U, Yancy WS Jr, Brehm BJ, Bucher HC. Effects of low-carbohydrate vs low-fat diets on weight loss and cardiovascular risk factors: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Arch Intern Med. 2006 Feb 13;166(3):285-93. doi: 10.1001/archinte.166.3.285.
- Background: PubMed 17341711Gardner CD, Kiazand A, Alhassan S, Kim S, Stafford RS, Balise RR, Kraemer HC, King AC. Comparison of the Atkins, Zone, Ornish, and LEARN diets for change in weight and related risk factors among overweight premenopausal women: the A TO Z Weight Loss Study: a randomized trial. JAMA. 2007 Mar 7;297(9):969-77. doi: 10.1001/jama.297.9.969.
- Background: PubMed 8363212Methods for voluntary weight loss and control. NIH Technology Assessment Conference Panel. Consensus Development Conference, 30 March to 1 April 1992. Ann Intern Med. 1993 Oct 1;119(7 Pt 2):764-70.
- Background: PubMed 9314754Giuffrida A, Torgerson DJ. Should we pay the patient? Review of financial incentives to enhance patient compliance. BMJ. 1997 Sep 20;315(7110):703-7. doi: 10.1136/bmj.315.7110.703.
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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.
The record lists no contact. Use the official record to reach the sponsor.
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Financial incentive in people with Obesity, run by University of Pennsylvania 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 4 inclusion and 7 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 27 Sep 2018. 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?
Yes. Results are posted in the registry (first posted 27 Sep 2018). A summary is in the For doctors view, and the full results are on ClinicalTrials.gov.
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?
Change in Weight From Baseline to 6 Months (time frame: 6 months). The study lists 2 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT01900392, which also lists 21 linked publications.
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 27 Sep 2018.