Social Goals and Individual Incentives to Promote Walking in Older Adults

Summary

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.

Conditions

• Physical Activity

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

Financial incentive

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.

BEHAVIORAL

Social Goal

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.

BEHAVIORAL

Personal financial incentives & social goals

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.

BEHAVIORAL

daily pedometer use and weekly feedback

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.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

  collaborator OTHER

• University of Pennsylvania

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Karen Glanz, PhD, MPH · University of Pennsylvania

• Jason Karlawish, MD · University of Pennsylvania

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

HEALTH_SERVICES_RESEARCH

Masking

NONE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

65 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2012-08-31

Primary Completion

2013-07-31

Completion

2013-09-30

Countries

• United States

Study Locations