Using Social Connectedness to Increase Physical Activity

Carnegie Mellon University

Status: Completed

Conditions: Activity, Motor; Social Isolation

Treatments: Behavioral: Standard Incentive; Behavioral: Social Incentive

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT04573972

STUDY2019_00000296

Details and patient eligibility

About

A randomized controlled trial will test the effectiveness of social incentives relative to traditional incentives in promoting walking behavior among college students (N=200). Participants who are rewarded for walking together will be compared to those who are rewarded for walking even when alone. Research participants will download activity tracking apps (Fitbit app and AWARE app) that provide activity and location data. Participants will be consented and then randomized to one of two incentive schemes for walking. Over a 2-week intervention period, the standard incentive group will earn $2 per day when they meet their walking goal regardless of whether they walk alone or with others. The social incentive group will earn $1 per day when they reach their walking goal plus an additional $1 when they walk at least 2000 steps with their walking partner. The incentive scheme will be in place for 2-weeks, preceded by a 1-week baseline period and followed by a 2-week follow-up period.

Full description

The objective of the study is to test whether social incentives that encourage physical activity with another person are more effective than incentives for individual exercise. Physical inactivity and social isolation are growing epidemics linked to increased morbidity and mortality particularly among aging Americans. This research aims to address both problems by encouraging co-productive physical activities among college students. Co-productive physical activity mean anything involving physical activity that two people can do together, e.g., walking their dogs or shopping together. Additionally, in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, walking together in this study means either walking while communicating digitally or over the phone, or by physically walking together while wearing a mask, staying 6 feet apart, and following the recommendations from health professionals. A small randomized controlled trial will test the effectiveness of social incentives relative to traditional incentives in promoting walking behavior. Participants who are rewarded for walking together will be compared to those who are rewarded for walking even when alone. The results will indicate whether social incentives are more motivating than traditional incentives for walking behavior.

Enrollment: 172 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18+ years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Age 18+
• Able to read and understand English-language surveys
• Own either iPhone or Android smartphones
• Willing to carry the smart phone during the study period and to respond to daily texts or emails from the study team
• Registered for the study as a dyad (friend pairs), with one member of the dyad a Carnegie Mellon University student

Exclusion criteria

• Contraindications for increased physical activity

Trial design

Primary purpose: Basic Science

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Single Blind

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172 participants in 2 patient groups

Regular incentive

Active Comparator group

Description:

During the two-week intervention period, the standard incentive group will earn $2 per day when they meet their step goal, and this reward is earned regardless of whether they walk alone or with others.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Standard Incentive

Social Incentive

Experimental group

Description:

During the two-week intervention period, he social incentive group will earn $1 per day when they meet their step goal and an additional $1 if they walk 2,000 steps together with another study participant.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Social Incentive