The Effect of Small Wins on Body Fat Loss
1 other identifier
interventional
600
1 country
1
Brief Summary
This 24-week-long study compares the effectiveness of two finance incentive structures for weight loss: 1) smaller rewards for achieving intermediate goals vs 2) large reward for achieving an overall goal. Target participants are male Singaporeans or Permanent Residents who are overweight and otherwise healthy.
Trial Health
Trial Health Score
Automated assessment based on enrollment pace, timeline, and geographic reach
participants targeted
Target at P75+ for not_applicable
Started Sep 2021
1 active site
Health score is calculated from publicly available data and should be used for screening purposes only.
Trial Relationships
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Study Timeline
Key milestones and dates
First Submitted
Initial submission to the registry
July 8, 2021
CompletedFirst Posted
Study publicly available on registry
July 22, 2021
CompletedStudy Start
First participant enrolled
September 13, 2021
CompletedPrimary Completion
Last participant's last visit for primary outcome
January 31, 2023
CompletedStudy Completion
Last participant's last visit for all outcomes
January 31, 2023
CompletedApril 26, 2022
April 1, 2022
1.4 years
July 8, 2021
April 24, 2022
Conditions
Outcome Measures
Primary Outcomes (4)
Whether reaching the prescribed PBF goal
This is a binary variable, which is 1 if the participant reaches the prescribed PBF goal, and 0 otherwise
At the end of the 12 weeks
Whether maintaining what has achieved in the post-treatment period
This is a binary variable, which is 1 if the participant loses more fat in the post-treatment period than in the intervention period, and 0 otherwise
At the end of the 24 weeks
Achievement Percentage
A percentage of the change in PBF from the predetermined change in PBF
At the end of the 12 weeks
Weekly Achievement Percentage
A percentage of the change in PBF from the predetermined change in PBF
Through the study completion (24 weeks)
Study Arms (3)
Control
NO INTERVENTIONParticipants in this arm will not receive any intervention.
One large reward
EXPERIMENTALParticipants in this arm will receive S$300 if they reach the PBF goal at the end of 12 weeks.
Small wins
EXPERIMENTALParticipants in this arm will receive cash rewards capped by S$300, depending on which intermediate goals they reach and the PBF at the end of the 12 weeks.
Interventions
Participants will be awarded S$300 for reaching the PBF goal at the end of 12 weeks.
The cash rewards that participants will receive are capped by $300 and depend on which IGs they achieve and whether they maintain their progress at the end of the 12 weeks. Specifically, given the PBF goal, the Loss Target (LT) is the difference between the initial PBF measured at the first visit and the PBF goal, i.e., LT = initial PBF - PBF goal. Then, the IG1 is to achieve 25% of the LT, the IG2 is to achieve 50% of the LT, and the IG3 is to achieve 75% of the LT. Participants will earn $75 credits to their accounts on the programme website for reaching each intermediate goal. Also, when they miss IG1 and/or IG3, they can earn the previous missing $75 credits if they reach the IG2 and the LT. At the end of the 12 weeks, they will lose some or all the credits that they have accumulated if they fail to maintain the progress, and they will only receive the corresponding amount in cash
Eligibility Criteria
You may qualify if:
- Singaporeans or PRs
- Male
- Between the ages of 25 and 60
- Body mass index (BMI) of between 23 and 27.5
- Own and use a smartphone or tablet
You may not qualify if:
- Currently participating in any other research program focused on physical activity or weight loss. Note: exercise or education programs (e.g. gym membership, diabetes education class) do not count as research programs.
- Have any reasons why they would not be able to complete a 24-week research program focused on improving health (e.g., plan to move to another country)
- Have a serious medical condition, including one or more of the following conditions: High blood pressure (hypertension), High cholesterol (Hyperlipidaemia), Heart attack (Myocardial infarction), Heart failure, Stroke (Cerebrovascular disease), Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), Kidney disease, and Diabetes (Type 2).
Contact the study team to confirm eligibility.
Sponsors & Collaborators
- Noah Limlead
Study Sites (1)
National University of Singapore
Singapore, Singapore
Related Publications (1)
Chaston TB, Dixon JB, O'Brien PE. Changes in fat-free mass during significant weight loss: a systematic review. Int J Obes (Lond). 2007 May;31(5):743-50. doi: 10.1038/sj.ijo.0803483. Epub 2006 Oct 31.
PMID: 17075583BACKGROUND
MeSH Terms
Conditions
Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)
Study Officials
- STUDY DIRECTOR
Noah Lim, PhD
The Global Asia Institute, The National University of Singapore
- PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
Alessandro Del Ponte, PhD
Institution for Social and Policy Studies, Yale University
- PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
Ta-Cheng Huang, PhD
The Global Asia Institute, The National University of Singapore
- PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
Aidas Masiliunas, PhD
The Global Asia Institute, The National University of Singapore
Central Study Contacts
Study Design
- Study Type
- interventional
- Phase
- not applicable
- Allocation
- RANDOMIZED
- Masking
- SINGLE
- Who Masked
- PARTICIPANT
- Purpose
- BASIC SCIENCE
- Intervention Model
- PARALLEL
- Sponsor Type
- OTHER
- Responsible Party
- SPONSOR INVESTIGATOR
- PI Title
- Professor
Study Record Dates
First Submitted
July 8, 2021
First Posted
July 22, 2021
Study Start
September 13, 2021
Primary Completion
January 31, 2023
Study Completion
January 31, 2023
Last Updated
April 26, 2022
Record last verified: 2022-04
Data Sharing
- IPD Sharing
- Will not share