Penn State Hershey Sitting and Health Study

Penn State Health

Status: Completed

Conditions: Physical Activity

Treatments: Behavioral: Desk-based pedaling device and pedaling incentives provided

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT03274635

1R21HL118453

Details and patient eligibility

About

The purpose of this study is to: (a) evaluate if a desk-based elliptical device can help employees to increase their daily physical activity without compromising work productivity; and (b) evaluate the effects of different types of incentives for pedaling the desk-based elliptical device on employees' pedaling quantity over a one-month intervention period. The study will involve placing a compact elliptical device (provided at no cost by the research team) under employees' desk at Penn State Hershey Medical Center/College of Medicine. Data evaluating the effects of the elliptical device on work productivity will be obtained from both employees and the employees' supervisors.

Enrollment: 60 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18 to 70 years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Full time employee, employed at least 35 hours per week at Penn State Hershey
• Able to provide documented approval from supervisor to participate
• Age 18-70 years
• Overweight or obese (BMI between 25-55)
• Sit at desk at least 5 hours per day
• Have regular working hours between 6 am and 6 pm on weekdays
• Ability to understand written and spoken English
• Own a smartphone (Android or iPhone) with Internet access
• Willing to download cycling app on smartphone during one month study period

Exclusion criteria

• Not present in Penn State Hershey office during study period due to personal circumstances such as travel/extended vacation or leave, relocation, or health-related circumstances
• Advised to only do physical activity recommended by a physician
• Chest pain during physical activity or during prior month
• Currently has a desk-based pedaling device or treadmill workstation already installed at desk

Trial design

Primary purpose: Prevention

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Factorial Assignment

Masking: Single Blind

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60 participants in 6 patient groups

Usual Delayed Compensation, Money

Active Comparator group

Description:

Will receive delayed monetary compensation with Amazon gift card, non performance-contingent.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Desk-based pedaling device and pedaling incentives provided

Usual Delayed Compensation, Food

Active Comparator group

Description:

Will receive delayed compensation with food-based gift card, non performance-contingent.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Desk-based pedaling device and pedaling incentives provided

Individual Immediate Contingent Reward, Money

Experimental group

Description:

Will receive daily performance-contingent monetary compensation with Amazon gift card.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Desk-based pedaling device and pedaling incentives provided

Individual Immediate Contingent Reward, Food

Experimental group

Description:

Will receive daily performance-contingent food-based gift card.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Desk-based pedaling device and pedaling incentives provided

Joint Immediate Contingent Reward, Money

Experimental group

Description:

Will receive daily performance-contingent monetary compensation with Amazon gift card, with additional compensation contingent on pedaling activity of co-worker participant.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Desk-based pedaling device and pedaling incentives provided

Joint Immediate Contingent Reward, Food

Experimental group

Description:

Will receive daily performance-contingent monetary compensation with food gift card, with additional compensation contingent on pedaling activity of co-worker participant.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Desk-based pedaling device and pedaling incentives provided