Social Incentives + Gamification for Physical Activity

Overseen By Krista Scheffey

Age: Any Age

Sex: Any

Trial Phase: Academic

Sponsor: Abramson Cancer Center at Penn Medicine

Disqualifiers: Metastatic cancer, Pregnancy, others

No Placebo Group All trial participants will receive the active study treatment (no placebo)

Compensation: Varies

Number of Visits: Unknown

What You Need to Know Before You Apply

What is the purpose of this trial?

This trial tests new methods to motivate people to walk more. It employs fun, game-like strategies (social incentive gamification) and offers the chance to earn money for charity (social goals through incentives to charity) to encourage families to take more steps. Participants will wear a Fitbit and aim to meet daily step goals. Those living in the Philadelphia area, who have a smartphone, and are part of a family team that includes someone aged 60 or older may be suitable candidates. The trial aims to help low-income, mostly minority families discover enjoyable ways to increase their physical activity. As an unphased trial, it provides a unique opportunity for families to explore innovative ways to enhance their health and well-being.

Will I have to stop taking my current medications?

The trial information does not specify whether you need to stop taking your current medications.

What prior data suggests that these interventions are safe for increasing physical activity?

Research has shown that using game-like strategies to encourage activity is generally safe and well-received. Studies have found that these methods can boost physical activity without causing major side effects. People often find them fun and motivating, which helps maintain activity levels.

For the Social Goals through Incentives to Charity approach, direct safety data is limited. However, since it involves donating to charity upon meeting physical activity goals, it appears low-risk. The focus is on motivation rather than medical treatment.

Both methods are non-invasive, involving no drugs or surgery. They aim to encourage more walking and other physical activities, which are generally safe for most people. As this trial does not test a new drug or surgery, safety concerns are minimal. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

Why are researchers excited about this trial?

Researchers are excited about these treatments because they explore innovative ways to motivate physical activity using social incentives and gamification, going beyond traditional methods like personal goal-setting and direct feedback. The Social Incentive Gamification approach leverages game-like elements to make exercising more engaging and fun, encouraging participants to stay active by making it a team effort. Meanwhile, the Social Goals through Incentives to Charity method taps into altruism by rewarding physical activity with donations to charity, which can motivate individuals who are driven by social good. These approaches aim to make staying active more engaging and meaningful, potentially leading to better long-term adherence to physical activity routines.

What evidence suggests that this trial's treatments could be effective for increasing physical activity?

This trial will compare different methods to increase physical activity. Participants in the Social Incentive Gamification arm will receive game-like features to encourage activity. Studies have shown that these features can significantly increase movement and adherence. Another arm, Social Goals through Incentives to Charity, will explore the effectiveness of social incentives, such as donating money to charity. Research suggests that this approach can also boost activity levels. Both methods aim to make exercise enjoyable and rewarding, helping people reach their activity goals. ^{1 2 3 6 7}

Who Is on the Research Team?

Karen Glanz, PhD, MPH

Principal Investigator

University of Pennsylvania

Are You a Good Fit for This Trial?

This trial is for families in Philadelphia with at least one member aged 60 or older, where all participants are over 14 years old, can give informed consent, speak English, and have a smartphone. It's not for those already in a physical activity study or who cannot safely do the activities due to health issues.

Inclusion Criteria

Has a smartphone or tablet;

Lives in the Philadelphia area;

Able to provide informed consent;

Exclusion Criteria

I cannot safely participate in an 18-month physical activity program due to my condition or pregnancy.

Already participating in another physical activity study;

Do not have sufficient eyesight or dexterity to operate device;

Timeline for a Trial Participant

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

2-4 weeks

Intervention

Participants receive either the Social Incentive Gamification or Social Goals through Incentives to Charity intervention, or are part of the control group, for 12 months

12 months

Monthly virtual check-ins

Follow-up

Participants receive Daily Performance Feedback and are monitored for changes in physical activity for 6 months

6 months

What Are the Treatments Tested in This Trial?

Interventions

• Daily Performance Feedback
• Social Goals through Incentives to Charity
• Social Incentive Gamification

Trial Overview

The study tests two social incentive-based interventions: gamification of daily step goals and donating financial incentives to charity based on performance. The goal is to see if these strategies help increase physical activity among low-income families.

How Is the Trial Designed?

