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Physical ActivityNCT03574519

Project Step II: The Effects of Incentives and Feedback on Promoting Walking Within Overweight and Obese Adults

A study testing Non-contingent incentives, Contingent incentives and Weekly feedback in people with Physical Activity and Sedentary Lifestyle, run by Drexel University at 1 site in United States.

Completed

Finished. The study has ended and is not enrolling. Results may be posted on the official record.

Official record
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Trial summary

This study will evaluate the main effects of daily vs. weekly feedback and contingent vs. non-contingent incentives for increasing walking behavior among overweight and obese adults. Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 18 to 70 yearsHealthy volunteers can take part
What is being tested?
Non-contingent incentives, Contingent incentives and Weekly feedback
Could I receive a placebo?
No, everyone receives an active treatment
How many people
61 participants
Where
1 siteUnited States
Study dates
1 Jun 2017to 30 Jan 2018
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 to 70 years
  • All sexes
  • Healthy volunteers accepted
  • Adult, Older adult

Who may be able to join

  • 25 kg/m2 ≤ BMI ≤ 45 kg/m2
  • Age 18-70
  • Currently inactive (engages in less than 6,000 steps/day on at least 4 of 7 days per week OR engaged in less than 10,000 steps /day on at least 5/7 days per week, confirmed by FitBit at baseline)
  • Able to engage in moderate amount of walking
  • Able to receive email/text messages from study staff

Who cannot join

  • Psychiatric conditions that would make it difficult to comply
  • Medical conditions that would make it difficult to comply

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country.

United States1 site
  • Drexel University

    Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19104

Other trials in United States

About this study

This study will evaluate the main effects of daily vs. weekly feedback and contingent vs. non-contingent incentives for increasing walking behavior among overweight and obese adults.

Read the detailed description

Approximately 68% of adults are overweight or obese, which is associated with increased risk for health conditions, including cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and cancer. These individuals are more often sedentary than the general population, which compounds the risk for these same conditions. While the benefits of engaging in physical activity are well-established, few individuals are able to successfully increase activity to recommended levels. Existing intervention programs, often derived from theories such as social cognitive theory or related theories, have had limited success. Behavioral economics offers a promising alternative, suggesting that engagement in any behavior is based on the maximizing utility and happiness (i.e., weighing the cost and benefit of the behavior). Interventions based on this theory aim to increase the immediate benefit of engaging in physical activity, often using a financial incentive.

This study will last for 8 weeks. All participants will have the use of a FitBit for ongoing self-monitoring and a personalized step-count goal designed to help increase daily steps. Participants will receive feedback on reaching their goals either daily or weekly.

Being tested
Non-contingent incentives, Contingent incentives, Weekly feedback, Daily feedback
Medical subject headings
Motor Activity, Sedentary Behavior, Overweight, Obesity

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

  • Non-contingent incentivesBehavioural

    Incentives are provided for participation

  • Contingent incentivesBehavioural

    Incentives are provided for attaining daily goals

  • Weekly feedbackBehavioural

    Text message feedback is delivered weekly summarizing the past week's progress

  • Daily feedbackBehavioural

    Text message feedback is delivered daily summarizing the current day's progress

Study groups in NCT03574519
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
Non-contingent incentives and weekly feedbackExperimentalParticipants will receive payment for participating in the study (regardless of goal attainment) and will receive weekly updates about their performance.
Receives: Behavioral: Non-contingent incentives; Behavioral: Weekly feedback
Non-contingent incentives and daily feedbackExperimentalParticipants will receive payment for participating in the study (regardless of goal attainment) and will receive daily updates about their performance.
Receives: Behavioral: Non-contingent incentives; Behavioral: Daily feedback
Contingent incentives and weekly feedbackExperimentalParticipants will receive payment for meeting their daily goals and will receive weekly updates about their performance.
Receives: Behavioral: Contingent incentives; Behavioral: Weekly feedback
Contingent incentives and daily feedbackExperimentalParticipants will receive payment for meeting their daily goals and will receive daily updates about their performance.
Receives: Behavioral: Contingent incentives; Behavioral: Daily feedback

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

  1. Step counts

    Average daily step counts

    Measured: Change from baseline to end of 6-week intervention

Secondary outcomes (2)
  1. Step counts

    Average daily step counts

    Measured: Change from end of intervention to end of 2-week follow-up

  2. Step counts

    Measured: Daily change during 6-week intervention

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

  1. First posted2 Jul 2018
  2. Study start1 Jun 2017
  3. Primary completion30 Jan 2018
  4. Study completion30 Jan 2018

Resources

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
Treatment
Allocation
Randomised
Intervention model
Factorial
Masking
None (open label)
Enrolment
61 participants (actual)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT03574519
Sponsor's protocol ID
1601004185-2
Status last verified
Jun 2018
First submitted
12 Jun 2018
Last updated
3 Jul 2018
Results posted
No
Data monitoring committee
No
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
Individual data sharing
No

Publications

  • Kerrigan SG, Forman EM, Williams D, Patel M, Loyka C, Zhang F, Crosby RD, Butryn ML. Project Step: A Randomized Controlled Trial Investigating the Effects of Frequent Feedback and Contingent Incentives on Physical Activity. J Phys Act Health. 2021 Mar 1;18(3):247-253. doi: 10.1123/jpah.2020-0198. Epub 2021 Feb 17.

    PubMed 33601334

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A study testing Non-contingent incentives, Contingent incentives and Weekly feedback in people with Physical Activity and Sedentary Lifestyle, run by Drexel University 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 5 inclusion and 2 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 Jul 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?

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?

Step counts (time frame: Change from baseline to end of 6-week intervention). 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 NCT03574519, which also lists 1 linked publication.

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 Jul 2018.

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