Behavioral Economics for Activity Motivation in Adolescents (BEAM)
2 other identifiers
interventional
75
1 country
1
Brief Summary
There is an urgent need to engineer targeted physical activity interventions that are effective and scalable for obese adolescents and young adults (AYA) with type 2 diabetes (T2D), who often have very low levels of physical activity. The BEAM Trial is a mobile health (mHealth) intervention that uses behavioral economic-informed financial incentives and text messaging to promote physical activity in AYA with T2D and prediabetes.
Trial Health
Trial Health Score
Automated assessment based on enrollment pace, timeline, and geographic reach
participants targeted
Target at P50-P75 for not_applicable type-2-diabetes
Started Nov 2021
Typical duration for not_applicable type-2-diabetes
1 active site
Health score is calculated from publicly available data and should be used for screening purposes only.
Trial Relationships
Click on a node to explore related trials.
Study Timeline
Key milestones and dates
First Submitted
Initial submission to the registry
April 30, 2021
CompletedFirst Posted
Study publicly available on registry
May 5, 2021
CompletedStudy Start
First participant enrolled
November 16, 2021
CompletedPrimary Completion
Last participant's last visit for primary outcome
October 4, 2024
CompletedStudy Completion
Last participant's last visit for all outcomes
October 4, 2024
CompletedResults Posted
Study results publicly available
October 9, 2025
CompletedOctober 28, 2025
October 1, 2025
2.9 years
April 30, 2021
September 19, 2025
October 11, 2025
Conditions
Outcome Measures
Primary Outcomes (1)
Change in Moderate to Vigorous Physical Activity (MVPA)
Effects of time spent in MVPA was measured by assessing the change in weekly mean minutes in MVPA per day from baseline
12 weeks
Secondary Outcomes (9)
Change in Daily Step Count
12 weeks
Change in BMI Z-score
From baseline to follow-up in-person study visits, separated by 3 months
Change in Plasma Glucose
From baseline to follow-up in-person study visits, separated by 3 months
Change in Insulin
From baseline to follow-up in-person study visits, separated by 3 months
Change in Hemoglobin A1c
From baseline to follow-up in-person study visits, separated by 3 months
- +4 more secondary outcomes
Study Arms (16)
Condition 1
EXPERIMENTAL1RLD=One text per day, ramped goal, loss incentive, daily goal time period.
Condition 2
EXPERIMENTAL1RLW=One text per day, ramped goal, loss incentive, weekly goal time period.
Condition 3
EXPERIMENTAL1RGD=One text per day, ramped goal, gain incentive, daily goal time period.
Condition 4
EXPERIMENTAL1RGW=One text per day, ramped goal, gain incentive, weekly goal time period.
Condition 5
EXPERIMENTAL2RLD=Two texts per day, ramped goal, loss incentive, daily goal time period.
Condition 6
EXPERIMENTAL2RLW=Two texts per day, ramped goal, loss incentive, weekly goal time period.
Condition 7
EXPERIMENTAL2RGD=Two texts per day, ramped goal, gain incentive, daily goal time period.
Condition 8
EXPERIMENTAL2RGW=Two texts per day, ramped goal, gain incentive, weekly goal time period.
Condition 9
EXPERIMENTAL1FLD=One text per day, fixed goal, loss incentive, daily goal time period.
Condition 10
EXPERIMENTAL1FLW=One text per day, fixed goal, loss incentive, weekly goal time period.
Condition 11
EXPERIMENTAL1FGD=One text per day, fixed goal, gain incentive, daily goal time period.
Condition 12
EXPERIMENTAL1FGW=One text per day, fixed goal, gain incentive, weekly goal time period.
Condition 13
EXPERIMENTAL2FLD=Two texts per day, fixed goal, loss incentive, daily goal time period.
Condition 14
EXPERIMENTAL2FLW=Two texts per day, fixed goal, loss incentive, weekly goal time period.
Condition 15
EXPERIMENTAL2FGD=Two texts per day, fixed goal, gain incentive, daily goal time period.
Condition 16
EXPERIMENTAL2FGW=Two texts per day, fixed goal, gain incentive, weekly goal time period.
Interventions
1RLW=One text per day, ramped goal, loss incentive, weekly goal time period.
1RGD=One text per day, ramped goal, gain incentive, daily goal time period.
One text per day, fixed goal, loss incentive, daily weekly goal time period.
Eligibility Criteria
You may qualify if:
- \) Males or females age 13 to 22 years.
- \) Overweight or obese (BMI ≥85th percentile for age/sex, or ≥25 kg/m2 for participants ≥18 years)
- \) Diagnosis with prediabetes or type 2 diabetes
- \) Consent (subjects 18 and older), Parental/guardian permission (subjects 13-17), assent (subjects 13-17)
- \) Willingness to wear Fitbit during waking hours daily for duration of run-in and intervention.
- \) Possession of a smartphone.
You may not qualify if:
- \) Potential subject unable to speak or read in English
- \) Severe cognitive impairment
- \) Permanent or temporary physical disability that impairs ambulation or precludes engagement in MVPA
- \) Current pregnancy
- \) Previously-diagnosed or current restrictive or purging eating disorder
- \) Moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) \>30 minutes per day or Fitbit wear \< 4 days during second week of 2-week run-in period
Contact the study team to confirm eligibility.
Sponsors & Collaborators
Study Sites (1)
UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 15224, United States
MeSH Terms
Conditions
Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)
Results Point of Contact
- Title
- Dr. Mary Ellen Vajravelu
- Organization
- University of Pittsburgh
Publication Agreements
- PI is Sponsor Employee
- Yes
- Restrictive Agreement
- No
Study Design
- Study Type
- interventional
- Phase
- not applicable
- Allocation
- RANDOMIZED
- Masking
- SINGLE
- Who Masked
- OUTCOMES ASSESSOR
- Purpose
- OTHER
- Intervention Model
- FACTORIAL
- Sponsor Type
- OTHER
- Responsible Party
- PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
- PI Title
- Assistant Professor
Study Record Dates
First Submitted
April 30, 2021
First Posted
May 5, 2021
Study Start
November 16, 2021
Primary Completion
October 4, 2024
Study Completion
October 4, 2024
Last Updated
October 28, 2025
Results First Posted
October 9, 2025
Record last verified: 2025-10
Data Sharing
- IPD Sharing
- Will not share