Group I: Social Incentive Gamification Experimental Treatment 2 Interventions

Each participant is enrolled as part of a family team. Each participant wears a Fitbit every day and strives to achieve their daily step goal. Participants in this arm receive the Social Incentive Gamification intervention during the 12 month intervention and Daily Performance Feedback during the 6 month follow up.

Group II: Social Goals through Incentives to Charity Experimental Treatment 2 Interventions

Each participant is enrolled as part of a family team. Each participant wears a Fitbit every day and strives to achieve their daily step goal. Participants in this arm receive the Social Goals through Incentives to Charity intervention during the 12 month intervention and Daily Performance Feedback during the 6 month follow up.

Group III: Control Active Control 1 Intervention

Each participant is enrolled as part of a family team. Each participant wears a Fitbit every day and strives to achieve their daily step goal. Participants in this arm receive Daily Performance Feedback during the 12 month intervention and 6 month follow up.

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

Abramson Cancer Center at Penn Medicine

Lead Sponsor

Trials

425

Recruited

464,000+

University of Pennsylvania

Lead Sponsor

Trials

2,118

Recruited

45,270,000+

National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI)

Collaborator

Trials

3,987

Recruited

47,860,000+

Published Research Related to This Trial

A national survey of 153 adults with diabetes revealed that 96% were interested in financial incentives to improve their self-management, indicating a strong willingness to use monetary rewards for behavior change.

The study found that the perceived challenge of diabetes self-management tasks influenced the likelihood of using financial incentives, with participants expecting relatively modest amounts of money to motivate significant weight loss (e.g., $258 for a 5 lb loss).

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Patient attitudes about financial incentives for diabetes self-management: A survey. Blondon, KS.[2020]

Using the Sweatcoin app, which converts physical activity into virtual currency, led to an average increase of 19% in daily step count among 5892 users over a 6-month period, indicating significant behavior change in physical activity.

The app was particularly effective for individuals who are overweight or less active, suggesting that incentives can motivate those who typically struggle to maintain regular exercise.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Physical Activity Behavior Change Driven by Engagement With an Incentive-Based App: Evaluating the Impact of Sweatcoin. Elliott, M., Eck, F., Khmelev, E., et al.[2020]

Non-adherence to treatment is a significant issue in healthcare, costing the US over $100 billion annually in avoidable healthcare expenses and an additional $230 billion in lost productivity.

The proposed framework combines gamification techniques with real-world rewards to enhance patient motivation and adherence, implemented through modifications to a health tracking app and video feedback on potential rewards.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Increasing Health Care Adherence Through Gamification, Video Feedback, and Real-World Rewards. Saric, K., Redd, C., Varnfield, M., et al.[2020]

Citations

1.

pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12133204/

Design and baseline characteristics of an implementation ...

This paper describes the study design and baseline participant characteristics of a trial testing these approaches to increase physical activity among families.

2.

sciencedirect.com

sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S155171442500103X

Design and baseline characteristics of an implementation ...

This paper describes the study design and baseline participant characteristics of a trial testing these approaches to increase physical activity among families.

3.

clinicaltrials.gov

clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT04942535

STEP Together: An Effectiveness-Implementation Study of ...

Participants in this arm receive the Social Goals through Incentives to Charity intervention during the 12 month intervention and Daily Performance Feedback ...

4.

reporter.nih.gov

reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10452570

A Hybrid Type 1 Effectiveness-Implementation Study of Social ...

This study focuses on scalable approaches to address health disparities in physical activity by partnering with community organizations in low-income and ...

5.

bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com

bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12889-021-10175-3

Effects of social network incentives and financial incentives on ...

Our results suggest that social network incentives, in combination with financial incentives, are more effective for promoting physical activity than financial ...

6.

bi.team

bi.team/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Evaluation-of-a-financial-incentives-scheme-to-support-healthy-eating-and-physical-activity.pdf

Evaluation-of-a-financial-incentives-scheme-to-support- ...

○ The impact of financial incentives on physical activity and diet outcomes varied between socio-economic groups, with more deprived individuals being more ...

7.

ahajournals.org

ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.124.069531

Effect of Gamification, Financial Incentives, or Both to ...

The combination of gamification and financial incentives led to the greatest increase in physical activity over the 12-month intervention period ...