Physical InactivityNCT05704712
Exercise Incentives for YMCA Based Exercise
A study testing Monetary Incentives in people with Physical Inactivity, run by Brown University at 1 site in United States.
Trial summary
The investigators will conduct a randomized controlled trial to test financial incentive programs (versus control) to promote physical activity among 330 adults who have a YMCA membership. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 years and olderHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Physical Inactivity
- What is being tested?
- Monetary Incentives
- Type of treatment
- Lifestyle or therapy programme
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 339 participants
- Where
- 1 siteUnited States
- Study dates
- 15 Mar 2023to 30 Jun 2027
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- Not yet: the study is under way
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
- A current member, or willing to become a current member of one of the following branches of the YMCA:
- Bayside Family YMCA (Barrington, RI)
- Cranston YMCA (Cranston, RI)
- East Side/Mt. Hope YMCA (Providence, RI)
- Kent County YMCA (Warwick, RI)
- Newman YMCA (Seekonk, MA)
Show all 9Show fewer
- South County YMCA (South Kingston, RI)
- Age 18 years or older
- Physically capable of engaging in exercise
Who cannot join
- Not a current member, and unwilling to become a member of one of the above listed YMCA branches.
- Under age 18.
- Physically incapable of exercise
- Doctor has recommended that you should not exercise because of a current health condition
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
About this study
Official title: Empirical Testing of a Widely Available Insurance-based Monetary Incentive Program for Exercise: A Randomized Trial
The investigators will conduct a randomized controlled trial to test financial incentive programs (versus control) to promote physical activity among 330 adults who have a YMCA membership. Participants will have the opportunity to earn up to $100 or $200 (depending on the condition they are assigned to) for attending at least 50 sessions at the YMCA over 6 months. Participants will have two 6-month windows during which they will have the opportunity to earn the incentive. In addition to the incentives, participants will complete research assessments every 3 months.
- Conditions
- Physical Inactivity
- Being tested
- Monetary Incentives
- Keywords
- Incentives, Motivation
- Medical subject headings
- Sedentary Behavior
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Monetary IncentivesBehavioural
Monetary incentives, provided in the form of pre-loaded Visa debit cards are provided to encourage exercise.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Message 1 - $100 | Experimental | Participants are offered an incentive of $100 to complete 50 exercise sessions at the YMCA within 6 months (Description of incentive 1) Receives: Behavioral: Monetary Incentives |
| Message 2 - $100 | Experimental | Participants are offered an incentive of $100 to complete 50 exercise sessions at the YMCA within 6 months (Description of incentive 2). Receives: Behavioral: Monetary Incentives |
| Message 1 - $200 | Experimental | Participants are offered an incentive of $200 to complete 50 exercise sessions at the YMCA within 6 months (Description of incentive 1). Receives: Behavioral: Monetary Incentives |
| Message 2 - $200 | Experimental | Participants are offered an incentive of $200 to complete 50 exercise sessions at the YMCA within 6 months (Description of incentive 2). Receives: Behavioral: Monetary Incentives |
| Control | No intervention | Participants complete all assessments, and are eligible to receive compensation for participating in the research components of the study. |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Change in Number of YMCA visits
Number of sessions (max 1 per day) a person signs into the YMCA
Measured: Baseline, 6 months, 12 months, 24 months
Secondary outcomes (2)
Change in Accelerometry
Minutes of physical activity weighted by intensity, expressed in metabolic equivalent (MET) minutes per week as determined by accelerometers (Actigraph [model wGT3x-BT]) worn during one-week periods.
Measured: Measured at baseline, and months 3, 6, 9, and 12.
Change in Self-report physical activity (Godin)
Self-reported minutes of leisure time physical activity (inside and outside the YMCA) per week weighted by intensity
Measured: Measured at baseline, and months 3, 6, 9, and 12.
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted30 Jan 2023
- Study start15 Mar 2023
- Primary completion31 May 2027 (estimated)
- Study completion30 Jun 2027 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Publications (1)Papers the sponsor has linked to this study.
- Other trials for Physical InactivityStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- 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
- Prevention
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Factorial
- Masking
- Triple blind
- Who is masked
- Participant, Investigator, Outcomes assessor
- Enrolment
- 339 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Brown University
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- National Cancer Institute (NCI)
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, David M. Williams, Brown University
- Investigators
- David M Williams, Ph.D., Principal investigator, Brown University School of Public HealthOmar Galarraga, Ph.D., Principal investigator, Brown University School of Public Health
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT05704712
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- R01CA262894
- Other IDs
- R01CA262894
- Status last verified
- Aug 2026
- First submitted
- 9 Jan 2023
- Last updated
- 1 Sep 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- Yes
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- Yes: De-identified data will be shared with interested parties after all of the initial study analyses and outcomes have been published.
