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OpenTrials
Completed

NCT Number: NCT03627871

Enduring Exercise Habits: Trending Norms

Learning that most people engage in an activity can be a powerful motivator to adoption. But are there instances in which people can similarly find motivation from learning that only a minority of others engage in a behavior? Evidence suggests this may be possible when the message is that the size of the minority has been growing in recent years. In this study, we first examine how gym members' exercise patterns shift when they are informed that the minority versus the majority of (a subpopulation of) other Americans exercise frequently. We also test how gym members are affected by learning that the number of frequent exercisers has increased in recent years.

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Key information

Conditions

Healthy Behavior Motor Activity

Age range

18 year and older

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19104, United States

About this study

Gym members register online to participate in a 28-day workout program. Upon registration, participants are assigned to one of five conditions (a 2 x 2 study design plus a control group). Participants are assigned to receive information about majority exercise norms or minority exercise norms, and are informed that these norms are trending up or receive no information about trends in these norms. Participants are then prompted to create a workout schedule. Over the 28-day intervention period, participants are sent text messages with information about exercise depending on their condition (i.e., majority trending exercise norms, majority exercise norms with no information about trends, minority trending exercise norms or minority norms with no information about trends), workout reminders before their scheduled workouts, and weekly emails with additional exercise information related to their assigned condition and their schedule. Participants assigned to the control condition are prompted to create a workout schedule and receive text message reminders, information about exercise that is unrelated to social norms, and weekly emails with exercise information unrelated to social norms or trends and their workout schedule. All participants earn points for participating and for each day that they go to the gym which can be redeemed for an Amazon cash gift card after the end of the intervention period.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • Has 24 Hour Fitness gym membership

Exclusion criteria

-

Treatment and study plan

Majority Norm

Behavioral

Participants receive information about exercise norms that apply to the majority of the population but are given no information about trends in this norm.

Trending Minority Norm

Behavioral

Participants receive information about exercise norms that apply to the minority of the population and have recently been trending up.

Minority Norm

Behavioral

Participants receive information about exercise norms that apply to the minority of the population but are given no information about trends in this norm.

Control

Behavioral

Participants receive information about exercise that is unrelated to social norms or trends in social norms.

Trending Majority Norm

Behavioral

Participants receive information about exercise norms that apply to the majority of the population and have recently been trending up.

Primary outcomes

  1. Gym visits per week

    Time frame: During the 28-day intervention period

    Number of times the participant goes to the gym

  2. Gym visits per week

    Time frame: During the 4-weeks post-intervention

    Number of times the participant goes to the gym

  3. Gym visits per week

    Time frame: During the 10-weeks post-intervention

    Number of times the participant goes to the gym

  4. Whether or not a participant visits the gym in a given week

    Time frame: During the 28-day intervention period

    Binary variable capturing whether or not a participant had any gym visits in a given week

  5. Whether or not a participant visits the gym in a given week

    Time frame: During the 4-weeks post-intervention

    Binary variable capturing whether or not a participant had any gym visits in a given week

  6. Whether or not a participant visits the gym in a given week

    Time frame: During the 10-weeks post-intervention

    Binary variable capturing whether or not a participant had any gym visits in a given week

Secondary outcomes

  1. Gym visits per week

    Time frame: During the 52-weeks post-intervention

    Number of times the participant goes to the gym

  2. Whether or not a participant visits the gym in a given week

    Time frame: During the 52-weeks post-intervention

    Binary variable capturing whether or not a participant had any gym visits in a given week

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

University of Pennsylvania

Other

Registry information

Important dates

Study start
2018
Primary completion
2019
Study completion
2019
First posted
Aug 14, 2018
Registry last updated
Jun 11, 2020

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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