A Randomized Trial of Economic Incentives to Promote Walking Among Full Time Employees

NCT01855776 | Completed

• 1 other identifier: HSRG10NOV002
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 800
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

This study aims to assess the uptake, effectiveness, and cost-effectiveness of a scalable walking programme for full-time employees both with and without incentives.

Conditions

Physical Activity

Keywords

Physical Activity/Walking; Full-time employees; RCT; Incentives; Wireless pedometer

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Changes in MVPA (Moderate-to-Vigorous Physical Activity) bouts of participants from baseline to months 6 and 12

  MVPA bouts are defined as the total number of minutes during each 1-week assessment period in which moderate or vigorous activity of at least 8 of 10 consecutive minutes are reached. This will be assessed via the Actigraph GT3XE-Plus Triaxial Activity Monitor. We will measure "MVPA bouts" at baseline, 6, and 12 months. We hypothesize that participants in the Programme Only, and Incentive groups record more "MVPA bouts" at 6 months compared to baseline. Furthermore, participants in the Incentive groups will record more "MVPA bouts" at 6 months compared to the Control and Programme only groups. We also measure "MVPA bouts" for all participants at 12 months. We do so to test if the "MVPA bouts" measured at month 6, can be sustained at month 12 when incentives are no longer being provided.

  Baseline, 6 and 12 months

Secondary Outcomes (1)

• Change in VO2Max of participants from baseline to months 6, and 12.

  Baseline, 6 and 12 months

Study Arms (4)

Control Group

OTHER

The control group will receive a "usual care" educational programme at baseline created by the Singapore Health Promotion Board. This guide describes the importance of physical activity and illustrates one possible physical activity programme. It also discusses strategies for adopting a healthy lifestyle. They will not receive the Fitbit Zip wireless pedometer from the study team. However, they will receive $4 per week, regardless of physical activity levels.

Other: Usual Care

Programme Only Group

EXPERIMENTAL

This group receives the Fitbit Zip, and access to the Fitbit website. Fitbit Zip counts the number of steps walked, calories burned, and distance travelled. Participants can set goals for their physical activity levels, and will have access to personalised feedback from Fitbit. This group will also receive $4 per week, regardless of physical activity levels.

Device: Fitbit; Other: Usual Care

Cash Incentive Group

EXPERIMENTAL

This group receives the Fitbit Zip and the opportunity to earn money each week based on the number of steps logged on the pedometer during that week. We will offer the following incentive schedule: * $0 SGD for less than 50,000 steps during the week * $15 SGD for 50,000 - 69,999 steps during the week (max of 20,000 steps per day) * $30 SGD for 70,000 or more steps during the week (max of 20,000 steps per day) Participants will receive monthly payments in cash after their physical activity is confirmed. The incentive will be calculated separately for each week of the 6-month incentive programme.

Device: Fitbit; Behavioral: Cash Incentives; Other: Usual Care

Charitable Incentive Group

EXPERIMENTAL

This group is identical to the cash incentive group except that incentive payments will be donated directly to a tax-exempt nonprofit charity of the participant's choice. The charity will be selected at the start of the programme but will be limited to the most common tax-exempt nonprofit charities operating in Singapore. As a motivational feedback component of the programme, participants will receive a thank-you email or letter from the charity.

Device: Fitbit; Behavioral: Charitable Incentives; Other: Usual Care

Interventions

Fitbit DEVICE

Fitbit Zip is a wireless pedometer that tracks steps of participants, and will be offered in conjunction with a tailored website with customized information for participants, employers, and/or charities.

Also known as: Fitbit Zip; Wireless pedometer; Physical activity tracker;

Cash Incentive Group; Charitable Incentive Group; Programme Only Group

Cash Incentives BEHAVIORAL

Incentives will be awarded to participants for meeting specified weekly step goals as measured by a pedometer.

Also known as: Money, Cash, Financial Incentives

Cash Incentive Group

Charitable Incentives BEHAVIORAL

Incentives will be awarded to charities selected by participants should the latter meet specified weekly step goals measured by a pedometer.

Also known as: Donations, Charity

Charitable Incentive Group

Usual Care OTHER

The "usual care" programme consists of educational materials designed by the Singapore Health Promotion Board. It includes material on how to stay active, walking programmes, and healthy eating.

Also known as: Educational Programme; Health Promotion Board

Cash Incentive Group; Charitable Incentive Group; Control Group; Programme Only Group

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 21 Years - 65 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• Full-time employees living in Singapore
• Aged between 21-65

You may not qualify if:

• report difficulty doing 10 minutes of aerobic activities without stopping
• report difficulty walking up 10 stairs without stopping
• report difficulty performing basic activities of daily living
• have any medical conditions that limit their ability to walk as a means of physical activity
• self-identify medical conditions that limit ability to walk AND do not have medical consent
• answer 'YES' to any PAR-Q questions

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School: lead
• Health Promotion Board, Singapore: collaborator

Study Sites (1)

Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School

Singapore, Singapore, Singapore

Location

Related Publications (3)

• Sloan RA, Kim Y, Sawada SS, Asakawa A, Blair SN, Finkelstein EA. Is Less Sedentary Behavior, More Physical Activity, or Higher Fitness Associated with Sleep Quality? A Cross-Sectional Study in Singapore. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2020 Feb 19;17(4):1337. doi: 10.3390/ijerph17041337.

  PMID: 32092928 DERIVED

• Sloan RA, Kim Y, Sahasranaman A, Muller-Riemenschneider F, Biddle SJH, Finkelstein EA. The influence of a consumer-wearable activity tracker on sedentary time and prolonged sedentary bouts: secondary analysis of a randomized controlled trial. BMC Res Notes. 2018 Mar 22;11(1):189. doi: 10.1186/s13104-018-3306-9.

  PMID: 29566746 DERIVED

• Finkelstein EA, Haaland BA, Bilger M, Sahasranaman A, Sloan RA, Nang EEK, Evenson KR. Effectiveness of activity trackers with and without incentives to increase physical activity (TRIPPA): a randomised controlled trial. Lancet Diabetes Endocrinol. 2016 Dec;4(12):983-995. doi: 10.1016/S2213-8587(16)30284-4. Epub 2016 Oct 4.

  PMID: 27717766 DERIVED

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Motor Activity

Interventions

CASP8 and FADD-Like Apoptosis Regulating Protein; Charities

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Behavior

Intervention Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Death Domain Receptor Signaling Adaptor Proteins; Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing; Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; Peptides; Amino Acids, Peptides, and Proteins; Tumor Necrosis Factor Receptor-Associated Peptides and Proteins; Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins; Carrier Proteins; Proteins; Organizations; Health Care Economics and Organizations

Study Officials

• Eric Finkelstein, Ph.D., M.H.A.

  Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: NONE
• Intervention Model: FACTORIAL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Deputy Director, Associate Professor

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: August 8, 2012
• First Posted: May 16, 2013
• Study Start: May 1, 2013
• Primary Completion: August 1, 2015
• Study Completion: August 1, 2015
• Last Updated: January 5, 2016

Record last verified: 2016-01

Locations

SG (1)