Publications
Williams DM, Bohlen LC, Dunsiger S, Ayala-Heredia V, Griffin E, Dionne L, Wilson-Barthes M, Unick J, LaRowe LR, Galarraga O. Testing an insurance-based monetary incentive program for exercise: RCT design and rationale. Contemp Clin Trials. 2023 Dec;135:107382. doi: 10.1016/j.cct.2023.107382. Epub 2023 Nov 5.
PubMed 37935304
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 1 Sep 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Empirical Testing of a Widely Available Insurance-based Monetary Incentive Program for Exercise: A Randomized Trial
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT05704712
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- R01CA262894
- Conditions
- Physical Inactivity
- Keywords
- Incentives, Motivation
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Active, not recruiting
- Enrolment
- 339 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- Brown UniversityUniversity, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- National Cancer Institute (NCI)
- Study start
- 15 Mar 2023 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 31 May 2027 (estimated)
- Study completion
- 30 Jun 2027 (estimated)
- First posted
- 30 Jan 2023 (actual)
- 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.
The investigators will conduct a randomized controlled trial to test financial incentive programs (versus control) to promote physical activity among 330 adults who have a YMCA membership. Participants will have the opportunity to earn up to $100 or $200 (depending on the condition they are assigned to) for attending at least 50 sessions at the YMCA over 6 months. Participants will have two 6-month windows during which they will have the opportunity to earn the incentive. In addition to the incentives, participants will complete research assessments every 3 months.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Prevention
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Factorial
- Masking
- Triple blind (participant, investigator, outcomes assessor)
- Number of arms
- 5
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Message 1 - $100 | Experimental | Behavioral: Monetary IncentivesParticipants are offered an incentive of $100 to complete 50 exercise sessions at the YMCA within 6 months (Description of incentive 1) |
| Message 2 - $100 | Experimental | Behavioral: Monetary IncentivesParticipants are offered an incentive of $100 to complete 50 exercise sessions at the YMCA within 6 months (Description of incentive 2). |
| Message 1 - $200 | Experimental | Behavioral: Monetary IncentivesParticipants are offered an incentive of $200 to complete 50 exercise sessions at the YMCA within 6 months (Description of incentive 1). |
| Message 2 - $200 | Experimental | Behavioral: Monetary IncentivesParticipants are offered an incentive of $200 to complete 50 exercise sessions at the YMCA within 6 months (Description of incentive 2). |
| Control | No intervention | –Participants complete all assessments, and are eligible to receive compensation for participating in the research components of the study. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 years and older
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (9 listed)
- A current member, or willing to become a current member of one of the following branches of the YMCA:
- Age 18 years or older
- Physically capable of engaging in exercise
Key exclusion criteria (4 listed)
- Not a current member, and unwilling to become a member of one of the above listed YMCA branches.
- Under age 18.
- Physically incapable of exercise
- Doctor has recommended that you should not exercise because of a current health condition
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Monetary IncentivesMonetary incentives, provided in the form of pre-loaded Visa debit cards are provided to encourage exercise. | Behavioural | Message 1 - $100, Message 1 - $200, Message 2 - $100, Message 2 - $200 |
Primary outcome
Change in Number of YMCA visits
Time frame: Baseline, 6 months, 12 months, 24 months
Number of sessions (max 1 per day) a person signs into the YMCA
2 secondary outcomes
Change in Accelerometry
Time frame: Measured at baseline, and months 3, 6, 9, and 12.
Change in Self-report physical activity (Godin)
Time frame: Measured at baseline, and months 3, 6, 9, and 12.
Results and safety
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 1 Sep 2026.
- Derived from this study: PubMed 37935304Williams DM, Bohlen LC, Dunsiger S, Ayala-Heredia V, Griffin E, Dionne L, Wilson-Barthes M, Unick J, LaRowe LR, Galarraga O. Testing an insurance-based monetary incentive program for exercise: RCT design and rationale. Contemp Clin Trials. 2023 Dec;135:107382. doi: 10.1016/j.cct.2023.107382. Epub 2023 Nov 5.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: Yes. De-identified data will be shared with interested parties after all of the initial study analyses and outcomes have been published.
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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.
David M Williams, Ph.D. principal investigator
Brown University School of Public Health
Omar Galarraga, Ph.D. principal investigator
Brown University School of Public Health
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Monetary Incentives in people with Physical Inactivity, run by Brown 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 9 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: under way, not looking for participants, as of the sponsor's last update on 1 Sep 2026. 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?
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
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 Number of YMCA visits (time frame: Baseline, 6 months, 12 months, 24 months). 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 NCT05704712, 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 1 Sep 2026.