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Completed

NCT Number: NCT01643538

Social Goals and Individual Incentives to Promote Walking in Older Adults

The goal of this randomized and controlled trial is to test whether a financial incentive of a donation to achieve a social goal is more effective to motivate and sustain a daily walking habit than the same dollar value given to an older adult. The investigators will achieve this using a novel computer platform utilizing a digital pedometer-internet interface.

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Key information

Conditions

Physical Activity Behavior Motor Activity

Age range

65 year and older

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19104, United States

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

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

Inclusion criteria

  • Adult 65 years of age and older
  • Can read and speak English
  • Access to a personal computer with high-speed internet connection and functional Universal Serial Bus (USB) port for the study duration
  • Able to walk 1/4 mile (i.e., 2 to 3 blocks) without stopping
  • No pedometer use in last 30 days

Exclusion criteria

Major medical conditions including:

  • serious heart and lung diseases
  • diabetes requiring insulin therapy
  • severe arthritis
  • neurologic disorders
  • dementia
  • heavy alcohol use
  • recent knee or spinal surgery

Treatment and study plan

Financial incentive

Behavioral

Participants will receive a direct financial incentive in the amount of $20 for each week when their daily pedometer step count equals or exceeds their goal at least 5 out of 7 days.

Social Goal

Behavioral

Participants will be asked to identify a charity to which they would like to donate the payment for reaching their walking goal. Each week they will be asked to designate which charity should receive a donation if they meet or exceed their goal. If they meet the goal, they will be notified that a donation of $20 in their name has been sent to the charity.

Personal financial incentives & social goals

Behavioral

Participants will be able to allocate their reward for reaching their walking goal: the $20 reward can be divided between personal financial incentive and a charitable donation. Each week, the participant will be asked to choose whether to keep, give, or split the reward, if they meet or exceed their goal. If they choose to send some of the money to charity, they will be asked to identify a charity to which they would like to donate the payment. If they meet their goal, they will be notified by email or mail (based on their preference), that a donation of the selected amount has been sent to the charity.

daily pedometer use and weekly feedback

Behavioral

Daily use of pedometer for 5 months. Walking goal set based on level of walking during 2-week run-in period. Weekly feedback provided on meeting walking goal - defined as achieving goal number of steps for 5 of 7 days per week.

Primary outcomes

  1. mean proportion of days that step per day goals were attained

    Time frame: 16 weeks

Secondary outcomes

  1. mean number of steps per day

    Time frame: 16 weeks

  2. mean proportion of days that step per day goals were attained during follow-up

    Time frame: 4 weeks

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

University of Pennsylvania

Other

Collaborators

  • Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

Registry information

Official study title

Social Goals and Individual Incentives to Promote Walking in Older Adults (Way to Walk II)

Important dates

Study start
2012
Primary completion
2013
Study completion
2013
First posted
Jul 18, 2012
Registry last updated
Mar 5, 2014

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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