Tying Devices as a Means of Increasing Exercise

NCT01410812 | Completed Results

• 1 other identifier: 813970
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 226
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

The investigators propose that healthy behaviors such as exercise could be increased through the use of tying devices - mechanisms that force a coupling of addictive activities (listening to the next chapter of a page-turner novel) with engagement in a healthy behavior (exercise).

Conditions

Healthy

Keywords

Interest in exercising more

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Average Weekly Gym Attendance From Baseline to Week 9

  9 weeks

Secondary Outcomes (1)

• Dollar Amount Participants Would Pay for Enrollment

  9 weeks

Study Arms (3)

Suggested Tying

EXPERIMENTAL

Receive same treatments as control group, but instead of receiving cash they receive 4 iTunes audio novels for their own iPods. Further, they are prompted to try to listen to those novels only when exercising at the gym in order to increase their attendance.

Behavioral: Suggested Tying Intervention

Forced Tying

EXPERIMENTAL

Receives same treatment as the control group. However, in addition to receiving the cash, they also receive 4 iTunes audio novels for a loaned iPod that they will only have access to at the gym. They are told they may only listen to these novels only when at the gym in order to increase their attendance.

Behavioral: Forced Tying Intervention

Control

EXPERIMENTAL

Control group of participants who do not receive any intervention but are weighed at the beginning and end of a 10 week period and receive weekly emails asking them about their exercise. They also receive the equivalent cash value of 4 iTunes audio novels

Behavioral: Control

Interventions

Control BEHAVIORAL

Receive weekly emails asking participants about their exercise and receive cash.

Control

Suggested Tying Intervention BEHAVIORAL

Participants receive 4 iTunes audio novels for their own iPods to listen to only at the gym

Suggested Tying

Forced Tying Intervention BEHAVIORAL

Participants receive cash and also 4 iTunes audio novels for a loaned iPod accessible only at the gym to listen to only at the gym.

Forced Tying

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years - 75 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• Stable health as determined by the screening of their medical history
• Own an iPod
• An interest in exercising more regularly
• Belong to the Pottruck Gym at University of Pennsylvania
• Interested in exercising more through the use of aerobic exercise machines

You may not qualify if:

• Recent myocardial infraction
• congestive heart failure
• uncontrolled hypertension
• self-report of 6 or more alcoholic beverages per day or use of any illicit drugs
• bulimia nervosa or related behaviors
• diabetes medication

Sponsors & Collaborators

• University of Pennsylvania: lead

Study Sites (1)

University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19104, United States

Location

Results Point of Contact

• Title: Katherine L. Milkman, Ph.D.
• Organization: University of Pennsylvania

kmilkman@wharton.upenn.edu

215-573-9646

Study Officials

• Katherine L. Milkman, Ph.D.

  University of Pennsylvania

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

• Julia A Minson

  University of Pennsylvania

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

• Kevin G.M. Volpp, MD, Ph.D.

  University of Pennsylvania

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Publication Agreements

• PI is Sponsor Employee: Yes

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: SUPPORTIVE CARE
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: August 3, 2011
• First Posted: August 5, 2011
• Study Start: September 1, 2011
• Primary Completion: December 1, 2011
• Study Completion: September 1, 2012
• Last Updated: December 19, 2018
• Results First Posted: December 19, 2018

Record last verified: 2018-01

Locations

US (1)