Game of Stones: A Research Study That Texts Men to Help Them Lose Weight

University of Stirling

Status: Completed

Conditions: Obesity

Treatments: Behavioral: Endowment Incentive; Behavioral: Narrative SMS

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT03040518

14/185/09

Details and patient eligibility

About

In 2014, 24% of UK men were obese. However men rarely participate in weight loss programmes. This study looks at whether two interventions which show promise can help obese men lose weight and keep it off.

INTERVENTION 1: Sending text messages to a mobile phone. These will be written as though they come from other men who are also losing weight and include 'how to do it' diet and physical activity tips, combined with friendly humour and support.

INTERVENTION 2: The same texts plus promising men money at the start contingent on weight loss achievement. The money will vary over a year according to whether weight targets are met. This is called an endowment incentive and is based on research showing that modest payment helps people change their diet and physical activity. At the 3, 6 and 12 month weighing appointments, men will have the option of continuing with the original weight loss targets of 5%, 10% and 10% or setting lower targets of 5% of body weight at 6 months and 5% at 12 months. This is to maintain motivation and hope for men who do not meet the more ambitious weight loss targets.

This study examines if the texts work better with incentives than alone. Both interventions are delivered from a computer and have potential to reach large numbers, including men who don't use health services. This work is done together with obese men and a charity for men to help us find the best ways to deliver the interventions to as many men as possible, including men in difficult life situations.

This study will examine whether it is acceptable and feasible to randomise obese men to three groups: texts only; texts and incentive; or to a 'control group' who wait a year and then get the texts for 3 months. The feasibility of recruiting 105 obese men from two regions of Scotland will be assessed. Half of the men will get an invitation letter from their GP. The other half will be approached in the community, given information about the study and invited to take part. Men can take part if their waist circumference is 40 inches and more or their Body Mass Index is 30 or higher. The study examines how long it takes to find 105 obese men who want to take part, how many come back to suitable venues at 3, 6 and 12 months to get weighed and answer questions about their quality of life, lifestyle and motivation. At the end participants will report about their experiences of weight loss and of being in the study.

Enrollment: 105 patients

Sex: Male

Ages: 18+ years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Obese adult men aged 18 or over with and without known health conditions, who do or do not access GP services. Obesity is defined as a BMI equal to or over 30 and/or a waist circumference measurement equal to or above 40 inches (102cm)

Exclusion criteria

• Insufficient English language for SMS intervention; no mobile phone access.
• Planning to move out of the area within 12 months.
• Current or recent participation in a research weight loss intervention study (in the last 3 months).
• For GP recruitment: severe medical, terminal or psychiatric illness (patient or close family member)
• Impaired cognitive function that would limit understanding of study information and SMS messages.

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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105 participants in 3 patient groups

Narrative SMS

Experimental group

Description:

Participants will receive narrative SMS for 12 months. Participants in all three trial arms will receive information (web or print) about weight loss and a pedometer.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Narrative SMS

Narrative SMS and Endowment Incentive

Experimental group

Description:

Participants will receive narrative SMS for 12 months. In addition, they will receive an endowment incentive for verified weight loss. Participants in all three trial arms will receive information (web or print) about weight loss and a pedometer.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Endowment Incentive

Behavioral: Narrative SMS

Waiting List Control Group

No Intervention group

Description:

Participants will be on a waiting list for 12 months to receive the narrative SMS which will commence after 12 month outcome data has been collected. There will be no interim measurements or contacts by the research team. Men are therefore free to choose whether to try to lose weight during the 12 months. Participants in all three trial arms will receive information (web or print) about weight loss and a pedometer.