Using Self-Motivating Messages to Encourage People to Exercise More

The Washington University

Status: Completed

Conditions: Physical Activity

Treatments: Behavioral: Drafting Motivational Messages; Behavioral: Control Reminders; Behavioral: Treatment Reminders

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT02903849

2016080382

Details and patient eligibility

About

The investigators are interested in using personalized, self-motivating messages to motivate people to exercise more.

Full description

The investigators are interested in using personalized, self-motivating messages to motivate people to exercise more. Through a partnership with a university, the investigators are running a large-scale, randomized field controlled trial aimed at increasing exercise frequencies during a 100-day challenge. The primary purpose of this study is to test whether sending people motivating messages they wrote to themselves in the past can keep them engaged in the challenge and motivate them to exercise more frequently. One week into the challenge, employees who have signed up for the challenge will receive an email inviting them to participate in a short activity. Employees who click on the link will be directed to a survey. Once they finish reading the first introductory page and click "next", they will be randomly assigned to one of two groups. In the control group, employees will be encouraged to write down what they think will motivate them to walk more after 20, 50, and 90 days into the Challenge. These employees will receive standard reminders on the 20th, 50th, and 90th day of the challenge. In the treatment group, employees will be encouraged to write down motivating messages that they will receive on the 20th, 50th, and 90th day of the Challenge.

All employees who are exposed to either the control or the treatment condition will be included in the analysis.

The investigators plan to explore moderators based on (a) employees' demographics (age, gender, ethnicity, position), (b) employees' participation in previous challenges, and (c) employees' health condition and fitness level prior to the challenge (such as how actively they have been participating in other wellness activities, their health statistics).

Enrollment: 324 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18+ years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion and exclusion criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

• Employees who click on the link inviting them to participate in an activity and are assigned to either the treatment or control condition

Trial design

Primary purpose: Supportive Care

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Single Blind

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324 participants in 2 patient groups

Control

Experimental group

Description:

On the 20th, 50th, and 90th day of the Challenge, Wellness Connection will email employees who participate in this survey. Employees will receive standard reminders generated by Wellness Connection.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Control Reminders

Behavioral: Drafting Motivational Messages

Treatment

Experimental group

Description:

On the 20th, 50th, and 90th day of the Challenge, Wellness Connection will email employees who participate in this survey. Employees will see the motivating messages they wrote at the beginning of the Challenge, in addition to Wellness Connection's standard reminders.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Drafting Motivational Messages

Behavioral: Treatment Reminders