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

779 Participants Needed

Trial Summary

What is the purpose of this trial?

Higher levels of physical activity have been demonstrated to improve health across a wide range of contexts and reduce cognitive decline as adults become older, but more than half of all adults in the United States do not meet their physical activity goals. One type of physical activity that is broadly applicable to people of all ages is walking. This study will use a Hybrid Type 1 effectiveness-implementation design to adapt and test the effectiveness of two successful social incentive-based interventions, a gamification strategy and financial incentives donated to charity on the participants behalf, to increase physical activity among low-income, mostly minority families in community settings.

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 data supports the effectiveness of the treatment Daily Performance Feedback, Social Goals through Incentives to Charity, Social Incentive Gamification for increasing physical activity?

Research shows that using gamification and social incentives can effectively increase engagement and motivation in health-related behaviors. For example, gamification has been used successfully to improve adherence to health care practices and motivate clinicians, leading to better health outcomes. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

Is the use of social incentives and gamification for physical activity safe for humans?

The research does not provide specific safety data for social incentives and gamification in physical activity, but it does not report any harmful effects, suggesting it is generally safe for humans. ^{3 6 7 8 9}

How does the treatment 'Social Goals through Incentives to Charity, Social Incentive Gamification' differ from other treatments for increasing physical activity?

This treatment is unique because it combines social incentives (influences from social connections) with gamification (using game design elements in non-game contexts) to motivate people to be more active. Unlike traditional methods, it leverages social ties and game-like rewards to create a scalable and engaging approach to increase physical activity. ^{3 8 10 11 12}

Research Team

Karen Glanz, PhD, MPH

Principal Investigator

University of Pennsylvania

Eligibility Criteria

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;

Able to read and speak English;

Lives in the Philadelphia area;

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

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

Treatment Details

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.

Participant Groups

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+

Findings from Research

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]

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]

References

1. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Stages of change and patient activation measure scores in the context of incentive-based health interventions. [2018]

2. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Increasing Health Care Adherence Through Gamification, Video Feedback, and Real-World Rewards. [2020]

3. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Social incentives to encourage physical activity and understand predictors (STEP UP): Design and rationale of a randomized trial among overweight and obese adults across the United States. [2021]

4. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

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

5. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Gamification as a strategy to engage and motivate clinicians to improve care. [2022]

6. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Health Wearables, Gamification, and Healthful Activity. [2023]

7. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Gamification in a Physical Activity App: What Gamification Features Are Being Used, by Whom, and Does It Make a Difference? [2022]

8. Netherlands pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Gamification for health and wellbeing: A systematic review of the literature. [2022]

9. Netherlands pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

How Gamification Affects Physical Activity: Large-scale Analysis of Walking Challenges in a Mobile Application. [2020]

10. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Motivations and barriers to engagement with a technology-enabled community wide physical activity intervention. [2020]

11. Canada pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Physical Activity Behavior Change Driven by Engagement With an Incentive-Based App: Evaluating the Impact of Sweatcoin. [2020]

12. Switzerland pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Using Gamification and Social Incentives to Increase Physical Activity and Related Social Cognition among Undergraduate Students in Shanghai, China. [2023]